The Washington herald., 1909-01-03

The lake water covers at least an area
/ Of. perhaps. twenty-five square miles. or
l5.0o0 acres, judging by the Mississippi
/ River Commission maps. Around the
I lake are swamps which bring the area Of
the lake and its low shore Up 10. perhaps.
5e000 acres. The local estimates vary
I from 2S.Go0 acres. 5y Judge Harris. who
sold the land 10 the Western Tennessee
! Land Company, 20 So,o00 acres by fish
ernen on the lake.
South of Reeif5ot Lake is "The Scat
tiers, region where the lakes outlet
/ loses itself in a wilderness Of growing
and fallen trees. tangled vines dark
| corners Of swamp brakes. narrow hay
Gus. and reptile-infested morass- The
/ Scatters Is visited only by hunters and
trapPers, and by these infrequently.
/ Tiptonville. a cotton town. lies on the
/ Mississippi River side Of the Reelfoot
/ Lake country and Union City. another
cotton town. on the railroad side. The
/ two towns are about twenty miles apart.
and are connected by stage line. The
I road goes along the south side Of the
/ lake, through the north end Of The
Scatters, in forest. Il dry weather. il
1 is a good road. Wherever the land IS
I high enough 10 be dry and cultivatabIe,
1 It - ENN-tf@aF fNlANU ldEQ. vi Natt~ ALNA
/ hinges some Of the trouble which, among
other things. led to the lynching Of Capt
I Quentin Rankin.
Fishing and shooting.
! There are some scores Of people VINO
I live around Reelfoot Lake in tents.
shacks. and other sorts of dwellings. They
make their living fishing in ReeIfoot Lake
f IN former times these fishermen made as
much as so a week In season catching
bass circuit, croppie. buffalo. rock bass
pike. catfish, and spronhills. but. as
, usual they overdid the matter. and bare
: ivings are made now. The hunting was
uperb-nOwhere Ia the country were
WOod-ducks more plentiful than on Reel
foot Lake, while other ducks hocked
there IN countless thousands. and wild
geese in hundreds. The market shooters
came with the migrations, and even Of
late years they find little difficulty kill
ing from fifty 10 che hundred ducks in a
cay. for which they get from 81 40 So
In former times ReelfOOt offered Un-
rivalled opportunities for the feather and
meat hunters The time was when Swan
Basin got its name from the alleged
fact that swans kept il open in freezing
weather by flying around all night long
padding their feet in the water. TWen-
ty-five years ago the last swan 20 visit
Reelfoot Lake was seen there. Other
waterfowl have become as scarce in pro
portion. Even wild bees have been
hunted with such avidity that they're
getting scarce
James G. Harris. OF Lake County. first
saw the possibilities OF Reelfoot Lake
He owned upward Of 40o00 acres Of land
and he tried 20 get possession Of Reelf0ot
Lake and its rich shores He bought
titles when he could, built a saWmill. and
began 70 clear out the salable timber
Harris, the Pioneer.
In all the ReeIfoot Lake history James
G. Harris looms as a curious and remark
able figure. His people were among the
first settlers on the Lower Mississippi az
ter the Louisiana Purchase was made.
He grew Up IN the swamps and being
shTewd. able man. he became rich. Most
OF his wealth was founded on whisky
made in a still beside The ReeIfoot Lake.
In time this wisisky-making involved
the Old man with the Federal govern
meut. and DAYS came when he disap-
peaTed from his former haunts-
he was absent about ten years. when
the matter was finally settled II Is said
by payment of a heavy fine. He then
looked q patriarch with his white hair.
his Mississippi bottom complexion. the
prominent check bones. and his flowing
white beard. He rcStleSsly turned to
countless schemes for increasing his pos
session-Out Of the hardships OF his youth
had grown the cankerous desire 10 call
things mine. and long after he might
- 40 ~a47e :.
hunger nor suffer from cold again he
reached for more and more. They tell
n Lake County how be would start out
IN sleet storms 10 make a survey. and
ride hitler and yon about his business
in cyclone and tcTTid heat His son.
Judge, kindlier. better hearted. and
friendlier. raced after his father. holding
an umbrella over the white head. making
a most interesting spectacle. Harris
wanted a railroad. a city. a trolley line
telephones. j IeVee- lie seized the timber
brakes around ReeIfoot Lake and tried
10 get the lake He wanted 70 shave a
profit from the FISH caught and game
shot on the Lakeland this desire. passed
on, finally led up 10 the Iynching. But
most Of all. he wanted 70 make tvyo-bale
cotton land Of the swamps around the
lake He found opposition. and fought
it. He wanted everything Whereabouts.
Wanted TO Drain Lake.
He saw that if Reelfoot could be
drained. 1890 acres would be added 20 his
cUltivatable lands It is said this 1900
acres is covered by less than ten inches
Of water He began 70 dig a ditch 10
drain the lake. and the fishermen. fright
ened. got together and hired attorneys
10 fight the ditch The Supreme Court
Of Tennessee finally granted permanent
injunction fOTbidding the ditch Harris
went 10 the legislature and got laws
passed in his favor and one Of these
was 10 the effect that man must have
the written permission OF a landowner
10 hunt on those lands (section I. chap
ter 81, acts OF 1851. Tennessee. Harris
began TO grant permits 10 hunters and
fishermen for the privileges Of the lakes.
These permits were evidence that the
users admitted Harris ownership Of the
lake
The same scheme, with variations. is
now used IN many States. Moreover. a
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
Ia ~ 81 : IlleLllS MS pOSiIlOil- FISH,
ermen were served with injunctionS.
hunters were driven from their blinds,
and il was evident that Harris was max
ing Roadway. It was even claimed market
hunters did not nave 10 have hunting
licenses If they sold to Harris agent He
even found the original IandhOlder's heirs,
arN thus came in possession Of Col.
Daugheritie's Revolutionary soldier war
claims, which antedated the New Madrid
earthquakes.
In order TO get the profit on the FISH and
birds killed he decided 10 put a fiSh and
game merchant on the lake J. 9 Bur
dick had led the opposition 10 the Har-
ris claims He now became Harris game
and FISH buyer-and won the enemity Of
his one-tiEe friends. The Obion Fish
Company was formed in opposition. by