Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-09
The Sea-GuIIs and the Crickets.
How the Corn-FIeIds of the Mormon PIo- neers were Saved from Destruction
 From the Salt Lake Utsh) HerzId-I

How the Corn-Fields of the Mormon PIo- neers were Saved from Destruction From the Salt Lake Utah) HeraldI
 There is no biped for which the old far
 mer of this country has more genuine affec- | tion than the utterly valueless-in 8 market able sense-sea gull. This rather pretty l bird was quite abundant in this valley the present year-in fact, it is stated that only | once before were there so many. In the 1 fields few miles below the city, a week or two ago. thousands of them could be seen. They followed the plowman along the furrow and were almost as tame as chickens. Wher- ever there was new ploEed field, there you could see the gull, and as fast a furrow was turned up the birds would hy behind the | plowman and commence devouring the in 1 sects which were thus exposed to sight | They seemed perfectly fearless. And they | have good reason to be fearless here, for the | farmer looks upon them as his friend, and | they seem to understand fully that he holds
 them in that light. They fly all about him, within three or four feet, and while perhaps l unwilling to submit to being caught, they
 will allow any other familiarity that can be practiced, for they themselves take great
 many good natured liberties. They will not touch grain, or anything that the farmer de- sires should remain untouched; they only eat the worms and insects which are injuri-
 ous to the soil and to crops. Years ago
 
 one of these birds The law is probably yet
 on the statute books, but is literally dead letter, because there has been no occasion to call the law into life. farmer-in fact, any person acquainted with the habits of the
 sea gull-would almost think of wantonly killing one of his own chickens as of inten-
 tionally harming one of these queer birds
 As before stated, law was passed by the legislature making it an ofense to kill a sea-
 gull; it was passed for this reason
 In the second year after the pioneers had arrived herein IS4S-the large black crick-
 cts common to these mountainous regions
 made their appearance in this and some other
 valleys in clouds-fguratively speaking.
 They did not fly but came hopping down the
 mountain sides in myrisds. So vast were
 their numbers the mountains were black
 and seemed literally alive with the great big
 black, ugly things, each one about the size of large mans thumb. It WAS at a time
 when the crops were promising; everything
 looked green; the future outlook seemed
 bright and the heart of the sun burned and
 toil-~orn pioneer grew lighter as the pro-
 poets of plentiful harvest and greater com
 forts grew more and more tangible with each days growth of the hsaltby grain But
 blacker than the clouds of coal black crickets
 which came hopping down the mountain
 slopes in countless numbers, leaving barren
 ness and desolation in their wake, were the clouds of despair which nllsG the heart Of the weary husbandmsn as this new and un-
 looked for curse came slowly but surely
 toward the pride, the joy and the promise of the early ssttler-his fields of waving corn
 and grain. The foe was utterly unconquer-
 able SO far as human efforts were concerned;
 there was nothing the heart-sick farmer
 could do but stand idly by and see the labor
 of the season destroyed. Children gazed
 with wonder and terror; women looked with
 eyes full of tears, and strong men watched
 with hearts of despair. It was awful
 hour But To : a wonder. The sky is filled
 with large birds; they fly toward the scene
 of the disaster. and they ahght in the fields
 where the erickets hold supreme sway. Then comes a change. At once the hocks of birds
 begin to eat the crickets. From morn till night they continue never ceasing. When filled until they can hold no more they von1it up the black mass, and again continue to eat
 the crickets. This is kept up day after day
 until not one of the devouring host is seen;
 the crops are saved, and the birds fly away
 This bird was the one which could recently be seen in the fields, and which WAS then more abundant than at any time since the event above mentioned. It was not surprising that the pioneers should return thanks to God for his succor, and that forever after the sea gull should be looked upon as dear friend, to be protected and encouraged.