The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-17

I
forts TO escape was made apparent when
i, wns noticed that she bad attempted 10
pass under a barbed wire and had only
partially succeeded. the wire pressing
down over her neck and holding her i'm
movable against the tree II was piain
that, unless speedily extricated, the water
would soon be In her nostrils ana ner ca
reer forever ended.
Tho marty was pressed for time and q
single rnisstrolSe in the crazy debris which
surrounded the house might have resulted
In the loss of hours; yet when the leader
or the PARTY called for volunteer to re-
lease the hapless dumb brute the response
was not only immediate but even cheer
full The Oldest man in the psrty-a ne
gro--who had all along shown the utmost
aversion TO wetting his clothing. or his
skin. got close to the tree and with few
blows with an ak succeeded In severing
the wire and setting the prisoner free. He
did IL at the imminent risk of severe
ducklng, II nothing worse. One who was
not an expert swimmer or who would
have been unable to keep his wits about
him at the time, might very easily have
been drowned
life was probably of no avail; she was ter
ribly bloated from the effects of the water
and in her weakened condition. could
hardly have been able to make her way to
the higher land some distance away. But
she was, only one of the thousands and
thousands of dumb brutes which suffered
and died during the flood.
\ ~
One circumstance which struck me with
considerable force was the absolute apa-
thy displayed by the negroes. I by no
means mean to discredit the stories of the
Joy and Thanksgiving with which some of
the rcscuing parties were greeted by the
imprisoned blacks: but not enc of the
refugees who came under my observation
seemed to care whether they reached the
high ground OF not had pictured to NY
self the mothers caressing their children
in ecstacy at being saved from the food;
In my minds eye I saw men weep with
Joy at the sight of their deliverers. But
this was not to be. On that memorable /
Fourth of July night, when the skih, for
Gated from the perilous places into which |
1t had been forced by the swift cur
lent and the light Of the bonfire on |
Peach Ridge led the relief party up to
small island, formerly merely an eleva-
twenty or twenty refugees there were
no manifestations of JOY. The negroes
seemed to take the arrival of the boats /
as matter of course and made no effort
whatever to hasten their preparations for
departure notwithstanding the fact that
ar this time the water was rising rapidly.
And on the back trip to the prairie not
one word OF gratitude was uttersl. The
blacks seemed to look upon the white men
n hoi mat f.,n oil
not apparently think it necessary to waste
their breath in tharis.
\ =
There was, as Is usually the case a
bright side 10 the gloomy picture made by
the floods. Humorous incidents and stu
ations were frequent, and 1t is well that
they were, for something of that kind was
assuredly needed to keep up the spirits
OF the workers.
On one occasion, an hour or so before
the feet Of five boats arrived at Fulsbear
on Friday evening, an unusually trouble
some stretch OF country was encountered.
The ground was higher than usual mere
ard in consequence the water, when or
covered al; save the topmost tas-
sells of the corn, now came only about half
way up the stalks. The current was swift
err t3an ever before and the boats were
compelled to pass through a long. mar
row lane with wire fence on either side.
The hardes, kind of hard work was neces-
sssary, anil just as one OF the workers
in the leading beat put all his strength
into stroke in order to keep out O. the
wires, his oarlocll came tearing out of the
wood which formed the gunwale of the
'oat, Killing a crab" as gracefully as
ever 1t was done, overheard, head first, he
went. of course every one screamed with
laughter, but a little further on, when all
hands were compelled 10 go overheard TO
force the skifs through the rows of corn,
the situation was somewhat different The
unfortunate who had first taken a sudden
and involuntary bath found that he had
smile coming, and improved the opportu- ]
nifty
The return Of the river to IT'S normal
banks will leave the bottoms in a fearful
Death-dealing odors are emit {
ed by the thousands of tons of decaying
and tho countless carcasses
which are everywhere In evidence; MAS
matte vapors arise from the lands which
nave so long been inundated, and there Is
10 doubt that an endless amount of illness
will be the result The mosquitoes, too,
re simply awful They told me at the be-
Ginning of my trip that there was not
Jingle mosquito in the bottoms Nor Is
here now; all of them are married and
lave large and interesting families Even
Miami. on the edge of the
'lorida everglades could not produce SO
many OF these pestiferous insects.
~ ,
The question OF getting In another crop :
his year is at present receiving no little I
ttention from the occupants OF the bot
oms, as is told Of daily in the news col I
INNS of The Post Personal observations I
nd interviews lead to the belief that a
'mparatively small percentage of the y,
lanters in the flooded districts will at
empt TO produce another crop OF cotton. ,,
hey are relying mainly on June corn, .
'rghum, millet, peas and other such :
rains and cereals.
Until these quickly growing seeds do !
heir work and furnish something where :
18th to allay the panss of hunger, the bot I
pms people must remain dependent on the
ounty OF their charitably- inclined fellow 1
len. The relief work, however, is now y
thoroughly organized, and II kept up prop a
rly the negroes, aided by their own ef-
'rts, VIII be enabled to pull through.