Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-01-13


Joy for the summers glowing hours,
Plenty and pence for the fruitful fall,
And love for all seasons--beH OF all.
| Ring merrily, bells l--o'er the blushing skies
See the beautiful star Of the new year rise
From tie Aldine for Deesmcey.
ISTARVED OUT OFKANSAS.
A JOURNEY or FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES
IN "A WAGON.
The 2lst day of November there
passed slowly through the streets of
the quiet little village of Branchville,
in Sussex county, N. j., covered emf
grant wagon, drawn by bay horse
aud gray mare, evidently not in the
best of spirits, while third horse fol-
lowed behind at its own sweet will.
A young, red-whiskered, sun-burned
man drove the stecds, and a young
woman, with light hair and bright blue
eyes, sat beside him, holding baby.
A lively black-and-tan terrier com
pleted the cavalcade. "Whats that,
Bill p asked villager of his compan-
ion. dunno; gypsies, reckon; looks
like EN-" "By George it amt though.
It's young John Wyker drivin'; III
bet he's just come from Kansas l
heard he was comm. Got wife
and baby, too 1t was John Wyker,
wife and baby, and they had just come
from Kansas, having made the entire
journey in the wagon in which they
sat.
The reporter found them at the
pleasant farm house of the young mans
father, Mr.. David Wyker, about two
miles from Branchville. "Ycs, we
came all the way by wagon said Mr..
John Wyker II suppose it seems
big thing to Eastern people, but it
amt much after all. They wouldn't
think of it in Kansas, where they start
for Oregon and California in wagons
drawn by oxen. How did come to
start? Had to, or starvc. I'll tell
you all about it.
THE TRAVELLERS STORY.
Seven years ago / went to Kansas
and located three hundred acres of
land in Leavenworth county, in the
town of Tonganoxie. only staid six
months, but four years ago went back
again, and commenced to break upl
and partially fencemy farm. Ofcourse
the first year didn't do much in the
way of crops. The. second year the
result was fair. had built house
and was batching it. But | got tired
of that, and so got married. Well, |
worked hard, and was getting along
pretty well, getting little ahead
The last season promised well. put
in sixty acres of corn, few oats, some
wheat and rye. just before the small
grain was ready to cut the chintz bugs
came. You know what they are
Well, they went through our oats, and
wheat and rye quick enough. At first
they couldn't fy, but they crawlcd
lively enough. They covered the grain
sucked the juice from the stalks, and
quickly finished it. Then they got
big enough to fly, and went to the corn
fields. They destroyed a good many
acres for me before the corn got too big
for them. Then the 18th of June the
dry weather commenced. For three
months we didn't have drop Of rain.
The corn suffered. The hay crop
failed, and it looked pretty dubious, l
tell you.
A NEW PLAGUE.
"But that wasn't the worst, can
tell you. The 18th day of August
noticed good many grasshoppers
coming slanting down from the west.
They began coming as snow storm
commcnces-a few at first, then thick
er and faster, until the whole air was
full of them; the ground was covered
with them. In six hours they had
eaten every green thing the chintz
bugs and the drought had left. They
stripped the corn of leaves and husks
and then ate the corn off the cob
They dcvoured all the grass. They
swarmcd over everything. counted
24O on an 8x9 window pane. There
were a great many more bushels of
grasshoppers to the acre than ever
saw corn. We had to cover up our
clothes in the house They clung TO
the side of the house in millions, and
ate holes in the clapboards They
covered harrow so that you could't
tell, for the life of you, what it was
made Of. 1t was simply n gigantic A
of grasshoppers. The only thing they
wouldn't cat was tomatoes. They say
the love for tomatoes is an acquired
taste, and ] suppose the hoppers hadn't
acquired il then; but they'd eat To-
bacoe They were the greatest chew
ers you ever saw. Farmers lost their
entire tobacco crop. And then they
were .llt|f
cAHNrBALs
Of the worst kind. The minute hop.
per got killed there were a half dozen
going for the dead body, and il didn't
take long for cm TO finish IL. Some
of the farmers, hearing Of their ap-
proach, went TO work cutting up
their corn, and 80 saved little. l
didn't save n thing. And in six hours
after the hoppers came hadn't enough
left to winter COW. II was rough,
mighty rough; and thought the best
thing VIC could do would be TO start
for old New Jersey, for II was certain
starvation TO stay there. ! had good,
strong lumber wagon. ] put floor
on the top of the box, and then side
boards above that. Over all ! bent
hoops and covered them with double
sheets. So l had two-story wagon.
Under the floor we packed what goods
we had 10 take and some provisions.
We carried sheet-iron stove, and feed
boxes for the horses. By the 2lst of
September we were ready, and, with
two other teams starting for the East,
we began our journey. But my wife
can tell you more about the journey
than can She kept diary and put |
down the distance We travelled each
day, the towns we passed through,
and an account Of all expenses"
Mn Wyker was happy to tell Of
their trip, but she would first intro
duce Miss Margcry Wykcr, the young
lady who had madc the trip with them,
and who WAS eleven months old when |
they started. Mr. Wyker was sorry
not to be able 10 introduce the dog,
but be had recently been shot They