Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-06-21
s Communicative.
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Our New York Letter.

The Seventeen-year LOcust-The
Sign en- its Wings-A Fish
PIague-Our Bolivian guest.
TO the Editor Of the O6Serrer d.:
New YORK, june Sth, 1877.
Ia trying to decide what has
been the main sensation Of the
last seven days, am divided be-
tween the suddenly terminated
Ring suit, tie seventeen-year 10.
Gust and the fish plague.
The seventeen-year locust, who
comes next to the above mention
ed gentry in order of present i'm.
pOrtance, is, emphaticalIy, a queer
bird. Why he shows up at such
long and odd intervals, like a com.
ct, is a mystery. The conund-
rum of what be does with him
self in off years is too many for
even the bug-fanciers. Why he
grows 50 big end accomplishes 50
little and dies SO soon are all A.
mong "those things that no fel.
low can find out" All that il
really known about him is that
be hangs around underground
somewhere for a good while till
be gets a good "ready," and then
burrows up to the top. leaving Il
little round hole TO mark the
place OF his appearance, as regular
and clean cut as that OF a pistol
bullet. How be performs this
latter operation is another puzzler,
for when he gets to the surface he
is still tightly encased in the hard,
transparent, yellow she'll that has
protected him during his subter-
ranean residence. But he man.
ages it somehow, and on his arriv-
al in the air, cracks his she'll aDd
comesfOrth a little soft white bunch
which hardens and darkens and
enlarges with q rapidity totally
Incredible to one who has not wit
messed it; SO that within a couple
of hours from leaving the chrysa-
lis he is complete in every part.
A finished locust of this variety
is more like an enormous fly than
anything else | can think Of. II
is almost an inch and half long,
with black body and head and lit.
tie google eyes exactly like two
dots Of red sealing wax. It's on
ly beauty is in its wings, which
are as large as a small willow leaf.
delicate, gauzy and prismatic. L
remember hearing years ago that
this insect always appeared In
time of war, of which it bOre the
sign. Curious on this point, |
picked one up the other day to
look for this sign, and, sure e.
nough, on each wing | found
W as plain as a pikestsH Whether
the Russo Turkish struggle is e.
nough to satisfy its predictions
or whether we have got to get
up row in this country 20 save
its reputation as a prophet, time
will tell.
The iocusts are Matching by the
million out in Eastern New Jer-
sey, where their whirring noise is
compared to escaping steam.
They live but a short time and ap-
parcntly do no damage to crops
or vegetation of any kind. A
good many blow over to this city
where they sttractmuch attention
And not satisfied with reviving
one Egyptian plague New Jersey
is introducing another In the
shape of dead fish. All on a sud.
den last week the shores of the
Passaic and other streams near
this city began to be covered with
smaller varieties of fresh water
fish, which for few days seemed
to die almost by the millioA The
air is tainted for miles around,
and the inhabitants of Newark,
Paterson and other towns which
depend upon the Passaic for Wa
ter are in serious trouble. No
one can account tor this unparal.
leled occurrence.
WhileE Gen. Grant is being
lined and wined by the effete
lristocracies Of Europe, we of
New York are given the oppor-
tunity of honoring the Chief Ex-
of sister republic, by
the presence here Of the President
of Bolivia. The honorable BoIi-
Wan, however, gets scanty atten-
ion, no official notice having been
taken of his coming or sojourn.
The object of bis visit is stated
10 be the attraction Of New York
capital to the completion of Ger.
tain important transportation
facilities within his realm.
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