The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-07-16
THE CHOPPERS.
Where They Come From. and Where
They Go.
[omaha Letter to Chicago Tribune.l

[Omaha Letter TO Chicago Trbune.l
/ was astonished to read, among your
editorial notes of yesterday, that ''it is q
curious fact that, while the grasshoppers
came from the southwest last year, they
are departing TO the northwest this year, "
ETC., or to that effect. Now, the fact is,
that these insects did not come from the
New Mexico plains last summer, as every
citizen of Nebraska and Dakota well
knows, but they did come, on the con-
trary, from the north and northwest,
straight from the British Possessions.
The following extract from newspaper
hints at the true version of his habits:
The first thing in this connection that we
are bound 10 notice il. that the grasshopper
moves in no ascertainable regular rule; no gem
eral law. He is probably native to the region
north of Salt Lake, and thus far has visited
Nebraska only at intervals of several years.
What brings him here at all He gets on well
enough for several years at time without visit
ing rs. Besides. there are a thousand miles OF
good grass between us and his native seat. and
there are all the forests and gades of the
mountains. Of the uninhabited Yellowstone
Valley. the plains of all British America, and
the whole Pacific slope. Why. then. does he
occasionally come into Nebraska? Why does
he 90 southeast to Missouri, instead OF due east
10 Illinois and Ohio! AID more strangely
still why does he pass over Nebraska without
lighting a. he did three years ago. and dis
appear forever, so that no man can tell whittier
he has gone =
1t IS fact, whether curious or other
wise, that the progenitors of this identi
cal " Missouri flock" (as it is called here,
owing TO the circumstances that it was
mainly Matched ont in that State this
spring. devastated, or rather pastured in,
West-Central British America three sum
mers since its progeny visiting North
ern Dakota and Minnesota two years ago;
the third generation descending upon
Nebraska last summer, destroying it,
and depositing its eggs III Missouri, the
southeast corner Of Nebraska, and the
eastern part of Kansas, last autumn.
This spring, the offspring Fourth genera
tom laid waste the region last above al
luded TO until about the middle of June,
when they arose and flew in direction
precisely opposite TO their course last
year-northwest. The column was 100
miles east to west, extending from Cen
tral Nebraska TO q point somewhere be-
tween Council Bluffs and Des Moines,
in Iowa. They began to cross the
Platte in countless millions on June IA
Ga few small swarms had previously gone
north), and had not entirely finished
passage over that river until June 81,
seven days later. They travel at speed
of about 13 miles an hour, or nearly 130
miles fight per day, average. Their
vanguard is now 900 or 1000 miles north
northwest OF Omaha. and still advancing.
Would il not be useful TO follow this re-
treating host into its northern Businesses,
and track its movements for few years
in that vast wilderness, where it has
formerly pursued its devious wander.
ings, unheralded and unknown, except
as i occasionally emerges into the haunts
of civilization, and is recognized in the
newspaper-world for a few years, only
TO disappear soon, and be forgotten
In 'G7 orS, swarm fully as large as
this one visited this section from the
British regions probably by the same
successive steps disappearing the next
year in the direction from which it came;
but was little talked of East, as the coun-
try was then sparsely settled.