Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-06-11

THE Potato BUa.-If the potato bug
gives the farmers half the trouble that he
has given us, there is very little hope fol
the country. The old prophet who wrote
that the ''grasshopper is burden" must
have meant the potato bug, and he ought
to correct the mistake. When it first APP
peared, four gentlemen arrived at this
office with specimens in bottles, and one
produced two or three yards of potato vine
by which he proposed to show us how they
operated He has called every day since
to ask questions, until we wished the bugs
would make meal of him. Saturday,
Mr.. Williams came in. He is four hun
dred acre man, and assured us that the
bugs had eaten three hundred and eighty
acres of it, trees and all. He fished into
his side pockets, and brought up pre-
served fruit can full of bugs. They did
not look like they had eaten all that land,
but no doubt they had, because he said
they had. He said he wanted us to show
them to the people; he wanted people to
know what it was that was eating 'em
up" We do so, but it is only fair to the
bugs to say that we know OF very few peo-
pie who have been eaten up by them.
Tuesday, Mr.. Bumfeldt came in, and told
us about his wife's death. 1t was a very
sad thing, and we were about to tell him
SO, when he drew out piece of bluing
paper and said he would like to show us
the bugs that were eating his farm up. He
said sadly that he had lost one Of the bugs
coming along the road, but what were
there would be enough. There were enough,
and Tlboat two hundred too many. 1t is
sprpber to say that in reaching in his breast
pocket for a chew Of tobacco before he
left, she found the missing bug. It APP
peafed to give him much relief. We re-
marked that we had known Mrs. Bumfeldt
in her life, and that she was woman of
lovely character, lofty virtues, angelic dis
position, and-He replied that he had
lost $500 by the potato bug, and wondered
why such visitation of Providence had
reached him. He said he was not bad
man. We took his hand and promised to
attend Mrs. BPS funeral i'll body. He |
seemed much affected and asked where |
was the store where they kept Paris green.
A bundle left in the Office got a fall yes
terday, and the floor was covered with po-
tato bugs. When Mr.. Smith came along, |
he said he was sorry it had happened; he |
had brought them to show US what it was |
that was eating the country up. He sud-
denly dived under the press and came up |
with one that hadn't been swept off, and !
commenced telling us about it, We begged |
him to get ream Of paper and write it
there were so many people that would like
to see it. He said he didn't come here to
be insulted, and wrapped up his bug and
went off.
We lost subscriber yesterday. A man
came in and remarked that the bug had
nearly ruined him, and commenced pull
ing out something wrapped in a paper.
Our man at the counter said with some
feeling, ssOh, the ID! we've got enough
of them here already" He said. ooh, you
have' % and put it back in his pocket and
walked off. 1t was So bill The man
at the counter looked after him mourn
fully, and then came back and remarked
to us, 81 believe that internal potato bug
will ruin the country"