Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-22
a PLAGUE OF INSECTS.
arRANaE sroRY 81 eRAssaorrEns.
Raynges I'm y Kansas Village Jvhnx eha
Less % a Crop AEeans.


An old resIdens OF Kansas related
various incidents Of his life il that State,
and Among other things told me about
the grasshoppers that visit that region
occasionally. ssIt Is impossible for one
who has never seen the grasshopper IN
al his glory and vigor, he said, ITO
realize what q visitation from these pests
means to the farmers here. When
FIRST came here to live the neighbOrs
used to tell me about what they had
passed through, and laughed them TO
BcOrn. Their stories Of trains being
stopped by 'hOppers, and whole fields Of
corn being destroyed In b single day
seemed to me to be simply absurd; bus
was destined to learn By bitter experl-
ence that the worst had not been told
me. When / looked at one Of the mar
rators IN an incredulous manner he
would say: We'll, think you win have
q chance to see for yourself before the
summer is over, as the 'hoppers we're in
Nebraska last season, and It viii be 3
miracle If we do not have call from
them soon.
az was employed on the railroad at
that time and worked with gang whose
duty il was to keep the track for q GER
tain portion Of the road in good condi-
ton. Stories Of the near approach Of
grasshoppers and the destruction being
wrought by them were becoming more
frequent day by day, and we were con-
etantly on the look ont for them.
Finally one bright August afternoon as
we were working in q cut in o large
piece Of woods we heard roaring sound
In the trees coming nearer and nearer.
I took IL to be heavy breeze. One Of
the men who had lived there many years
and who had often entertained me with
his recollections, looked up and ex.
claimed:
"'Here come the 'hoppers land all
my summers labor in my garden viii be
thrown away
SIN q moment q grasshopper Lie on
the ground beside me, and then another
and another, and in less than five min
utes the ground was covered with them;
and still they came, lighting on our
faces, on our hair, in our mouths IL we
were unwary enough TO open them;
on the bushes, anywhere and every
where. In an hour il was almost i'm
possible 10 see q bit OF ground, and the
bushes were so loaded that they bent
10 the ground. The road between ms
was one living, jumping mass, and the
rails were almost ont of sight, so deep
were they getting. Still they continued
to come, and found myself wondering
If they would never stop. It was al
most impossible to work. IL you looked
up suddenly and did not shield your
eyes in some manner, they would come
with such force that, striking you in
the eye, they would almost blind you.
We could not step without treading on
them and crushing them, Sc thick were
they. The place where we were work
ing was at the summit Of slight grade
Ia the road Up this grade q passenger
train soon came rushing along. The
grasshoppers did not all succeed in
getting OFF the rail and thousands were
crushed, greasing the track and the
wheels Of the engine. Before the train
got half way. up the grade it began 70
Blacken its speed, and then we saw the
driving wheels Of the engine slipping
round and round, but not taking hold Of
the rail. Sand was thrown beneath the
wheels, but the effect was only tempo
rafy, and the train came to g stop.
OlOOlUN WClC AuoL6uCA Qu tAlG CAlA4A1o
Just In front of the wheels so that they
touched the rail, sweeping the insects
aside, and after much effort and long
delay the train succeeded IN starting
again and worked its way slowly along.
Wherever the pests had settled on
anything green they began at once to
eat, and such appetites as they possessed
And such taste as they were blessed
with Their first tit-bit was the COM
mon smart.weed and ia an hours time
there was none Of il left anywhere In
sight. But they did not object to any
thing unless it had sweet taste-that
they would not touch. The leaves be-
gan to disappear from the trees rs If by
magic. On our way home that evening
We had to pass large cornfield. the
owner Of which and bis family had spent
their whole time that season IN cultivat-
ing Such q scene OF destruction had
never dreamed of IS was presented to
my astonished gaze. Where only twelve
hours before stood forty acre field of
corn 30 tall and thick that 4 man head
could not be seen anywhere in it and all
Just coming out in tassel, nothing re-
manned but the bare stalks looking like
sd many reeds The. owner and bis
family stood looking at the ruin with
the tears streaming down their aTn-
burned cheeks, the very pictures OF de-
SPAR. We stopped 10 sympathize with
him. As we spoke to him he looked at
rs in heart-broken manner and said:
e God only knows what win become
Of rs the coming winter We de-
pended ON our corn crop. and now It Is
al gone. il is too late to raise any other
crop, ana we have not got cent TO help
ourselves with.
Turning away We made our way
home with fear IN our hearts for Cur
own gardens. / went around 70 the
back Of the house to see what was left Of
the neat beds that had been my pride
only that morning had been boastinR
TO my wife that We had the finest
garden III the village. Nothing re-
manned but the sweet potatoes and the
inner red meat Of the watermelons. The
outside had been entirely eaten away,