The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-27
The Terrible Grasshopper.

A new element has appeared in the
politics Of the Trans Missouri country,
saws Western correspondent. It is no
longer necessary to know, in fnanclal'
or general sense, whether man ls
"sound on the goose" but i is con
sidered of great importance that he
be sound on the grasshopper question.
One OF tbs candidates for the United
States Senate in Colorado recognized
this fact, and issued the following card
to show where he stood: -..-
"If am elected United States sena-
tor, I shall advocate the following The
wholesale determination OF the locust.
Let the duties of 7atching the migra-
ting movements OF the locust be added
to the signal service, in full, or let there
be separate signal service established
for this purpose, 80 We can be fore-
warned of their probable coming. Also
to ascertain where and in what State
or Territory they deposit their eggs
most numerously. Let Congress appro-
pirate 81, 900, 900 annually to pay for
killing the locust by the bushel, or per
pound, so that people can afford to
gather them. Let all the Western
States and Territories appropriate as
much money annually as they can, to De
added to the locust determination fund
of Congress, and let all be used each
year where the locust is hatchlng out
most numerous. In this way an annual
war can be waged against them, which
will soon thin them so that their natural
enemies will keep them down. would
have the unemployed OF our army serve
their country by destroying the locusI
or serving in the locust signal corps;
would have the Indians pay for tne!r
annuities with locusts tswhere t';e locust IS
plentiful in their reservations.
The gentleman who made this DID 10r
a United States Senatorship. on purely
grasshopper grounds, was not elected:
The farmers of Colorado, Kansas, Ne
braska and adjoining Territories nave
had hard struggle of it during the pass
three years owing to the rayages 0, ,tne
locusts. Those who had accumulated
money from former years OF prosperity
have seen it all swept away, and there
are very few of the farmers, gardeners
and ranchmen who are not IN aeos'
Large numbers, utterly dishearteneo,
have sold out, and immigrated to otnst
parts, or sought come other pursuit..
This accounts in q great measure Tor ths
rush to Washington Territory ana
Oregon the past year or two. Kansas
and Nebraska have contributed iarse
portion OF the lew settlers IN that seq.
tion. When Western farmer mus
that he does losing business tor Two OF ,,
three seasons, he is ready to "pu1 up
and seek another start in new country.
The Grasshopper convention at Omana,
at which six States and Territories were
represented, and in which several no!eo
scientists took part, shows the deep N
terest felt in the matter. After tWo
days of deliberation it was decided Iha'
the legislatures of the States and IsrIl'
tories interested should be asked 20
enact a law offering q bounty per
bushel for the collection and destructlo9
of eggs and unfedged insects; to repea
the game laws 80 as to prevent the de-
struction of birds which feed on them
at all times and to frame laws tor the
promotion Of tree culture, harborinR
birds, and promoting moisture. -.