The Brutal Genie of the River Valley

Every eight or ten years our river valleys are visited by an inundation of such volume as to cause not a little inconvenience and in some instances considerable loss of property. Probably these periodical freshets do the more mischief on account of their infrequency. If the general overflow were as inevitable and regular as the winter frosty snap, farmers would be certain to take such precaution as would place them out of reach of any damaging results. The floods in this country, even the worst of them, are affairs of very little consequence compared with those experienced in the valleys of California and many sections of the Eastern and Southern States. When the water does not get above the immediate banks of the river more than once or twice in ten years, farmers grow careless. After the waters subside—such as that which has just gone down and its predecessor of 1867—they reflect that they probably have a future immunity of about ten years and may be more, and hence the matter of precaution may safely be postponed indefinitely. As years go by the matter passes from their thoughts, and 'as it was in the days of Noah' the flood came and found them unready. After all, if properly anticipated, these floods are really a more potent auxiliary to industry than enemy. Only bridges and log-booms must be built with a view to these contingencies. Dams and buildings must be set above the high water mark. Like the general forces of the fire and the storm, the freshets when held under control may be counted as not the least serviceable among our natural allies in the creation of wealth. Leaving in their course a fertilizing deposit of sediment, they constitute the great restorative of the fields.