The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-11-08
A very Interesting Letter about the Grass.
hoppers.-The Theories Of the Com.
missioners Disputed.-A vast Re.
gion filled with their Eggs.-
The Mennonites:-AQ Queer
KAsorA, Mimi, Oct. 90 1875

ne MenNONIIeS:-A NkuoSt
People.
KAsorA, Mimi, Oct. 90 1875.
Ed. Anti Monopolist
As Bill Kings quail hunt turned out to be
expedition, SO did trip Of
mine to the frontier counties, partly for pleas
ure and partly speculative, develOpe into
running series If grasshopper interviews; as
result / find my information contradicting
many rumors and upsetting more theories.
People naturally hope for something to destroy
ever timidly expressed, soon goes roaring
about as the strongest kind OF fact.
Four Of us started out couple Of weeks ago,
to hunt land and geese in the counties south
and west of the Winona 4 st. Peter railroad,
the heart of the lOcusts owl posts OF this year.
Our objective point was Pipe Stone county.
The first night out we received the hospital
German farmer living three miles west Of New
Ulm. We found Mr.. NJ. loquacious as we'll,
and after an interesting account Of the inner
history Of the famous Sioux attack on New
Ulm in which certain gentleman now kick
ing the beam in the gal scale at st. Paul tg-
ured anything but honorably; he dropped
upon the pervading theme, 1.-THE hopper. !"
give one important TACT that he stated: Of All
the neighborhood he had an isolated field OF
wheat upon which the locust did not feed and
gathered from it bountiful crop. /: Was Of
the tarbed species, peculiar in OTTER respects,
but unfortunately he did not kJs9y its proper
name. He said the 'hoppers would just tsst.
it and glide of TO psstur new. We consid-
cred it worth trial and engaged seed fyairst
q prospective invasion.
Forty miles beyond, on the Cotton wood
the first deposits Of eggs. Not very nrner-
Gus, nor vet satisfactory; the garden patch $,
corn feIas, nex breaking, and occasional bare
prairie knobs only being infested. The line
OF deposits extends north not far beyond -he
railroad. Here We found that the p sts had
ecten the young seeding trees on timber
claims. Further westward the amount O; de-
Dosit increased, and the decentralization Of
Of settlers became appe rent. Neglected 6elds,
stackless grain yards, and deserted houses h.
came painfully I. 1quert, but at the same time
we could lot but admire the piuck Of tn
greater number. For six successive years
most of these settlers have secured but one
half crop from destruction by hail and grass
hoppers, and yet the most OF them are de-
eat, and hay to burn and water to drink
They are all making propositions TO put II
limited crops next year, and that tn the fAce Of
| the certainly Of 'hoppers. Those who have
| gone away have been actually starved out, bul
| 10 their credit be it said have not heard In
the whole trip, Of single case Of permanent DE-
sertiop; most OF them have only gone to the
ssbiQ woods" for the winter. In Murray coun
| " We found the eggs the thickest. Mr.. vii.
| lard French, Of Centre township, who actei
| q host and prairie pilot for several days, ex-
hib;ted some Of the hopper, marvels Of BIZ
GARDEN in proof Of some Of the extraordinary
Stories We have hitherto disbelieved. ii
| removed half IN inch Of the surface grount
with sharp hoe, and actually, taking givel
number Of square inches there was : create
| bulk of eggs than Of earth. The cells aver
aeed four ,ayen In depth.
/ Now for some Of the current rumOrs: Mr.
| Wise, one Of the gra1hopper commissioner
| hae given publicity to the story that the egg
were rotting TO very considerable extent. Il
various localities. BE must have been grossl.
misinfoF1aed, for in : trip Of three huDdret
miles within the counties TO which the egg
| are confined made repeated inquiry on fhi
point and was everywhere told that i was 10
the case The emily IOC cxss that know 9
| like to be struck with the rot il Republic.,
foolish enough 10 oGsnd Joe. Wneeioca
A&ain, Il II current that certain kind
white grub i rniSing hsvoc with the egB cslla
but ssarchsd dill snfly md inquired pessana
ciousay II vMicm widely sspsE1tsd locaiifae,
but coald neffb@ 1ma Mr. hew q ny suc'
hlaufn9 % unn1ind 0na1l whi1 wm@a1
" fiSunnf1y found fnlf1s - Hye lee
- = = auppooo0 f1ne DIR n1aA D011Sa