Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-07-17

the grasshoppers made such fearful
raid last summer.
When you see the little creatures hop
ping harmlessly about in the grass,
you can think of what power for evil
they possess when they gather together
in such armies as those which oyerran
our western country last year.
The weather was intensely warm here
all last season, and for thirty days within
the space of six weeks the thermometer
ranged from 1902 to ll6'.
1t was during this heat in the latter
part of July that our Swede girl, Selma,
said she must 90 home to care for her
aged mother. Pete and Polly, our two
mules, were harnessed to the. express
wagon in the early morning, and pleas
ant little company Of us started out TO
take Selma home.
Our road lay up the banks of clear
winding stream, en- each side of which
our industrious Swede neighbors have
settled, and turned over the virgin soil
of this Garden of the Desert" upon
which appeared fields of waving grain.
We had not ridden far before Pete and
Polly, who had been whisking their long
ears very contentedly, began to lay them
back and toss their heads into the air.
As they tossed them higher and higher,
we noticed that a grasshopper came at
intervals with bounce into our laps or
hit our hands and faces, and the farther
we went north the more frequently their
whizz and click asSailed our ears, or their
sharp wings struck our noses, till we
sympathized with our restless mules.
Soon we noticed the little brown bodies
and gray wings lying in piles along the
shady side of our track, and that the
green leaves of the corn hung like slit
ribbons swaying in the breeze; and
farther on there was here and there a
field that had been planted on the sod
where nothing but the stalk was left, and
we said, See what the grasshoppers
have been doing"
We set Selma down at her door, and
turned toward home, wondering if the
grasshoppers were going to do much
harm.
The season had been unusually dry, as
well as warm, and for that reason the
small grain, though very light, was ready
for the reaper or already cut.
Soon after the harvesters had repaired
to the field that afternoon, the cry was
heard, "The grasshoppers have fallen
upon the corn-feldS." Then we knew we
had met the scouting party in the morn
ing, and that, by some wonderful insect
power, they bad tclcgraphed to the main
body the news OF rich fields.
We had corn-fcld of twenty acres,
that was the pride of our foreman, and
pronounced the most luxuriant of any for
miles up and down the valley. The de-
stroyers were at work upon it, but the
men, hoping to save part, left their
harvest and built fires all along the rows.
They whipped and switched and smoked,
running from one part of the field to the
other in the heat, but it was all of no
avail. The little invaders ate on, and at
night nothing was left of our boosted
corn-feld but the tall bare stalks, look
ing like bean-poles.
The Indian women had corn and bean
patches near us, and when they came
and saw their work all destroyed they
wept and moaned, and said, God is not
pleased, or He would not send the grass
hoppers to eat what we need"
The next day the raiders came to our
gardens, and though we covered the
plants with barrels and boxes and sheets,
though we smoked and whipped and
brushed, hoping to save some vegetables,
they seemed to laugh at our dismay, and
kept steadily at work, even eating our
onions and red pepper stalks down tothe
ground.
They stripped young fruit trees oftheir
leaves and gnawed our shrubbery and
flowers till their was no green thing left
to cover the brown earth, and then they
mounted our shade trees and the ground
was soon covered with falling leaves.
The heat was intensified by the pres
ence of such mass of animal matter,
and our nights, usually so cool, were hot
and uncomfortable. The unwonted
sound of the rustling of millions OF
wings caused the dogs to howl dolefully
and vague terror began to steal over
our hearts.
Near nightfall of the third day Of the
presence of our foe, brisk breeze blew
from the north. Our neighbor Keturah
came to our door, and said, Do you sec
how the smoke is rising on every side OF
usw
We could see from ten to twenty miles
in any direction, and all about us were
pyramidal columns of smoke as we
thought rising toward the heavens
GLOW is it, we asked, "that these great
masses of smoke appear simultaneously
at every point?" And as we gazed and
saw them slowly grow blacker and rise
higher, an indefnabe dread of some fear
full coming took possession of us.
Two of our number were out taking q
gallop on their ponies. On their return
they said, odd you see the grasshopper:
rise? We heard sound like a rushing
wind, and thought we were riding into
the edge of whirlwind" (such As are
often seen here, carrying pyramids Of
dust and sand many feet from the earth,
but, looking moment, saw the grass
hoppers going up in cloud-like masses
and they passed off SOUTH"
"Ah. that was the grasshoppers, and
we thought it smoke ~ we exclaimed
and Immediately the weight was lifted
from our hearts. Some grasshOppers
were left near our buildinsg, but they
were merely going to rest for the night,
and by noon next day very few were to
be seen. In just one week from the day
of their first arrival, a great shower OF
grasshoppers fell again, and began to de.
your what the others had left. One corn.
field which the Others had left in part
and which still promised small harvest
was attacked by these later marauders,
and our last hope for corn that season
soon vanished.
Our shade trees were entirely stripped
of their leaves, the netting screens in oul
doors and windows hung in tatters
and the greedy millions made their way
into our houses to devour plants which
we thought were hidden from their in,