The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-04-03
INSPIRED lD0CITY.

hcfc 10 ~ Sam piC VI thO oeuh VIC
is being sent out to the world by
the press about the condition OF the
lower Mississippi Valley. This
lurid bit of word painting is pub
lished in double columns, under big
black ''scare heads" in letters Al
inch long, by the St. LOUIS Repnb
lie, , paper which is near enough to
the scene to know better.
oerhe gravest peril confronts the
people of the lower Mississippi Val
ley. Only rescue boats, quick and
spacious to arrive at the scene Of
watery disaster, can save human
lives. All property interests have
bee abandoned. The vital question
is, can boats reach in time to save
human beings struggling in the
water, hanging from tree tops and
holding with . death grasp on The
house tops? The terrors of the food
surpass all the fore runners of dis
aster in the most fertile section Of
Che United States, or the world.
Quarantine places at least temper
airy bar to the advance of yellow
fever and cholera scourages which
have heretofore sent up walls OF
agony from the brave and courage
Gus people whose picked flowers
have been withered by the blast Of
contagion. But the food, bearing
equal wrath to all alike, respecting
none, defying the strongest barriers
that a mighty government could de
wise, sweeps on with pItiless fury,
dashing to death every human OBJ
stacle and sparing none. The end
of all this havoc is beyond human
ken. An avenging Providence only
can stay It's murderous onslaught.
Hundreds of people shrek for res
cue, but no harbor is in sight, and
fathoms OF water cut them off from
all hope of refuge. The hogs, the
COWS that should be fsttening upon
the early moss of Spring are swept
away before their eyes. Hope has
fed from strong hearts, the weak
have fed to the uplands, or, in at
tempting to escape, have been
strangled in the murky waves"
There is plenty more, but "that't
as Tom Haynes said
when he saw the elephant.
Now, is this not preposterous? II
it not disgraceful that paper as in
auential and generally reliable as
the Republic should admit to its
columns such a mixture of stupidity
and Misrepresentation. Happily the
fantastic absurdity of the report is
an antidote to its evil effect. Its
reader recognizes it instantly as the
work of an inspired idiot who il
we'll paid for bis verbal fireworks,
and no doubt chnckled to himself
with satisfaction at.the thought that
his skyrockets would bring HIM an
increase of salary. That is abou,
all there is in it. A part of Arkan-
sas-comparatively very small par,
lis overlooked, as usually happens
to it whenever the river rises be.
yond certain point, aud consider
able loss of property has ensued.
The river is higher than it has ever
before been known to be, and there
is serious danger that the greater
part Of the rich and populous allu-
vial lands of Arkansas, Mississippi
and Louisiana may be overflo wed,
with great consequent destruction.
A magnificent fight to protect them
s being made by the leyee anthori-
lies and the United States govern
nent, and with much probability
hat it will he successful. The peo-
pie of the lower Mississippi Valley,
except in the portion of Northeast
,rn Arkansas already under water,
ire busy glowing and planting their
,rops. The whole country is a
picture of blooming fruit trees, fer
lie furrowed fields, and prosperous
activity. 1t is possible, of
lou, Sc, that this fair scene may be
lubmerged by the water of the river,
3nt under no circumstances can such
i direful cataclysm come to pass as
hat described by the delirious pen
# the Republic reporter. Small
blame to the man who wrote the
Irticle. He is paid for his hyster-
cs, and probably gets his only in.
from Chicago newspapers
which he has read in his gas lighted
,ack office in st. Louis. The fault
les with the newspaper which will
five publicity and wide spread cir
to such rhodomontade of
bombast and falsehood.
Since the above was written by
be Times, we regret to state that
our breaks have occurred in the
mississippi line of levees-one break
few miles below the City of
areenville and three above, and we
'entare to say that there was not
'erson drowned nor any stock lost.
We have seen one or two crevasses
ccur, but have yet to see the