The Red Cloud chief., 1874-08-08
VIA. SEAL e oc.;E7

A. usual, Nebss.ka has come cut 81
the contest with nature scourges this
year unburt st anr vital point. but
this time she ha. received some severe
scratches. The most thickly populat-
ed portion Of the State, including the
homes of nineteen-twcntieths OF the
people. will not suffer very severely
from the visitation Of the grasshcp-
pnr.. The uhea, harvest has been
q, .eos, that Of an average crop, tax
ing it all around. and the wheat crop
is the great source Of revenue in I'll
rhe counties whose setticmen: date
back from five 10 ffteen years. The
corn crop in these same counties vii!
net be anything ike a total loss. but
potatoes and vegetables have suffered
and are likely 20 suffer more, to a very
s%erious extent. Bnt with no adli-
'ional misfortune, the yea cannot he
set down as an ~rnurnsp"rnus one for
,he most Of the cultivated parts of the
State.
But the counties Of the Republican
Valley south Of the Platte, and the
frontier counties north Of the Platte,
are not so fortunate. There the whea,
crop is of little moment. because there
il so little ground rha. has been in cul-
tiva'ia1 for two years. and the home
s.eaders were for the most part de-
pendent upon corn,-principally sod
cnrn,-and upon the potatoes and ar
den vegetables for a subsistence until
they should he able to raise wheat,
after the sod had ro,tel and the fields
plowed a second time. Hundreds Of
these homesteaders in our frontier
counties have seen within the past ten
days every vestipe of their year. labor,
50 far as immediate result. are con-
cerned, disappear before the winged
pests that am down from the north.
These hompsteaderS have now nothing
to look forward To support during the
coming winter, all their calculations
have been based upon their forty,
fifty or a hundred acres Of sod corn
and potatoes.
What is 10 he done? is 4 question
We mnst propoInd to tn" State, and a
question that must be met and an
sHrred as soon as possible.
State aid is in orr opinion absolutely
required for mony settlers in these
western counties How can that aid
be with safety defined until the meet
ing Of the legislature in January? To
us it seems doubtful, but We are mt
As vet in a nosition 10 speak with II
thoritv. Aid mns, be in time II avail
ANYTHING. Let our leading citizens in
all those new comics which have
been ravaeed nv the grasshorpnrs
communicate with the Journal forth
with, and give us a. neal As possible
the exact state Of things in their neigh
borhOnd, and inform us as e what
date help from abroad will be an i'm
per tive necessity. and we will uSe the
best Of our ability 10 respond 10 the
cai. CT course nothing can he done
hr state anthnritv until rhe legislature
meets. When the legislature meets
We believe that ample provision will
he made to prevent distress in our
borders. The question therefore re
solves in this: viii it be necessary to
cal a special session, or can the mat
ter he deferred. if possible, until the
regular session in January? Let
friends from eyer section tel Us what
they know about this matter without
for il is the ersvest question
that h1s arisen since We have had a
territorial existence. State Jourani. |