The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-29
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
TOPEKA KANSAS, Friday morning,

August 81, 1874.
After one of the longest, warmest, most
dusty and uncomfortable trips, reached
this place yesterday afternoon at 1926, To-
peka time, or 4:35 your time. losing six
teen hours by lying off at Chicago. The
West is suffering from hot, dry weather,
excessively this season, while east of the
Alleghanies we have plenty of moisture and
a pleasant temperature. From Chicago,
through the most productive corn region of
the State of Illinois, the corn crop has
been seriously injured by the drought.
About Bloomington, which is in the center
of the finest regien of that State, every
thing is burned and dried up. The wheat
crop was good, but corn, their main crop,
will be almost total failure, and am told
this is SO to a very great extent in a large
portion of the West.
Yesterday, about noon, we left Kansas
City for Atchison, and about six miles
south of Atchison the train entered the
advanced line of the grasshoppers. In a
little while they filled the air like swarm
of bees. They first attack the corn and
whatever in the vegetable kingdom that is
most sweet and tender. As we advanced
West, their devastation became more ap-
parent with every mile passed over. The
streets of Atchison swarmed with this
Pharaoic pest, and from there to this
place, the signs of their visitation was dis
tressingly apparent. Corn fields presented
dry, devastated appearance, with nothing
in many instances standing, but the bare
stalk. Where the corn was young, ears,
blades and most of the tassels were de-
voured. They cover the stalk and leave
nothing undevoured which they can appro-
pirate to their greedy maws. The young
corn-cob and all are eaten up clean
Where the corn is older and has acquired
some toughness, the stem of the blades
and dry parts are left. The peach, apple,
maple, cottonwood and other trees Of ten
der foliage about here are almost leafless.
The fruit of the apple trees is left mostly
untouched, the apple skin being too tough
to suit their taste, but peaches, in many
instances, have been cleaned off, nothing
but the pits being left and the naked
branches. Grass and weeds, except the
tenderest leaves of some of the latter are
left untouched. Between the drought,
grasshoppers and chinch bugs, Kansas has
suffered fearfully this season. Some &C
counts say the wheat and oats crop are
almost entirely destroyed by the chinch
bug, while others say the Spring wheat
only, and not the Winter wheat, has been
destroyed. To new settlers the triple visi-
tation is very discouragiug, and numbers
will become objects of charity. The Rail
road company propose helping those who
have settled recently on the lands, by fur
nishing them with Fall grain for seed.
The report meets me here that many are
discouraged and propose quitting the State,
and great deal of property can be pur-
chased at less than the build ings and fences
cost.
This devouring plague, the grasshopper,
is about the size and appearance of our
common grasshopper, with red legs, and
rather more finely marked on the wings
and body. He appears to be a more deli
cate and elegant gentleman. His immense
numbers is what makes him so terrible.
The scattering advanced guard which we
met yesterday about Atchisen, though suf-
ficiently numerous to cause vast amount
of mischief to the corn, were nothing to
compare to the clouds which first appeared
here and further West. AS the body
advanced they appeared to be miles high,
the portions of the cloud nearest the earth
continually dropping, while the upper
strata passed on to descend in the advance.
By looking toward the sun the cloud of
insects could be seen passing in continu-
Gus swarm as far up as the sight could
penetrate.
Topeka is beautifully located on roll
ing prairie, and from the top of the swels
fine view can be had of the town. The
town has population of twelve thousand,
ness buildings. Here the State House is
located, which is being built in instruments
as the requirements of the young State
demand and the funds could be spared.
There are fine public schools here, as there
are in every part Of Kansas that is settled.
The Episcopal Church has fine female
seminary with accommodations for $50
pupils. There is somewhat similar
school for boys, but not under the auspices
of the Episcopal Society. The streets of
Topeka are broad and smooth, one hun
dred and fifty or sixty feet, not paved, but
composed of hard dry soil, which does not
grind up and make clouds of dust like
those of Elkton. The drives are in conse-
quence most delightful. You can drive
for miles over the streets and roads, which
are beautifully undulating, the swells not
rising into hills, but just varying the sur
face sufficiently to break up dead level,
and make it more enjoyable. The flag
ging Of which the sidewalks are composed,
are species of smooth stone, resembling
limestone in appearance, which is found in
the cottonwood country. on the line of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
Many of the best buildings are composed
of this stone, while others are built of
brick, with stone fronts or stone trimming.
The town looks rather desolate at pres
ent, on account of the grasshopper visit,
which stripped all the shade trees and
shrubs of their foliage. Business is dull,
very, at present here, which is we'll illus
trated by a conversation with boot black
Noticing that he did not salute us with
the familiar cry, "shine your boots" we
said, you do not seem to be as enterprising
as the fraternity in the East. "Ah, times
is so hard here that we don't like to bore
gentlemen to hab their boots shined; we
feel like it was insutin' them" This is
pretty good commentary on hard times,
when the sympathies of boots are touched
by the general stagnation and want of
money.
One week ago the trees and shrubbery in
the streets and gardens of Topeka were in