The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-10
INTERESTING METER FROM THE
scEss E3;s MOUNTAINS:
correspondence OF the Richmons Dispatch
NIIrJ,BORo, SPRINGS, J


| TCornsn,ndencc OF the Ricfmonl E)ispatch.1
MrrI.BoRo' SPRINGS,
BATH COUNTY, VA, July ], 1876.
Those " commenceinents,s to which there
seemed to he no end, being. over, and there
being apparently partial suspension OF the
reportorial floods with which custom hath
OF late years deluged the press, venture to
| send q missive from the Slate Hills OF Bath,
where the airs are pure and refreshing, and
where, il wealth and vanity do not display
their foiies, neither do vice and corruption
| disturb the simple content and serenity OF
an unaffected and frank community. 1t
NAV be matter OF the smallest Importance
| to the world that there Is such place and
sucha people; but it is, on the other mana,
true that no other place or people colllu DC
more independent Of the world. So honoEs
arc easy. Nor let the world suppose that
Bath is locality not in the respect OF ma
| ture fully in the position of equality with
the other sections of globe upon whose
face Providence is ever dispensing the pro-
ccsses OF being and action. Here we have
grand scenery; pure fountains that are the
sources OF so many grand rivers; greater
number OF heath-glving springs than
are found in any other county IN the
! State or out OF ut, and constant
prevalence OF the most genial airs. Ger
!tainly a pcop!e SO blessed may be proud,
and q county so favorable to health should
be Mecca to thousands who suffer the Ills
of disease The towering mountains, the
crystal streams that tinklc or roar along
every ravine, and the green meadows, show
that Nature has stamped the impress OF her
might and her benefcence in the happy
county OF Bath. Look at your own col
| r,lo NJ
weary and the sick, and the charming fields
for D leasure and relaxation that abound
within her territory.
Nature in one Of her very curious mani
festations has just appeared in Bath-the
ciCadR septemdicem-the Seventcen-year To-
Gusts have just finished their career oil
forty days without the "threc days" bank
ers' grace), and ceased to make the woods
alive with their din. What strange creature
this is ! After seventeen years under ground
it appears in the chrysalis state, sort OF
wins ess bug, and attaching itself to the
bark or limb of tree or shrub, to which ii
finally holds, its shell-likc shield bursts
on the back, and from the crack
issues the winged locust, feeble
and tender. A few hours Of sun
shine and mir invigorate it sufficiently to
enable it to take wing, and it forthwith
which is so unlike song, and which is mo-
notony itself. The appearance OF these
creatures is so exactly timed and so gene
rally in unison that all at once the woods
are full OF them, and then commences that
roar which is almost deafening for forty
DAYS. except at nights, and which, / sup,
pose, has been heard by large maj GRITTY OF
people. During the time OF their life above
ground they may be supposed to enjoy
themselves greatly after their nature. and
before they perish by casualty OF the birds OF
prev they have taken measures to ensure 4
succeeding generation OF locuSts that Will
appear seventeen years afterwards. The
only harm. l believe, that they do is to bore
the ends OF a vast number OF branches OF
trees, in which they deposit their eggs.
These ends die and greatly distigure the foli-
ace OF forest. The dead ends IN time fall to
the ground, the eggs are Matched, and the
: worms that emerge from the eggs bore
} their way into the ground and there remain
for seventeen Years, when they appear In
; the living and breathing world y as above
described. Forty days upon the earth and
seventeen wears under it !! How do the
creatures get along or employ their long
night under earth! and what signal, what
trumpet calls them into the world all To-
gether after that long night to buzz through
: brief term OF forty days? The answers
to these questions are not dreamt OF IN our
philosophy.
} 1t is singular also that the locusts which
appear this year only inhabit q limited To-
caiitv. There are various districts thus
possessed by the same species OF locusts,
, and each district has its separate year to APP
: pear in. l do not know OF any two in which
they appear the same year, though there
NAV be. The late Mr.. Sandford, editor OF
the american Farmer, of Baltimore, had the
!. State OF Virginia and Maryland, and proba-
, bly, Kentucky and North Carolina, pretty
tolerably diStrictcd, so that it might be
5 known in central point Of the district what
E year the locusts would appear Whereabouts.
I All about this neighborhood are still seen in
4 the earth that has not been disturbed the in
G Vulnerable holes through which the locusts
t came to the surface, and on the bodies and
i leaves OF tree and shrub there still cling the
c many thousand OF shells out OF which the
: locusts crcpt to begin their active and noisy
:, existence Of forty days.
: came to these rare hills Just as the locust
! were winding up business, and only heart
their closing Iamentation. could not haV'
G endured them for forty days il there wcr
l any way OF escape. So let the world know
that Bath is remembered by the locusts.
= was Just thinking that the buzz of tn
= presidential canvass might without eNtrava
gancc be compared to that OF the locusts
,, and what pity it is that we could not have
, all interval OF seventeen years before an
: other presidential roar! | am sure the grea
: majority of the nation would be glad II
have the period of rest from these presi
Dental agitations and clamors greatly pro
! longed. The nation would be wise to imi
:, tate the locusts. r. .:.% 80, -
! The sleeps and cliffs Of the mountain
cause the waters that fall in rain upon TIT
earth to be precipitated with wonderful IA
pidity to the gorges and valleys below, ant
copious shower soon sweils the nearly-drJ
streams into roaring torrents. A short time
since we had grand specimen OF this kint
OF display Of the rapid concentration ant
{ power of water. The Nlillboro' Hotel i
high above the valleys, and we could beholt
= to advantage the wild waters as they rushed
, towards the river. The storm was grand
+ and soon the streams were raging and foam
ing feariully. 1t is not surprising that sucf
state of the waters, that are generally sc
low and clear as hardly to offer any obstruc
ton to foot-passengers, should produce more
or less Of fear in the community. Nearly
every flood OF this sort occasions los
OF life. The rushing waters turn the head:
OF some foot-passengcrs crossing SINAI
streams OH logs, and fords become perllous
Two colored persons were drowned IN thl