The evening times., 1900-05-18

James Seldom Cowdon, a citizen of the
District OF Columbia. recently wrote to the
Commissioners making a peculiar request
II appears from the writer's statements
that his father made certain predictions
regarding the Mississippi River years ago.
which the son now considers to b. fu 81 ed.
Therefore, in celebration of the remarka-
BILE confirmation" of his father prophe-
cies Mr. Ccwdon asks the privilege of
burning tar barrel or two on the Monu-
ment Lot
According to the statement Of the son,
the elder Cowdon prophesied dire calamity
for the IoGsh Mississippi Valley and for
New orleans>s,s " particular The jeremiah
of the fafEsttr2 r2sske the sons hymn OF
thanksgiving. was directed against the a l.
levee builders below Memphis The ED II
Cowdon declared long ago. We are told.
that the Mississippi River would find an
outlet to the Gulf through the Atchalaya.
leaving the territory below the mouth Of
the Red r Rver a bayou and New Orleans
an inland city. This was to take pace in
judgement upon the foolish levee bui.d-
ers'' who stupidity opposed the Lake Bo ge
outlet, which, in the opinion Of the sen Of
leans for a century at least.
Mr.. Cowdon does not make it quite clear
in his letter to the Commissioners Just
how the philosophy OF his father has been
confirmed He seems to be sure OF The TACT,
however, for he states with a coav ncing
degree of positiyeness that "the fiocd line
will be down to low-water mark inside Of
two weeks at Memphis. And the letter
ends with the thrilling expression, II want
TO celebrate"
The Commissioners were considerably
moved at the terrible picture portrayed
by their intelligent and thoughtful corres-
pondent- For while the State of Iouisi-
ana IS outside of their Jurisdiction the
Commissioners are kept in constant re-
membranee Of that great Common wealth by
the name of the avenue which blends with
another in front OF the District Building
Besides, there is an important sense in
which all the citizens of the Republic, and
especially of the Capital City are deeply
interested in the fate OF the Father of
Waters. Is not the history of the Mssis-
sippi indissOlubly linked with that of our
country? Prom the days OF De Soto 10
those OF Farragut has it not been one OF
the stupendous landmarks Of North Ameri-
ca? And TO be informed that after cen
turies Of majestic flow through its natu-
rally appointed bed, il is at last to lose
Its waters in the murky Atshalaya. 10
ruin the glory Of proud city and to com
pltcate the paths OF transportation is an
appalling declaration.
The Commissioners. with other high
minded Americans, thought that the open
ing OF the Chicago Drainage Canal and the
emptying Of hundreds of millions Of gal
Ions of water daily from Lake Michigan
into tributary of the Mississippi would
assist in floating the barges of commerce
between Cairo and New Orleans. to say
nothing Of helping on the theory Of erosion
in the bed Of the river propounded by Cap
tain Fades. But that dream seems to have
vanished. According TO the informant Of
the Commissioners. the AtchaIaya is here
after TO receive the germ-impregnated
waters from Chicago. and New Orleans is
about TO turn its annual Mardi GrGs into
the wearing o: sackcloth and ashes.
As was said above. the Commissioners
were deeply moved by the contemplated
formation Of bayou Of the State Of Louis
lana. But the.' perturbation over the
threatened disaster at the South was not
10 be compared with the difficulties which
presented themselves in considering the
request OF their correspondent. There are
no records Of any citizen Of the District
burning a tar barrel or two" on the
Monument Lot out of ilial reverence. or
patriotic impulse Hence there was no
precedent to follow Moreover. the Com
missioners hesitated TO establish a pIece-
dent Of that kind, lest other claimants
should come forward with fulfilled pro-
phecies and request similar privileges
until there should be no need for signs
to keep on the grass and until the iuxu-
rlous buildings Of the bathing beach should
be endangered from the saerificial flames
Of the celebrants.
At last accounts the Commissioners had
not solved the riddle of granting or with
holding Mr.. CowdOn's request. but it is
understood that they will wait for further
confirmation of the senior Cowdon's pro-
phetie utterances.