OCR Text |
Show Fighting the Mississippi The levees on the Mississippi river have been In existence from (he Light-eeulh Light-eeulh cenlury. Formerly under the slave system each planter along the river had dikes erected for himself. The towns then took action, finally the counties, and the slates building levees. Then congress In IST'.l up pointed Ihe Mississippi river commission, commis-sion, but made no provision for the actual building of levess or protection of Ihe lands from overllow. lu l.ssu congress inn, le the Urst appropriation for the Improvement of tlie Mississippi Mississip-pi river. From 1S7H, under tho commission, com-mission, (ho federal government m expended niore than JHO.IHKUXK) In the Improvement of the Mlsslipp river nnd the protection of land Iroul over flow. |