The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-06-19
I ennessee State News
Tennessee Planters to Protest.

There is a great deal of interest
manifested in all of the counties in
West Tennessee bordering on the
Mississippi river in the result of the
meeting of the property owners on
the Tennessee side of the river
called to meet in Memphis June
% to protest against the govern
ment's system of levees, on ac-
count of which thousands of
acres of the most fertile farming
lands in Tennessee are inundated
during high water, causing thou
sands of dollars Of damages both to
property and stock and endangering
human lives. As is well known,
before these levees were built on the
Arkansas and Missouri sides of the
Mississippi river these lands in
Tennessee were only slightly over
flowed and we're under water but
for q snort time, but since the pres
cnt levee system was put into opera
ton thousands of acres of farming
lands which prior to that time did
not overflow at all, have been abso-
lutely ruined on account of sand to
a depth Of six or eight feet deep be-
ing washed over the lands, render
ing them worthless for farming
purposes, deep holes being also
gouged in the land as the result of
the rushing current of the Father of
Waters. The public is familiar with
the havoc wrought by the recent
high water in Tennessee. This was
the highest water ever experienced
on the Tennessee side Of the river,
and it is claimed it was the direct
result of ,ne levee system, which
forced practically all of the water
on this side of the river. As proof
of this it is pointed out that while
the water was higher in Upton
county than ever known before, at
Cairo it was two feet under the
highest water mark recorded there,
which was SO feet in '82 or '83.
1t has been the general impress
sion that damages resulting from
this levee system could not be re-
covered from the government in
such cases. j. N. Harris, who is
large property owner, and who has
been considerably damaged himself
as result of overfows, has a dis
patch bearing on this point. It is
as follows:
Washington. Feb. % Justice
Brewer today delivered the opinion
of the United States Supreme Court
in the case of the United States vs.
Arthur Lynch, holding that in cases
In which the property of private in
dividuals is destroyed through gov
eminent improvements, the owners
are entitled to recover damages. |
Lynch and Williams are the owners
Of rice plantations on the Savannah |
river, and which, it is claimed, have |
been ruined by flooding on account |
Of the construction of a dam by the |
government. They brought suit in the |
Federal Circuit Court of South Caro- |
lima ald were awarded $4,000. To |
days opinion affirms the opinion of |
the South Carolina court. The court |
held the destruction Of the land to be |
equivalent to taking it for the pur-
chief justice and justices Harlan and |
White united in dissenting opiaIon,
which was delivered by the last
named"
1t is proper to remark here that
Upton county property owners, who
are affected by this levee system, are
already on record as protesting
against its institution. In 1892 J.
\. Harris went to Washington and
aid the matter before Senator |.
]. Harris and Congressman Jo-
iah Patterson and j. G.. McDear-
non. \ joint protest was filed by
bese gentlemen in the office of Sec
etary of War Lamont, which pre-
Iicted the dire results to Tennessee
owners which would result
n account of the present levee sys.
EN-.
Mr.. Harris, representing himself
nd also other Upton county land
wners, urges all persons interested
o attend the meeting in Memphis
une %, to take some action in the
natter, as doubtless good results
an be obtained by concert of ac-
ion. County papers published in
ne counties affected are also re-
uested to bring this matter TO the
of their readers and to
rye energetic action on the part of
nose interested. '