National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-01
THE CHRISTOPHER PLAGUE IN
KANSAS. .r
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM
WASHINGTONIAN

AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM A
WASHINGTONIAN.
B. F. Bingham, esq.,, of the Treasury Depart
ment, under date Of the 2Ith or August, writes to
9 friend in this city from Junction City, Kansas,
as follows:
"Up to the Slst Of July the wheat and rye crops
were in nrst-clsss condition, some fields promiE-
ing to average thirty End forty bushels to the
acre. Some Of the farmers had as high as i've
hundred acres Of grain all In this hns hourishing
condition. The hay, corn, vegetable Ind fruit
crops were also looking well, the latter remarka-
bly, 30 for kansas It was expected that peaches
could be bought BY any quantity ct twenty i've
and thirty cents per bushel but, alas for all the
bright hopes and cheerful prospects that filled the
hearts Of the people Of Kansas only few weeks
ago, to-day they are absolutely without the
means to carry them through to another harvest,
having seen their standing crops and all their fine
fruit cat down before them by the grAsshoppers,
and they utterly poWerlesS praise staying hand.
The drouth they thought was bad enough, but
this last aiction Is mort than they can bear. All
is now gone, and some Of the people can see moth
ing but actual misery and suffering, yes, starva-
ton, staring them in the face. The grasshoppers
came in countless millions, making the very air
alive, destroying every green thing in the way,
cutting down corn nelds, vegetable gardens, trees
bushes, grain fields, and In fact eYerything In the
shape Of vegetation. You would hardly believe
me II I should tell you Just how this work OF de-
VISITATION has been going on, and the deplorable
condition this country is In.
"The grasshoppers have sctually got corner
on vegetation In general and have had things their
own way for some time; no one TO interfere with
their pernicious proceedings, for that would be
useless. It would take them but few hours To
completely ruin crop Of corn. A field OF one
thousand acres was destroyed as quickly as field
Of ten. first met these insects ct Lawrence, on
the Kansas and Pacific railroad, and tell you II
was funny. Jet sad sight to see the air full Of
them, flying and hopping from one thing To
another in every direction. The ground, fences,
trees, houses &C., were literally covered, remind
ing you Of heavy snow storm in the East. For
five hours rode through one stupendous swarm
Of grasshoppers. While riding along could
scarcely see the track When looking out ahead,
so thick were those insects, and many times amer
stopping at stations the old engine could hardly
start up again, because the wheels and track Wete
so CREASED up with grAsshopper juice. The leaves
Of the fruit trees, IN every instance, were eaten
Of and green fruit left. The stones Of the peaches
were left hanging on the trees. have been IN
orchards and seen all this-orchardI that would
have yielded four hundred and five hundred bush.
els Of fine fruit They came to Kansas on the slst
Of July, and remained till last week, when, SUD
denly, one day every hopper LETT for parts IN.
known, and today you cannot find one In the
place, except some defunct fellow that has gorged
himself 10 death. The birds and chickens and
fishes appeared to have nice thing Of it. for they
ate 10 their Subtraction, and are, doubt sorry
they have left. Many families have left the
State. wouldn't have missed what have seen
for considerable, for # is q sight worth riding
many hundred miles to see."