Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-07-28
WANTED.-From to 10 bushels of
potatoes and p bushels of corn on ac-
count at this Office.
Letter from Iowa.
Ponora, Guthrie Co., Iowa. i,

P0nora, Guthrie Co., Iowa,
| July llth, 1881.
Ar. Editor:-Our crops of last sum-
mer were pretty good, Notwithstanding
the hot, dry and stormy weather
Winter began in the first week of
November 1880, and from thence To
the 10Th Of April 1881, we had only
two clear days, on which the thermom-
eter showed few degrees above zero,
while the rest of the time it kept at IA
bout So degrees below the freezing
point. The FIRST week of December it
commenced to snow ana continued to
do SO at short intervals until April y,
when we had the largest snow 0f all,
about one foot deep. On the 18th and
18th Of the same month q big freShet
came on, and in consequence swollen
rivers, which flooded the low lands,
took away numerous bridges and dams
and tore up the roads. Thousands of
acles Of corn remained unhusked, the
sowing time had come and gone, and
the work had to be left undone. In
vain we hoped for dry weather. The
spring rains were as powerful and un-
interrupted as the winter SHOWS had
been. At last the farmers were COM
PEELED to SOW although the fields were
III very wet condition, anG the re-
suit will be failing crops in most cases.
Hundreds of acres of land, especially
low land, were not SOwed at all, while
sowed land is flooded so as to render
cultivation impossible. Much Of our
corn was only planted in the last week
of June. The 18th Of July will always
be remembered by us as a day of sor-
row and trouble. The morning of the
day was beautiful, but at about 10
O'Clock clouds gathered in on the west
ern horizon, the wind coming from the
north. A little before noon it COM
menced TO RAIN and hail, the wind
changing to southwestern direction.
1t grew dark and the fiercest hailstorm
| ever witnessed poured down on old
mother earth. Tie ground in a short
time was covered with about two inches
of hail, but further south, where the
storm ragged with greater fury, the
ground was covered from four to six
inches deep, from as large as hens
eggs. Grain, trees and roofs werelit-
orally crushed under the weight of the I
hail. The people are discouraged and
wear sad faces. The damage done in
one vicinity is not 50 extensive, but in
some Of the surrounding parts of the
country everything was destroyed. We
had a great amount of rain this year,
lasting whole weeks and sometimes
coming down like waterspouts. Last
week it stopped and got fearfu!ly hot,
the temperature rising to 1852 in the
shade, while on the coolest days it
kept at 96o. From Saturday afternoon
again up to the present time we had
continuous lightning, thunder and
rain, which swelled our principal
river about feet, took away almost
all bridges and stopped communication
with neigEboring parts Of the country.
If it keeps on this way, | can not see,
how we are to harvest. Wheat stands
thin and short, but is filled pretty we'll |
Corn is from few inches to feet
high. The main trouble is that on &C.
count of this wet spell, there was no
so far to cultivate the
corn and consequently the fields are
covered with weeds.
could fill many pages more with
the description Of the horrible devasta-
ton out here, but viii close with the
heartfelt wish, that the nh2bitants Of
Pennsylvania may be spared such af-
1ictions. Yours truly,
HERMAN WIrTHAUER.