Cochise review., 1900-11-13
THE TEXAS VALLEYS.
After Recent foundations They Are
 Blooming Again.
Great Destruction Caused by owsY- flowing RiVers-stupendOus Task That Confronted the People
 of That Section

The valleys of the Brazos and Col orado rivers, which were inundated by overtiows of those streams in July. 1899, have been reclaimed and will this year yield an immense crop of cotton It was conservatively estimated. re ports the New York Sun. that the floods of last year destroyed growing cotton in the valley of the Brazos river that would have yielded fully 100000 bales. while the loss in the val ley of the Colorado amounted to an other 100000 bales. Not only was this growing crop swept to destruc tion, but the plantations along the rivers were denuded of all their buildings. fence and other improvements. The humble homes of thousands of negro families who were employed on the plantations were washed away and the terrified inhabitants had to seek refuge on higher ground along the surging rivers.
 When the waters Subsided the full effect of the destructive inundations was to be seen. The overflow extend ed along the Brazos river from its mouth to Velasco, on the Gulf of Mex ico, to the northern part of the state, a distance of probably 400 miles by course of the river The width of The overhowed valley was from one mile to fifteen miles Along the Colorado river the inundation extended from the Gulf of Mexico to Austin, a dis tance of probably 300 miles When the news of the disaster reached the people of Texas and the outside world contributions began to pour in from all over the country in aid of the sui tering colored people. Several hun dred thousand dollars were expended through relief committees for sup plies. It was probably six weeks from the time the overhows were at their height before the waters had subsided and the ground was again in condi. tion to be worked
 The task before the planters was q stupendous one, but they met the diff faculties with an indomitable will and courage that soon accomplished won ders, The negroes were at first loatb to return to the bottoms, They had been faring so well through the gen erous charity of sympathetic peo- pie that they had no desire to make. a change, When the planters could not induce them to return to their la bors the free food supplies were cut of by the relief committees of the sev- eral communities and the refugees were informed that they would either have to work or starve They pre- fcrred to work. Upon their return to the plantations the work of re habIitation was carried ou with eigor rich silt covered the 1alleys of the two rivers 10 great depth, Owing to the .ateness of the season no gen. erai fort was made to raise another crop. except that of forage for the plantation live stock. The next sev- eral months were devoted to re building fences. buildings, and get ting the plantations in condition for this seasons crop
 When the cotton planting season ar rived this year the inundated district had been reclaimed and a full acre age was put iu along both rivers The soil had hCcOme so greatly enriched by the oveTtiows that the cotton plant nGs grown Ike magic IL is the opin- ion of many planters that the inuuda- ton was really blessing in disguise; that the salt which was deposited throughout the valleys of the two rivers has added more to the value of the soil than the amount of loss sustained by the destruction wrought by the floods