Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-06-23
No. g.
PLAGUED BY PESTS.
An Army of Locusts Destroying COlOm-
HAS CrODS.
From the Philadelphia Evening News.


From the Philadelphia Evening News
A gentleman just returned from the United
States of Columbia says a great locust plague
is desolating the country and is rapidly
bringing the inhabitants to starvation Dur
ing railroad trip from Salgar to Barran-
quilla the gentleman witnessed terrible
devastation effected by the pests. 1.-THE sur
rounding lands" he says, were as utterly
barren of live vegetation as though some
great fire had swept through them, burning
and blasting everything in its track. The
once magnificent groves of cocoanut trees
were to be compared to nothing but forest
of bare poles, without a single green twig Or
leaf Millions upon millions of locusts filled
the air like great clouds and the atmosphere
in some places was quite hazy as conse-
quence. The ground presented remarkable
appearance, and as the train travelled along
the insects were so thick that they looked
like small yellow waves as they jumped up
and down. Not stalk or q blade of grass
was anywhere to be seen. The locusts alighted
upon us until our clothes were covered with
them. When we tried to remove them they
showed their ravenOus condition by attempt
ing to bite our fingers. The farmers are in a
state of terror, as they are perfectly helpless
before the plague. | learned that the wheat
crop is almost entirely destroyed and orders
have been sent to New York for large ship
ments of flour to supply the necessities of
the people. There is no immediate danger
of a famine, as the natives can live upon
very small amount Of food and the most Of
them have stock on hand. Should the
locusts remain until the raising of a second
crop there will be great cause for alarm. The
whole country is in a state of excitement,
and at Barranquilla | witnessed nightly a
procession of priests and people, who marched
through the town and called upon the patron
saint of the parish, ST. Nicholas, to intervene
and save the land from destruction. Every
one carried lighted candle. In the midst
of the priests there was borne an image of St.
Nicholas. The procession shouted their pray
ers and sang their litanies in an earnest man
ner The smallest children carried candles
and seemed to be impressed with the solem-
nifty of the ceremonies. These professions
are going ON all over the country. The
saperstitious populace imagine that the
locusts have been sent by heaven as a pun
ishment for some great national sin of which
they are guilty The locusts came from the
interior of the country, and was informed
that all the vegetation in the vicinity of the
Magdelena river was eaten up long ago. The
lOcusts are about as long as mans middle
finger. They are of a, yellowish green color,
and make a loud, aggravating noise while
flying through the air. | fear they will stay
all summer, unless the lack of food compels
them to migrate
4 Tale Of Love and Sacrifice.
But, Papa"
Not another word. I'm wild cat when
my backs up, and don't you forget it."
The speaker was a hard visaged man,
dressed with an elegance that ill-accorded
with his evident want OF culture. She who
had addressed him as papa was fair
haired girl of eighteen summers. Reared on
the knee of luxury, she had never known
what it was to have her slightest wish
thwarted. Her father a plumber, was from
the nature of his business man of iron will,
but he was not devoid CT pity or generosity,
as many debtor whose house and lot he
had taken in part payment for fixing the
water pipes, letting the balance of the ac-
count run along for two months, could testify.
He had surrounded Cecil, his only child,
with all that wealth could purchase, looking
forward to the time when she would marry
the eldest son of a Niagara Falls hackman,
Or some person of fortune commensurate with
her own. But she had allowed her heart to
be ensnared by the Wiles of cupid, and that
morning had asked her sire's consent to her
marriage to a poor but not proud young man
whose agricultural operations on the Board
of Trade had not been attended with success.
1t was this request that produced the answer
given above.
Again Cecil pleaded with her parent not
to crush the love that blOssOmed in her heart.
The old mans mind went back to the happy
days when he had told her mother of his
love and how they had commenced life with
nothing but strong arms and willing hearts.
Placing his tan-like hand OH Cecil's shoulder
the old man looked at her tenderly and said:
"Look ye, my lass. You say you love this
man and cannot live without him. Mebbe
not. l have promised you seal skin sack
this winter. Let us test your love- Ii you
become this mans bride / shall not buy the
sack In my hand is check for 5000. In
the wheat pit over on the Board of Trade is
your lover Now, which do you chOose?"
Without raising her head she reached out
cOnvulsively for the check.