Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-08-12

We can ouly make room for the following
extracts FROM tile appeal which is signed by
six citizens Of tie county, and sworn to before
Alison lancher, clerk OF the District Court
One year ego. vast clouds Of the red legged
locust, OF hateful grasshopper Of the plains,
aiighted down upon our fields and commenced
noging Ia month they had destroyed all
our crops, save grain and corn, Of which,
owing to the la.eness Of the season, small
portion escaped thus Of wheat, about three
bushels per acre on an average.
Oar people are exclusively an agricultural
people, as early settlers must Of necessity be,
and hence this disaster sorely crippled them.
Several other counties suffered more or less.
/ but none so severely as this some little aid
was received from the State OF 5000 np-
Ipropratcd hy the State, 70 the devastated dis
| trict, Martin county, with over one-iourth the
entire population, received less than one-twen-
| ticth part some little aid was given by pri-
waite parties. a small amount Of seed wheat
was alsorecciyed, which, divided among a small
number Of the most destitute gave them eight
bushels % o. family With this help only, our
people struggled through, though compelled to
sacrifice much stock and other property they
could lily spare
But the locasts left the ground literally filed
with their eggs. In the following SPRING after
l getting All tho information possible concerning
/ the habits nc their enemy. our people generally
concluded 90 hazard O crop. In May the locust
I eggs hatchel, and O new host, incOnceiyable in
number, commenced their des0ating career,
and have paused not till now, (July,) when
nothing oi food for man or beast remains grow
ing u our fields. save in some localities q small
| portion 30 the corn, and on this, our enemies
arc busy at work
ln the years of pioneering our people had TO
struggle with too many difficulties 70 get rap
idly rich from original poverty II is from no
lack at industry thst this second year Of dis
astor leaves them little 90 fall back upon II
the calamity was small in extent, the four thous-
and people OF Martin county could obtain re-
lief without appealing 10 the country at large.
Bat though our county appears to be the To-
Gus Of the dcsoation, the disaster is more or
less severe over large extent Of country. La
Dor will be soon uusaleable, for tie supply from
the devastated districts will far outrun the
limited outside demand
All that industry can do in such circum-
stances, our people will do to help themselves.
II economy could stretch their stinted means
over the next fourteen months our people would
ask no aid. Hardship and priyation are too
familiar to us to excite dread, but what shall
\ We do when labor will not buy us bread, and
! tcpuulng uccunts useless BECAUSE thtIc II noun
! ing 70 economic
What shall we do when winter RACES wratl-
fully over these bleak prairies and our children
cry for bread2
Countrymen, in our great allliction we reach
our hands out TO you for aid. II God has be-
slowed upon you the fruits of the earth, re-
member they are but his gift. When the suf-
iering ask for break, prove not yourselves un-
worthy Of Gods mereies by Offering them a
stone
Christian men and women Many among
US claim with you hoirship to the common
Father. If the Master has made you stew
ards Of His goods, is it not His purpose that
you extend generous hand to his stricken chill
dren, and account it as done unto llim2
Our county has q fertile soil and climate
favorable to the growth Of most crops. The
locust scourge has never visited us till last
year. From all we can learn of their habits it
is every way possible that they will soon take
final leave Of us with no unusual demonstra-
ton. II is scarcelya matter for doubt that our
county would soon become prosperous.