The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-28
dugouts to pieces on submerged logs and
Natures Amends.

skiffs frozen to death in sleet storms as
they rode the gale tied to stub. The
| eormorants, or water turkeys, cry from
| the naked branches with melancholy
voices, quite in keeping with the place
The dismal aspect is relieved by the
| American lotus, which here grows in its
| full splendid beauty, the wide green
| leaves resting upon the water,
| shading the black bass. while the
| blossoms rise above the surface in beau
| tiful tufts of fragrant beauty, as though
nature regretted the wilderness tragedy
| and would make amends by spreading
flowers of wonderful loveliness in the
| cemetery of her dead. The lake water
| covers at least an area of perhaps %
| square miles, or 1900 acres, Judging by
| the Mississippi river commission maps
| Around the lake are swamps which bring
| the area of the lake and Its low shofe up
| to perhaps $4,000 acres The local estl-
mates vary from $4,000 acres, by Judge
Harris, who sold the land to the west
Tennessee Land company to 10000 acres
by fishermen on, the lake.
South of Reelfoot Lake is the Scat
ters," a region where the lakes outlet
loses itself in a wilderness of growing
and fallen trees, tangled vines, dark
corners" of swamp brakes, narrow bay
| GUS and reptile-infested morass. Inc
| Scatters is visited only by hunters ana
trappers. and by these infrequently
Tiptonvile, a cotton town, lies on the
Mississippi river side of the Reelfoot
Lake country. and Union City another
| cotton town. on the railroad side Inc
two towns are about 20 miles apart, ana
are connected by stage line. The road
goes along the south side of the lake,
| through the north edge of the Scatters in
forest. In dry weather it is good road.
Wherever the land is dry enough to be
| high and cultfvatable, 1t is two-bale cot
| ton land On this fact hinges some OF the
| trouble which, among other things led
to the lynching of Capt Quentin Rankin.
Fishing and Shooting.
There are some scores of people who
live around Reelfoot Lake in tents,
shacks and other sorts OF dwellings,
| They make their living fishing IN keel
foot Lake. In former times these flsher-
| men made as much as $50 week IN sea
son. catching bass ('troutO, croppie, oul-
falo. rock bass, pike, catfish and spon-
bills. but as usual they overdld the
matter and bare livings are made now.
The hunting was superb-nowhere in the
| country were wood ducks more plen1iiui
| than on Reelfoot Lake while other ducks
foclxed there in countless thousands ana
| wild geese in hundreds The market
shooters came with the migrauons ana
| even in late years they find little Difficult
ty in killing from so to 100 ducks day
| for which they get from 10 to 500 In
| former times Reelfoot Lake offered I'M
| rivalled opportunities for the feather ana
meat hunters. The time was when swan
Basin got its name from the alleged tact
| that swans kept it open IN ireezlhs
weather by flying around all night long,
| paddling their feet in the water. Twenty
/ Ave wears ago the last swan to visit Reel
! foot Lake was seen there. Other water
fowl have become as scarce in proper
tion Even wild bees have been hunted
with such avidity that They're getting
scarce
James c. Harris of Lake county first
saw the possibilities of Reelfoot Lake.
He owned upwards of 10000 acres of
land and he tried to get possession of
Reelfoot Lake and its rich shores He
| bought titles when he could built saw
mill and began to clear out the salable
| timber
! Harris, the PIONEER.
In all the Reelfoot Lake history James
C. Harris looms curious and remarka-
| BILE figure His people were among the
| first settlers on the Lower MISSISSIPPI
| after the Louisiana purchase was made.
He grew up in the swamps and being
| shrewd, able man, he became rich. Most
of his wealth was founded whisky
made in a still beside Reelfoot Lake. In
| time this whisky making involved the old
| man with the federal government, ana
| days came when he disappeared from MS
| former haunts. He was absent about ten
years. when the matter was tnally set
| tied, it is said by payment of heavy
! fine. He then looked patriarch with
his white hair. his Mississippi bottom
| complexion. the prominent cheek bones,
| and his flowing white beard. He rest
! lesslv turned to countless schemes for in
! creasing his possession-out of the hard
| ships of his youth had grown the eanker-
Gus desire to call things mine and
| long after he might have rested assured
| that he would neither hunger nor suffer
from cold again he reached for more and
| more They tell in Lake county how he
would start out in sleet storms to make
a survey, and ride hither and yon about
his business in cyclone and torrid heat
! His son. Judge, ldndlier, better hearted
and friendler, raced after his father,
holding an umbrella over his white head,
making a most interesting spectacle. Har-
| ris wanted railroad, city, a trolley
! line telephones, a levee He seized the
timber brakes around Reelfoot Lake and
| tried to get the lake. He wanted to shave
a profit from the fish caught and game
shot on the Lakeland this desire, passed
on, finally led up to the lynching. But
most of all, he wanted to make two-bale
cotton land of the swamps around the
/
it, He wanted everything thereabouts.
| He saw that if Reelfoot could be
drained 1900 acres would be added to
his cultivable lands. 1t is said this
| Is. 900 acres is covered by less than 10
| inches of water He began to dig a ditch
to drain the lake, and the fishermen,
| frightened, got together and hired attor-
news to fight the ditch. The supreme
court of Tennessee finally granted a per-
manent Injunction forbidding the ditch.
Harris went to the Legislature and got
! laws passed in his favor, and one of these
| was to the effect that man must have
| the written permission of landowner
| to hunt on those lands (section /, chap
ter 81 Acts of 1901, Tennessee). Harris
| began to grant permits to hunters and
| fishermen for the privileges of the lakes.
| These permits were evidence that the
| users admitted Harris ownership of the
| lake.
Hunting Club.
| The same scheme, with variations is
now used In many states. Moreover.
hunting club was formed-the Louisville
Outing club of Louisville, Ky. In due
course this club purchased many rights
and titles which were turned over to
Harris, strengthening his position. Fish
ermen were served with injunctions,
hunters were driven from their blinds,
and it was evident that Harris was max
ing headway 1t was even claimed mar
ket hunters did not have to have hunting
licenses if they sold to Harris's agent
He even found the original landholderss
| heirs and thus came In possession of
Colonel Daupheritie's Revolutionary SOL