Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-04-09

increased in value, and by the time the
streets were laid off in fashion lots in
Greenville were commanding prices
! higher than were demanded by any
other growing city of the south. Green
vile and Birmingham. Ala, came in
| pl ointment public notice at about the
same time, and for awhile it looked as
if the former would grow to be big
ger city than her northern Alabama
neighbor. In the year 1856 there Was
a boom in real estate throughout the
entire Mississippi Valley from Mem
during that year, us we'll as the three
phIs to Vicksburg. Plantation prop
erty, and unimprovcd at that, sold
succeeding years, for as high as 500
per acre. In four years it is estimated
that there were more than 100000 acres
of bottom land cleared and made ready
for planting. The country then was
heavily wooded and the process OF
clearing was attended with many diff
culties. At that time delta cotton was
selling four cents higher than the or
binary upland staple. 1t is CONNER
cially known as the 'benders,' deriv
ing its name because of the immense
bend of the river in that section The
fiber is stronger, and the lint more
resembles Sea Island cotton than any
other grade of the fleecy staple that is
grown in the south
Greenville was much like western
town during boom that she enjoyed
for more than five years. There were
more than 100 real estate agents there
at one time, and any man with pleas
ant address Who had a scheme that
looked feasible had no difficulty in
floating as many bonds as he desired.
Money was plentiful and cheap. I'M
mense brick blocks Of buildings sprang
up as if By magic. There We're daily
newspapers, two or three opera houses
and a multitude of hotels. Memphis
became alarmed about her trade, and
rs for Nicksburg, more than one-tlird
OF the big merchants there established
delta The foods OF 1883 came, and
Notwithstanding the fact that a big
part OF the town was eaten away, the
people laughed at the disaster and
seemed to bid defiance to the erratic
and tickle stream that flowed by her
shores. The city was moved back sew
eral hundred yards, and new and hand
somer houses took the place of those
that bad been washed away In the
year 1890 Grcenville had population
exceeding 1900, and at that time was
The second city in size in the state.
Then followed the food of 1892. which
destroyed many homes and much prov.
clty, carrying with it the failure of the
Greenville bank. which at that time
WAS supposed to be the strongest finan.
cial institution in the state. Cotton also
ie,! in price. and in Il few years the
staple that had been commanding
prices ranging from IA to 10 cents per
pound dropped to 8 and 10 cents,
Farming then became improbable. and
there was Il general exodus from the
delta to the nplands. Greenyille soon
lapsed back into an ordinary river
town where all business that was done
was on the credit basis. City and
country property became drug in the
market. Many of the biggest and the
wcalthiest planters of the section were
forced TO the wall and thousands Of
acres Of the finest cotton fields in the
world were Abandoned 1t was imme-
alately after the flood of 1892 that the
Richardson's, who were then, as they
are now, the largest cotton planters in
the world, sold their plantation stock
aud surrendered their immense fields
to the cocklebur and the wild morning
glory. Or course they kept up some
OF their interests. but the bulk of i.
was abandoned. Two years ago they
began improving it again, and from
recent reports, the Richardson's were
to have planted more cotton during the
present year than in their history,
What they vii! do now that their lands
arc submerged is not known. They
seem to be among Mississippi's heav-
lest sufferers