The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-08
AN INSATIATE RIVER.
H6W fHE MISSISSIPPI SOMETIMES
EATS UP REAL ESTATE.

EATS W HEHE ES'RlE.
CAPTAIN King of G%reenville Tells How
the Father Of Waters Swallowed Several
Thousand Dollars Worth Of His Property
In One Night.
."No use talking, the Mississippi river ID
the most contrary thing on earth" re.
marked Captain 8. Il. King Of Greenville,
Miss. During the civil war, 1t will be
remembered, there was a double bend,
much In the shape of the letter S., of the
river at Vicksburg. General Grant, voc
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 then
have sent bis gunboats by Vicksburg and
escaped the Smelling 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 harassment
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 1875 the Missis
sippi river, Of its own accord, cut Its way
across De Soto peninsula below Vicks
burg, but farther up than Grants artificial
channel was started. De Soto peninsula
Ia 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 tho 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
eneir GERS and how 1t follows its own stub.
born course, winding and washing it,
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 10 years ago. At that
time I owned q row Of houses which began
almost three blocks away from the river
In Greenyille, Miss. One day o govern.
ment engineer said to me, The river will
some time wash away Its bank here, and
your buildings will tumble In
"Well, I laughed at him. The bank
was rs feet high, and, besides, the river
was quite low. One morning I awoke to
learn that there had been q 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-
struction, and, I tell you, I never ap'
preoiated the terrible power OF the Father
Of Waters until I witnessed this scene.
While I was standing there talking with
friends another big slice Of land, q block
In width, crumbled away and fell intoth
river, carrying with it several more OF my
buildings. You can imagine how I felt
because I had been drawing an income o.
81, 900 a month In rentals; from my build
ings. Now over half Of them were q mass
Of debris floating down the river, and my
real estate was only 80 much dirt IN tn
bottom of the channel.
"As I stood there watching my build
ings and ground slip away into the river
q citizen approached me and said, Cap
tain, I'll give you $1,000 for the remain
der Of your property
"'No, I'll not take less than 81. 00O,
ssid I.
"The words had no more than left ms
tongue when there was another cave In,
and two more of my lots and buildingi
tumbled into the greedy river. The citizen
then remarked to me, Captain, III give
you 81, 900 for your property now
II refused to entertain this proposition,
which, Of course, was q pure speculation,
as no human agency could stop the cav,
In. Pretty u another one OF my lott
aid its building went into the river, anf
my speculative friend then offered me $500
for the remainder Of my property. By this
time I had concluded to trust to luck ano
stand all losses, and I refused to sell al
any price. I now had. one lot and ont
building left. During the excitement ar
old colored woman came up and said X
me:
"'See heah, cap'n, will ye give me dem
brick what's in dat cellar under yel
house?'
1T told her she could have the brick. J
had a pile of new brick in the cellar undS
my only remaining house. The old -
ored woman gave her husband 81 cents
to hire O team and wagon to haul away
tho brick. Now, upon my word Of honor
what I am now going to say Is true
While the old colored man was gone for {
wagon another cave in occurred, and my
last house and lot, brick and cellar ant
all, tumbled into the river. The cave II
came so suddenly that the crowd OF people
standing on the bank had to flee for theil
lives. After the excitement had somewhat
subsidized the old colored woman exclaimed
CLAWS O. massyl Dere's my brick II
de- bottom o. do ribber, an / done los my
quatah.'
"Of course, while the old woman WA
out 90 cents, I vas out another $1,000
During this series Of cave ms that day
efforts were being made to place a lone
frame store building on rollers and move
10 to q place Of safety. But before thu
building could be raised 1t began to tilt,
and the men were compelled to desert It
Coon the store building slid into the rive1
and went kerchug to the bottom OF thu
channel, as completely out OF sight as II II
had been the only pebble on the beach
SIN my opinion the Mississippi river Il
all right-when it doesn t come my way.
built q nice residence in Greenvilfe seyera
years ago and had a beautiful flower be
deoked lawn between the house and thu
river, which was q block away. That lawr
has long since been swallowed by the 70
raoious NAV of the Mississippi, and today
my residence stands on the edge Of q banh
that is IS feet high."-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
HxAI.~s1 Irneh Iaxa In Raxardn-