McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-16
THE GRASSHOPPER YEAR.

THE CHRISTOPHER YEAR.
The Great Fork Of James Gordon, Bennett foI
Relief of Sufferers Of Nebraska and
Kansas.
Idaho Cor. Omaha Herald
| was glad to read in the Herald your
: complimentary editorial to James Cor
don Bennett. Nebraskans owe more to
Mr. Bennett than they are aware of and
it gives me pleasure even at this late
day to bestow on Bennett credit he
should long ago have had. Most of
your people will remember the great
grasshopper plague of 1874 and 1875,
when the crops in many counties of the
state were eaten entirely up and even
the fruit trees were destroyed. In that
section of the state where the plague
existed it will probably never be for
gotten by the sufferers.
After the state government had ex-
hausted its resources and most of the
appropriations allowed by the govern
ment had been expended General Ord,
at that time commanding the depart
mentsOf the Platte. came to me one day
and said:
"When the appropriation gives out
the people will starve. You must 90 to
New York and other eastern cities and
beg money to buy food for them"
1t was a difficult undertaking; but.
armed with letter from General Ord
to James Gordon Bennett, | set out at
once.
If you have ever arrived in New York
and ridden down Broadway at noon
day, you must, in looking at that vast,
hurrying crowd of human beings, have
felt the utter insi gnificance of one man.
AS pushed my way through the great
throng, each man and woman intent on
his or her own business, [ could not
help saying over and over again, ''What
can you do with such a multitude? A
man is no larger than fly here"
After eating my dinner went up to
the Herald Office and, luckily, found
| Mr.. Bennett in. | had known his
father before him, but / had seldom
met the son. L gave him General
Ord's letter and watched his face close
ly as he read the rather long document,
for the general had gone into details
and told him all about the distress in
Nebraska. When he had read the let
ter completely through and re-read
part of it, he laid it down, and turning
abruptly to me, said:
''This is terrible. What plans have
you?"
I replied 1 had none, and spoke of
the difficulty of doing anything in so
large city or of reaching the people
so as to make them understand the
case.
1--WE shall reach them; we shall make
them understands, nobody must be al
lowed to starve in this country or even
suffer for the want of food he said,
hurriedly. Then asking me where l
stopped in the city, he called Connery
and explained to him what was the
matter, saying to the managing editor,
''Take up the case of these poor people
in Nebraska and have something said
every day until they are relieved He
asked me if | was going to my hotel
and if it would be convenient for me to
stay at the hotel all the time, day and
night, for couple of days. l told him
l would do SO, and-seeing he was
busy-left the proprietor of the great
est newspaper in the world, not, how
ever, until he of his own good heal ted
ness had again assured me he would do
all in his power to help the poor people
| had come to represent.
Hardly had [ reached the hotel when
Herald reporter presented me his
card and said he was sent by Mr.. Ben
nett to learn what he could about the
Nebraska sufferers. He went to my
room and he stayed nearly all the at
ternoon. The history and early settle
ment of the state was gone over, the |
map examined and the afflicted dis
tricts pointed out. The character, hab-
its and industries of the people, inter-
ests, resources and advantages of the
states detailed, in fact everything about
Nebraska in a general way was elected
by this dexterous reporter. About 4
O clock he left, telling me another re-
porter would call at 6.
Promptly at 6 o'clock came the sec
ond Herald man, who seemed to be
familiar with what the first
one had obtained. The new reporter
asked me if | had ever travelled in the
afflicted districts. | told him | had
seen the suffering with my own eyes.
At this he seemed delighted, sharpened
his pencil and then commenced
pumping such as l had never wit
messed before. Each incident of a
seven days trip through the grass
hopper region was brought out from
the rising to the setting of the sun. At
8 O clock he left, telling me the third
Herald man would call at 10. At 10
another reporter came and stayed with
me until midnight, when he went away
saying the first days work in the Ne
braska business was over and | could 1
20 to bed.
AS soon as / was awake in the morn !
NO l called for the Herald. 1t was a
surprise even to an old newspaper t
man. Everywhere was Nebraska in {
startling head lines. A starving peo- {
Die was dwelt upon in para graphs and