Wild River

And then we got out of the car

and we got swept down the stream.

And we caught on a tree.

And my father-in-law lost his footing

and asked me to grab the little girl.

And she... I grabbed for her, and I went at that time.

The little girl, too.

And shortly after that, the little boy, he went.

And... And it wasn't far after that

that my wife and father-in-law and the baby, they went, too.

The three children that were lost, their ages...

The oldest was six years old,

and the middle one was four, and the baby was three.

They haven't found the baby and the oldest boy yet.

The little girl we have, and that's all.

To stop the devastation, the waste,

the loss of life caused by the Tennessee River at flood,

the Congress of the United States on May 18, 1933,

created a vast new agency called the Tennessee Valley Authority

or TVA, and authorized it to build a series of dams

at chosen points along this river.

At the same time, the Tennessee Valley Authority

had to buy up all the land along the shore of the river

and all the islands in the course of the river.

There were some people who had lived on this land for generations.

There were some people who refused to sell

under any persuasion whatsoever.

Garthville!

Hi. I'm Chuck Glover.

Oh. I'm Betty Jackson. I was Mr. Biggs's secretary.

Oh. Do I inherit you, too?

Well, I don't know.

Mr. Biggs left so sudden, he didn't say a thing.

You're inherited. How do you do?

What... What desk should I use?

Well, that was Mr. Biggs' desk.

Thank you.

What's the matter?

I just thought they'd send an older man.

No, they sent a younger one. Shall we get to work?

I'll get the folder on Garth Island.

I gather getting the old lady off is quite a task.

Well, you're the third one they've sent down here.

None of the others could get around her.

Ella Garth versus Washington. Thank you.

Poor old Mr. Biggs was really disgusted when he quit.

I'll bet he was. Maybe...

It could be he went about it the wrong way.

That man did everything anybody could do.

He begged with that old woman.

He pleaded with her, but she just won't budge an inch.

That is the American way of life.

Rugged individualism is our heritage.

Three thousand people sell, and Ella Garth won't sell.

We applaud that spirit. We admire it. We believe in it.

But we've got to get her the hell out of there.

The dam is finished, and once they close those gates

and the water starts to rise...

Well, we've not only got to get her out of there,

we got to get the land cleared,

the houses down, the trees down.

Be careful.

I guess I'm not telling you anything you don't know.

Betty, what... How would you go about getting her off the island?

I'd let her drown.

Well, that's one way.

How many...

Is that the island?

Look at it. Every one of them bought up except that one.

How many Garths are there on the island?

Oh, there's a whole mess of them, but that old woman, she's it.

And all of them have been told

that water is gonna cover the island?

About a million times. That's all. Mmm-hmm.

Well, I guess I go out and talk to her.

You do that.

Well, it's not that I think I can talk any better than the others,

but I do think we often underestimate the intelligence of people.

We can talk to them, and they will listen.

Well...

Well, what?

Let's just see how you feel about it in a few days.

Well, I'm off to see the mayor.

He is in charge of clearing the land, isn't he?

That's right.

Wish me luck.

Have your cards and your stamps in your hands and be ready.

Sorry I'm late.

We've been waiting for you, Mr. Davis.

Excuse me. Could you tell me where I can find the mayor?

In the barbershop.

Thank you.

Sing, baby, sing...

Is the mayor still in there?

Yeah, sure.

Oh, shut up, dandy.

Uh, Mayor Maynard?

Be with you in just a minute.

Oh.

Right.

The only way you'll ever get her off the island

is take the U.S. Marshal out there and put her off.

Except, Mr. Maynard, we can't use force.

We're having trouble enough in Washington as it is.

Some senators are even against

any appropriations at all for these dams.

Hey, Tom, how long you gonna be?

I can't take you before tomorrow, Jack.

And we got to get those Garths off that island.

Bottled it Friday.

With no dispossess, no marshals, no shotguns

and no incident that might get into the papers.

You'll never do it.

I'll do it.

I mean, uh, I'll try to do it.

There must be some way. Don't you think?

Stay where you are.

There'll be 20 feet of water right there.

We're a little behind in our clearing,

but we'll make it just before the winter rains, I hope.

Well, if you're behind, why don't you get more men?

Can't, unless we use colored.

Well?

You use colored, and the whites would quit.

For a minute there, I forgot where I was.

Here we are.

There's the island.

It looks deserted.

It's not deserted. They're there.

They know you're here.

I suppose that means me.

Nobody else.

Well...

Here I go. Good luck.

Thanks. After all, what can they do to me?

Just pole yourself over.

And let me know how you come out.

I will.

(SINGING) Every time I

Feel the spirit

Movin' in my heart

I'll pray

Hi, men.

Who that? I don't know.

... in the pines Where the sun...

Good afternoon.

I'm from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

And...

Uh...

I saw your sign.

Unfortunately, I had to disregard it.

I'd like to talk to you.

Would you give me a few minutes?

If I was you, I'd go now.

Would you give me a few minutes?

I have a problem.

See, we've just... We've just built this big dam downriver.

And pretty soon this whole place will be water.

Everywhere, it's gonna be water.

Well, that's wonderful.

What's your name?

Barbara Ann.

How old are you? Five years old.

You're what? Five years old.

You're not five. You're six if you're a day.

No, honest, I'm only five.

Barbara Ann?

Yes, Mama.

Barbara Ann, uh, where are the men working?

Barbara Ann, you come in here.

Yes, Ma.

Uncle Hamilton and Uncle Cal are in the slough.

You mean you get catfish bigger than that?

Some are bigger. Some are smaller.

Uh-huh.

Well, uh, about what I came down here to talk to you about.

Why don't you get out of here, mister?

We don't want any trouble from you.

Why should there be trouble?

You're from the federal government, ain't you?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Why don't you go on about your business?

My business is with you.

Ma says we wasn't to talk to you.

Well, you have to talk to me.

We do?

Look.

You know as well as I know that you've got to get out of here.

TVA has offered you a fair price.

They've offered to get you a new place just as good.

What do you... What have you got against the new place?

Too much work.

Well, you work here, don't you?

No, sir. Who does?

You mean, you don't do any work at all?

No, sir.

How do you manage that?

Just never started.

Mister, Ma owns this property, and she ain't gonna sell it.

Well, I... Certainly I can understand how a senile old woman