The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-07-18
AN INSATIATE RIVER.
HOW THE MISSISSIPPI SOMETIMES
EATS UP REAL ESTATE.

Captain King of Greenville Tells How
the Father of Waters Swallowed Several
Thousand Dollars Worth of His Property
In One Night.
"No use talking, the Mississippi river Is
the most contrary thing on earth, " ro-
marked Captain s. II. King Of Greenville,
Miss. "During the civil war, it will be
remem bered, there was double bend,
much in the shape of the letter S, of the
river at Vicksburg. General Grant, 700
know, wanted to change the course OF the
river by cutting q channel through DE
Soto peninsula, thus cutting off the upper
bend and causing the river to flow straight
across below Vicksburg and leaving the
town high and dry. Grant could rhen
have sent bis gunboats by Vicksburg and
escaped the shelling from the upper bat
teries Of the Confederates north OF the
town. He put General McClernand and
several thousand men to work at cutting
this channel across the peninsula IN front
of the town, and they worked for some
time notwithstanding the harasslnent
from the lower batteries Of the enemy.
But the contrary river wouldn't show the
least desire of accepting such an artificial
channel anyway. The plan was finally
abandoned and Grants gunboats had to
make the run before, both the upper and
lower batteries. But in 1876 the Missis
sippi river, of its own accord, cut it's way
across De Soto peninsula below Vicks.
burg, but farther up than Grants artificial
channel was started De Soto peninsula
Is now De Soto island, and the body OF
water in front of Vicksburg is now known
as Centennial lake. taking the name from
the year that the Centennial was held at
Philadelphia. This is only one of many
instances showing how the Mississippi re.
fuses to submit to the dictation OF civil
engineers and how it follows its own Stub
born course, winding and washing ttA
way here and there at its own will
"By the way, the Mississippi washed
several thousand dollars out Of my pocket
in one night about Is years ago. At that
time owned row Of houses which began
almost three blocks away from the river
in Greenyille, Miss. One day govern.
ment engineer said to me, The river will
some time wash away its bank here, and
your buildings will tumble ill.,
"Well, 1 laughed at him. Tho bank
was rs feot high, and, besides, the river
was quite low. One morning l awoko to
learn that there had been big cave in OF
the river bank the night before, and that
couple Of my buildings had been carried
away. I Joined the crowd of people that
rushed to the river bank to see this de-
struotion, and, I tell you, l never ap' b
preciated the terrible power Of the Father
Of Waters until I witnessed this scene.
While was standing there talking with
friends another big slice Of land, block
in width, crumbled away and fell into the
river, carrying with it several more OF my
buildings You can imagine how felt,
because had been drawing an income OF
81 900 month in rentals from my build.
ines. Now over half Of them were mass
of debris floating down the river, and my
real estate was only so much dirt in ths
bottom of the channel.
"As I stood there watching my build
ings and ground slip away into the river
a citizen approached me and said, Cap.
tain, I'll give you $1,000 for the remain
der Of your property
Ono, I'll not take less than $4,000,
said I.
1.-THE woods had no more than left.my
tongue when there was another cave In,
and two more Of my lots and buildings
tumbled into the greedy river. The citizen
then remarked to ME, Captain, I'll give
you 81, 900 for your property now
"I refused to entertain this proposition,
which, of course, was pure speculation,
as no human agency could stop the cave
in. Pretty soon another one Of my lots
and its building went into the river, and
my speculative friend then offered mo $500
for the remainder of my property. BY this
time had concluded to trust to luck and
stand oil losses, and I refused to sell at
any price, T now had one lot and one
building left. During the excitement an
old colored woman came up and said to
me:
"'See heah, cap'n, will ye give me dem
brick what's in dat cellar undor yer
houseP
~ told her she could have the brick. ]
had pile of new brick in the cellar under
my only remaining house. The old COL
ored woman gave her husband 90 cents
to hire O team and wagon to haul away
the brick. Now, upon my word of honor,
what 1 am now going to say Is true.
While the old colored man was gone for a
wagon another cave in occurred, and my
last house and lot, brick and cellar and
all, tumbled into the river. Tho cave in
came so suddenly that the crowd OF people
standing on the bank had to flee for their
lives. After the excitement had somewhat
subsided the old colored woman exclaimed:
CLAWS O. massyl Dere's my brick In
de bottom O. dc ribber, an I done los my
quatah.
"Of course, while the old woman was
out 25 cents, was out another $1,000.
During this series Of cave ins that day
efforts were being made to place a long
frame store building on rollers and move
Ii to a place Of safety. But before the
building could be raised it began to tilt,
and the men were compelled to desert 1t.
Soon the store building slid into the river
and went kerchug to the bottom of the
channel, as completely out of sight as II 1t
had been the only pebble on the beach
"In my opinion the Mississippi river Is
all right-when ii doesn t come my way.
built nice residence in GreenVille several
years ago and had beautiful flower be.
decked lawn between the house and the
river which was block away. That lawn
has long since been swallowed by the yo-
raoious NAV of the Mississippi, and today
my residence stands on the edge of bank
that is rs feet high. st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Medieval Lynch Laws In Bavaria.