The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-02-05
4 PI1lFuL; TALE.
The Champion Grasshopper SUFFERED
From the Detroit Free Press.]

couple there waiting to 60 west. and then,
after making sure that the special police.
man was not around, he entered the
room.
He was man who had seen other days;
that was plain.
His plug hat was years old, his coat
shone with age and grease, and there was
; no collar on his neck. A policeman
would have mentally recorded him
''vag' without moments hesitation,
and the fellow would have stood 4 chance
Of being trotted to the Central station.
"My good friends" he commenced, as
he approached the innocent old couple
from Vermont, "for heavens sake! help
me little!'
"Who are you!" asked the husband,
struck with the bummer's lonesome voice
and general hard look.
'Name's Jones - Kansas -grasshop-
pers - replied the man, turning away
his head as if deeply affected.
"Be you one of those poor unfortunatcs
who were almost eat up by the grasshop.
pers!' exclaimed the woman, her sympa.
thies all aroused.
'The same, madame" sighed Jones,
chad to leave the State; going to New
Hampshire; got as fur as here and money
gave out! Heaven only knows what'll
become of us!''
care you married?" she asked.
''Yes 'um-wife' n nine children; they'r
out here on the common in a wagon, all
sick and shivering with colo! p
1--WE hearn about them grasshoppeos;
were they very thick = asked the man.
"Thick " echoed Jones, ''you couldn't
tell the difference 'twixt day and night,
and the roaring Of their wings made US
deaf"
my grashus! but wasn't that awful p
sighed the woman.
II had hundred acres of corn, fifty
of wheat, thirty Of oats-nice meadow
lots Of fruit, but the grssshoppers made
| bcggar OF me in fivo hours y continued
Jones.
''They eat tho stuff right up did
they 81
Eat! Why, the farm looked as if a
fire had passed over it. They took every
thing,even chewed up log chains. Timed
'em on one hundred rods Of fence, and
every mouthful Of it went in thirty-seven
minutes by the WATCH"
II never heard of the likes J" exclain-
ed the man.
''There's folks cast here who don't be.
lieve it, continued Jones; ''but it's .
solemn fact that the grasshoppers chewed
up iron wedges. guawed the boards off n
the barns, bit plow-points all up, and if
we hadn't hid our horses in the cellar,
they d have been munched, sure ~
Sand you had to leave?"
eyes, sold my land for $l1, got my fam.
lily into the wagon and started east. Been
one hundred and eighty days coming this
Lor' only knows what's to become Of us
l wish was in this river out there then
my heart wouldn't be burstin' with grief
and trouble -
Poor man!' sighed the woman. "Eb.
enezer, let's give him two dollars
1.-TWO dollars is pile of money! -
unused the man.
'But it's an awful sad case, Ebenezer
huff to tech heart Of flint
''The Lord loveth a cheerful giver,' -
| added Jones, as he drew his sleeve across
his noze.
"Wall, s'pose it's a hard case, and
we won't be any poorer for givin' two
dollars,' said the husband as he pulled
out his wallet and handed out So bill.
''Thanks, my kind friend,' replied
Jones, II hope you will never see the
trouble I'm having. This'll buy medi.
cine and provisions, and kinder help US
along like, and feel as if could thow
my arms around ye and hug ye for yer
Kindness"
''That's all right" said the husband.
II wish it was tcn," added the woman
as she shook Jones' outstretchcd hand.
He slid out, and ten minutes aftcrward
might have been seen in Front street
saloon. pouring bad gin out Of tall de-
canter and remarking to the har.keeper :
''Say, old pard. was it in Virginia or
Kansas that the grasshoppers was so
thick p