The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-01-26

to again to establish homes and ac-
cumulate property that will In the
course Of time be again swept into
the Gulf of Mexico.
The writer had occasion several
years ago to be in the flood district,
down below Evansville. He found
a farmer surrounded by his family,
living in barn back from the riv-
er, few loads of household furn-
iture piled in the loft, and a little
| live stock In the yard. The farmer
said he was waiting for the water to
go down. so that he could again
take up his abode at home. He had
a house built on stilts down in the
river bottom, but the stlits were not
tall enough to prevent the house
from being Inundated. All Of his
crops had been washed away. Every
fence he had upon his farm was now
gone. His hogs and chickens had
been drowned Great stacks Of hay
had floated out TO sea. Even the
farm machinery was ruined. But
the man was not discouraged and he
had no idea of giving up his farm
and going where the country was
not subject to flood.
He admitted that he had been
washed away" on several occasions.
He had had to commence life anew
half a dozen of times. lie also ad-
mlttcd that 1t might not be but few
years until there was another flood.
And yet when asked why he did not
sell and buy n farm on higher
ground he said something like this:
| ''Pardner, | was born in the bot
toms and | amt ever starved to
death yet love that old river, and
| amt going to live out of sight of
it. Them waters will go down some
time, and the corn can raise on
my farm would make you hungry We
will get along some way until roast
ing ear time; we always will. Have
you little tobacco handy?
! 1t Is the philosophy of the river
bottoms, born and bred in the bone,
aud 1t Is not bad philosophy.
There were inconveniences in living
the way he was for several weeks.
1t is a calamity to have his property
washed away. And yet there was
comprehension to be had for the
Inconvenience and the calamity. The
corn he could raise would make you
hungry. The rich alluvial deposit
the waters would leave on the land
was worth more than the property
destroyed. The yield would be SO
abundant that he could lose a part of
the crop every year and then have
enough left to prevent his starving
Besides there was the sentiment. He
loved the river; was born upon it;
had been swimming In 1t; knew 1t
and 1t knew him. Was it. not worth
something.
Flood sufferers are not the mis-
cradle people you imagine. They are
born stoics. They consider an over
flow as a matter of course, and make
the most of 1t. They never have
starved to death, and they never
VIII. The waters always have sub
sided and will subside again. They
lcry. They act. They save what they
can and live as they must. Even the
women do not grow hysterical. They
TOO know how to suffer in silence,
and with a grim determination TO
make the best Of bad situation.
know It. They do not sit down and
We have heard pleasant sallies from
them when they sat in the second
story windows watching the drift
wood float beneath them. We have
known them To have Il party when
the guests had to come In boats. We
have heard them sing when the
piano below was covered with eight
feet of water.
And as for the milk of kindness, IL
doesn't begin to flow until the waters
cover the earth. Then IL is that the
whole river world becomes kin. II
man saves two chickens. one Is for
the Fellow who didn't save any. The
next thing after landing ones family
upon dry ground is to go and help
land some other fellows family. You
may see man wading In water I'D
to his neck-horrible, cold, muddy
waler-in an effort 10 save q pig be-
longing TO somebody else. Nowhere
upon the face OF the globe is the
golden Rule more closely followed
than IN the flood district during
food. There may have been bad blood
during the summer; neighbor may
nave attempted to get The better of
a neighbor In a horse trade when the
bottoms were rusty; the women may
nave tried to outshine other women
when the corn was waving, but now
1t Is one great family. You have but
TO ask favor and it is granted. No
sacrifice is too great for man to
make when the floods come. No man
offers price for help; he gets it for
hothing.~ A man may stand upon the
bank and ask how much the man in
the river would give to be saved
from drowning would be tarred and
fea'hered and run out of the coun-
try. There Is no mechanicism of ex-
change but kindness now. There