Evening star., 1927-05-08
.'HUCK F|NN'S' RIVER
ALL CHANGED NOW
Humor Gone From Marx
TWain's Beloved Mississippi.
Only Tragedy Left.
Rv , star corresponden,.


Twain would weep were he alive today
to see the treacherous, rampaginG de-
mon into which his beloved Mississippi
has been transformed. This is not the
same placid, enchanting river down
which Capt. Sam Clemens piloted his
snorting packet from the Missouri TO
New Orleans and back. or are these
The same hospitable towns and inV1t-
ing plantations that Tom Sawyer ana
HIIck Finn knew during their famous
raft trip toward the willo '-the-Wlsp
Cairo.
The very places into which Huck
end "Nigeer Jim" swung their raft at
night, guided by the lights from town
windows. are bereft now of all roman
tic charm. Death and desolation stalk
where Mark Twain once received the
inspiration for some of his greatest
masterpieces.
Mark Twain Knew River.
INST how far the whimsical Huck
end bis slave companion drifted down
the then lazy Mississippi the authof
does not make quite clear. lie men |
tfons. however, an escapade that oc
Cured -four days below Memphis,
which must have been less tnah IVV
miles to the south, and the journey |
Mark Twain knew the river as rev
mon of his time have known 1t. 10 |
him it was a harmless, intriguing |
thing. to be feared by none and TO be |
loved by all.
Not that he wasn't aware OF the |
giant streams sporadic hoous II, |
Snrinctime In "Huckeberry Finn, |
for instance. he tells of towns whose |
streets were filled with mud from the
oyerfowing levees. Clemens little |
thought however. the day would come |
when his river would prove faithless |
to its trust and reap harvest OF
human lives and millions of dollars IN |
damaged property.
Humor Is Gone Now.
Huck Firms Mississippi didn t. roar |
its way over levees and landings, |
bearing on it's breast a grim burden
of bodies and trees and houses. 1t
didn't leap out of bounds and Gluten |
at the contented cotton towns snug
gled behind the levees. 1t was |
docile, lackadaisical sort Of river III
those DAYS, full of romance and |
charm.
Four days out of Memphis one sees /
today not the cleaning lights of an |
Arkansas town, but the Sruesome |
specters of vacant, flood-ridden houses, |
eilhouetted against the twilight /
The wharves, formerly piled high |
with cotton bales. are stacked with |
canned goods and other food supplies
for hungry refugees.
Motor boats ply over the country
roads, carrying succor to women and |
children marooned on Indian mounds |
or other high spots inland Stark |
tragedy not humor, rules today along !
Mark Twains cherished Father Of |
Waters.
Tragedy Is Unfolded.
A tragic panorama of anguish and /
despair is unfolded to relief workers |
who go by plane into the flood-stricken |
territory below Memphis, according to |
William r. Taylor Of National Red |
Cross headquarters in Washington. |
Taylor returned last night from an |
all-day air survey of the section |
around Helena. Ark, and Greenville, !
Miss The trip was made in naval |
seaplane. aud several landings were |
effected.
LAS far as the eye can see there is
nothing hut a khaki-colored blanket OF
water" Taylor told this correspondent
today.
Il saw a number of islands in this
strange temporary sea, and they /
seemed to be alive with moving OBJ
iects We zoomed our plane down for
a closer view and found that these
promontories were filed to the waters
edge with mules and horses, While
around the islands could be seen a
dark fringe of bodies of dead animals.
Had Raced Waters.
.'These poor beasts apparently had
raced the oncoming waters TO the
highest points of their plantations
there to remain until the flood re-
eedes, They have been there more
than a week already, but / believe
they are receiving rations OF FOOD ana
water by motor boat.
sNot far away from this place we I
saw a small Indian mound crowded
with human refugees. They waved
TO use as we eireled over their heads.
The pilot tried vainly TO find place |
10 land. but the surface Of the water |
was too spotted with three-tops and |
other distractions. We could see, |
however, that they were not signall- |
ing to us in distress and | presume |
they are some of the refugees VINO |
have been reported as unwilling to |
leave the mounds for other and more |
suitable places of safety.
"Such persons are being supplied
food and water daily by boat from |
Helena and Greenville."
Hover's Over Helena.
Taylor's plane hovered for while |
of smallpox ard malaria is worrying re- |
lief authorities. A negro refugee, who |
had been mingling among the thou |
sands Of other food victims at the |
freight car relief camp there. was |
found yesterday to be infected with |
the dreaded smallpox, according TO |
DIR. w. NJ. Redden. medical director |
of the Red Cross.
The aviatars also flew low over |
Arkansas City, where an epidemic OF
ptomaine pessoning. or some similar |
ailment, has. broken out among the |
colored refugees. DIR. ReddeR an |
nounced today that the city was with |
out medicinRs TO combat this outbreak |
and medice,: SUPPLIES. therefore, were |
being rushed there by plane and boat. |
FGod Is Available.
The epidcAic might be due TO bad |
water. bad milk or bad food, the
medical director declared. Taylor, who |
is director or publicity here for the
Red Cross landed at Greenville and
learned Fl sm Relief Director Percy
that plentg of food and other facili- |
ties are alFailable for that city and
the surro aiding territory. Greenville,
normally naving d population OF H.
600. still fs under water, although d
gradual lpteession il noted
ThouSaYHss Of white and colored refu
gees haVsf settled down to make the
best Of q9nt life on the Greenville
levee, T. flor reported. Health condi-
tions thI'4e are excellent, he was in
formed.
CPnlin Commissioned.