The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-07-31
BOLIVAR COUNTY LEVEE PETITION.
TO tho Board of Mississippi Levc
Cnnmfaainnara


We, the undersigned citlz ms aud
tax payers or Bolivar county are seri
o:sly alarmed at the possibility OF
/ irreparable Injury to our properties
and homes 10y the proposed Adoption
OF the short line of levee, as 1t is geu-
orally called, from Mound Landing to
q point at or near Ofi'ults.
We grant thai the line mentioned
would greatly shorten tho lCveos of
the Districts but 1t would abandon to
! future floods something like 640O
acres of laud, embracing 35 valuable
plantations, the aggregate worth OF
which Is not less than four hundred
thousand dollars, This property now
produces about - bales OF cotton
annually, the tax on which, supple.
meuted by the al valorem aud acreage
tax add, and if protected will continue
TO add, a handsome sum to the rove-
nues OF the District. If there was
some imperative necessity, compelling
the Board to adopt the new line Of
policy, radical departure from all
past traditions aud precedents, we
would accept the inevitable, not with
out feeling of deep regret, natural
under the circumstances, but with
some degree of equanimity, born of
the assurance that our agents, selected
for the purpose of protecting the
Delta had not lightly abandoned
valuable part of it without such justi-
ticatlon as would satisfy the minds
and conscieuces of all good men.
But such is not the case. 1t is con
coded by your chief engineer, and
known of all meu who have cared to
inform themselves of the situation
that there is no necessity, real or i'm.
sginSry, for the heroic trea 'meut UNI
der discussion GA the contrary, the
modified line of levee last projected
which would afford protection to
la;ge part of the threatened territory,
can be established without difficulty
aud with perfect safety to the District.
We respectfully submit in this con-
nection the following proposition, SO
obvious as to be almost, if not quite
That one part of the Levee District
has the same right, morally aud legal
ly, to protection as every other part
of the District
That no part of the territory now
protected by the levee system should |
be abandoned SO long as it can be re.
Isined without endsngerlng lhe safely
Of the District because of undue prox-
unity to cavlng banks, or other im-
nemt danger.
And finally, that no part of the Dis
irict should ever be abandoned to the
river, simply for the purpose of short
'ning the line of Ievee with view OF
essening the expense of building and
maintaining longer liue.
The levee system was intended orig.
nAlly, aud is now intended, 10 protect,
ss far as possible, within the bounds
Of safety, the riparian land owners,
md we venture TO warn the Board
bat II this fundamental idea is ig.
iored, and the aulipodal one of cut
lug of the bends is adopted, II is the
beginning of the end of levee scott.
nent wit large and Influential class
If Delta people. Besides, The new
policy will return to plague first one
'art OF the levee community aud then
another, and finally, as the country
back from the river front becomes
hickly populated, the people there
will appeal to this aud similar cases as
'recedcnts, and their permanent line
II leve2 will be established somewherc,
perhaps, along Egypt Ridge aud on
Town the beautiful Deer Creek couu-
ry, protecting all east OF this safe.
hort and economical line, but leaving
his west of it, as il is now proposed
0 leave US.
The Illustration, perhaps, il carried
o the extreme, but it serves 10 show
he danger and injustice underlying
be drastic treatment prescribed for
he levee system of lower Bolivar
ln conclusion, we earnestly protest i
gainst tue adoption of the short line ?
S unjust, unwise and unnecessary, and i
lcrctore waIton abandonment of q e
auable psFt Of the LeVee District, de- :,
iroying our property and homes and f
Ivolving US and our fellow ciriz1ns, q
there we are not personally interest. {
d, iu financial ruin. q
Relying, as we had right 10 do, on 8
our Honorable Board to use every 4
Hort for The protection Of the entire 0
district, we have spent large sums Of a.
loney III acquiring property and in b.
Gking valuable improvements there p'
., in the threatened territory. aud we 50
i'll rely on your wisdom aud sense of az
stice 10 protect it as long as such St
election can safely be extended 10