Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-05-31
WHEN THE MISSISSIPPIRISES

fiigh water time IN the Mississippi
valley Is one OF fear and danger u
an that live 10 the loWlands along the
river from Cairo 10 the gulf stretch
SAYS q writer In the New YORK even
INF Post The fight against the waters
OF the Mississippi which is never end
cd. is the fight OF all those who have
built their towns and homes. and
planted their fields for hundreds o.
miles along its banks The leyce 8
got t0 hold ls The SLOGAN OF every
one aud fle tack OF Strengthening
Tn calls ouf every man iu The bot
toms Armed guards patrol The river
ITO 'ampor with the levee is % Doe
shot with questions asked afiervard
High water talk is the one subject Of
every one AZ the saying goes. its
come he'll and high water
For the terrible loss caused by a
break In the levees Is too great 20
suffer from except after the most
desperate fight 70 stem the waters
Watching the lcyees Is watch 10
save life itself 4 single stream
started perhaps by crawfish hole -
may get 20 considerable proportions
without detection. may grow with the
rush OF water behind II. until the ere.
vase cannot be- held Then comes
the flooding OF the farms aud tho
killing II livestock. and the lowlands
become q desolate flooded plain. the
river changed 20 a flowing sheet of
water sixty miles In width. Hrun-
drcds Of thousands are driven from
their ONES. and return when the
waters have receded. perhaps 10 find
that their homes have been carried
away too Planting is almost impos-
sible lligh waters coming" ia
warning 20 all
The Rivers Mighty Watershed
People who have seen onl rivers
such as the Hudson. or other streams
with faster currents. but held In by
firm banks, can have no idea % the
turbulence OF the might Mississippi
when the spring floods are upon her.
II may give some idea OF the stream
70 say that tho waters from Middle
Pennsylvania. Lake Winnipeg and
thousand meet together more than a
thousand miles 20 tho southwark 10
swell the flood and perhaps 10 over
whelm the Arkansas plantation. The
watersheds of tNcnty-seyeu states
contribute 10 the Mississippl's stream.
Small wonder 10 Is that when the
spring thaw comes. the snow melts
and the water comes out OF the
ground the rivers stage rises. often
10 the danger mark maybe II passes
IN and overflows or breaks the banks.
Las b. has done this week Before the
turbulence of that river in flood time
ground the rivers stage rises. often
the efforts of man 10 hold ms current
in narrower banks for nearly one
thousand miles by protecting leyees
seem well-night hopeless indeed
When the Father" Rises.
Thousands of men are working dos
pcratoly now. from Cairo down 10 a
point below New Orleans. in tho hope
OF holding the levees. u is heart
breaking work 10 fight against the
water whose efforts are ceaseless II
never retreats, but must be forced
back News OF the river stages from
above is hailed as news from the
front boz time OF war Forty four
feet ai Memphis and the government
ior'caster SAYS that Tho crest AZ tho
flood Is not vet reached" -this reads
almost like iidugs Of disaster 10 the
planter iu m" lowlands iu Arkansas
H' around Greenyille.
The common danger makes friends
OF all who must help. lest all be lost.
The planter hurrying from his home.
whore he as left his wife and chill.
dr"n camping in the upper stories OF
the house 90 the loyep. where be viii
WORK Win blist,r"d hands AZ pilInr
sacks and shoyeling dirt. by the side
OF laborer. meets some one on ,he
road
How s the water"
Fori-three feet af Memphis and
the rivers rising
Wen hold her this time
Aud the two pass on These people
OF the Mississippi. lowlauds are pluckv
IN their firht against the mighty riv.
OF They are always confident that
sooner or later the fight will end
and those men who have wrested this
land from the river will hold il Sc
cure for their own.
lligh-water time is one Of the most
sights that the Mississippi
offers. Boats bring In to protected
towns loads OF refugees from planta-
cotton grown near Canyon City.
No country Is better than the
Panhandle for growing other fruits.
such a. pears. peaches. plums. cher
ries and grapes The rich. red soil