The record-union., 1891-09-19
IOFFMAN'S INVESTIGATION.
He Looks Into the Characteristics
Of the GrasshOpper.
His Report Is About as Lucid as Many
Other Public Documents-A Ram
bling Article on Variety of SUBJ
Jeots-Taken for the Lady of the

Especial correspondence of RECoRD-UNIoS.l
Early in January, 1885, was requested
by the Commissioner Of Agriculture, and
also by Professor G. Y. Riley, United
States Entomologist, to assist the United
States Government in it's efforts to be-
come more thoroughly acquainted with
the character, habits, construction and
domestic relations of the various species
OF locusts inhabiting and indigenous to
the Santa Clara Valley, in Southern Cali
fornia. 1 assured both the above-men-
toned honorable gentlemen by letter that
nothing would give me greater pleasure
than the fulfiliment of duty which, by
their request, l considered as unavoid-
able; that ones patriotism was best shown
by ones attention to the needs of ones
government; that one should hasten to
labor for the benefit Of ones country
without being told twice to do so; that the
ignorance of Uncle Sam concerning grass
hoppers was very lamentable indeed, and
that we should not allow Egypt to set
herself up before US as the only nation on
earth having an extensive and compre-
hensive knowledge Of the subject. 1t
should not be my fault, | added, nor the
fault Of the high authority which had SO
honored me, if in the future we could
not give the world points and down the
most Learned savants of Europe on this
subject.
1t was only a matter of time, said,
when the grasshopper would become an
international question. That national
greatness was best achieved by studious
attention to the small things which make
up the everyday affairs Of life, and that
there was nothing which would bring out
and illustrate the greatness of a nation
more than the study of various insects,
among which the locust, or grasshopper,
occupied a conspicuous position. Next
TO the Goblin moth and the scale bug, /
knew of nothing more worthy of the
patient study and investigation of learned
men, and l would by devoting my spare
time to the subject, endeaVOr to discover
something new in the grasshopper-
something which would be appreciated
by my Government and Of infinite bene-
fit to the world at large. At the earliest
possible moment | would visit the Santa
Clara Valley and get down TO business.
Such is the gist of my reply to the honor
able gentlemen above mentioned.
Circumstances over which had no con-
troll, or not very much control prevented
me, and l did not visit the Santa Clara
valley until June 18th Of the present year,
at which time | suddenly and uneXpect-
edly appeared in Ventura County, armed
ready for study and dissection, or vivi-
section, of all the grasshoppers from
MOntalVo to CamulOS. OF course did
not get my report included in the report
OF the Commissioner of Agriculture for
1885, nor for any following year, and it is
too late now, perhaps. But have obeyed
the request of the honorable gentlemen
above mentioned, and my mind is at rest.
/ have, however, prepared a report and
forward 1t to the RECORD UNION. know
ing that it will accomplish much greater
good than ii inserted in an agricultural re-
port, sandwiched between cut showing
the evolution and transformation OF the
CicddG Septenrdecim and a colored plate
illustrating the growth of the swine
plague in Missouri.
There are a great many people whose
social duties compel them to forego the
pleasure OF reading the agricultural re-
ports, and information derived from the
columns of the leading journals is their
only means Of keeping posted. sincerely
hope and trust that after the publication
of the following report no man who can
read and write the English language will
9 be found possessing much ignorance of
the subject treated in this paper. Before
beginning my report l viii state that
am indebted to Captain Owly Pamblo of
Nevada County, and his relative Au-
gustus Hoopey, for much valuable infor-
lnation concerning the insect under dis
cusslOn.
FILLMORE, Ventura Co., Sept II, '9l.
To the pU6tjc at large, also to aUhoHl 1t
NtGY concern: In obedience to q request
made blythe United States Commissioner
Of Agriculture and Professor G. V. Riley,
United States EntomolOgist, | have
visited the Santa Clara Valley, a part of
Ventura County, Southern California,
United States of America, for the purpose
of studying the locusts, or grasshoppers,
n a IN Ir1rr ind 70
My arrival at Fillmore occurred on the
10Th OF June of the present year as is at
tested by long scratch made upon the
debit side of the register in the audi
torium of the Fillmore Hotel, and a dent
in the front part of the Farmers Stove.
caused by my having stumbled over it
when rushing forward to meet Mayor
Grimes and other prominent citizens.
L began my labors Immediately. merely
waiting long enough to lay aside nv
plug hat and gold-headed cane, and re-
place them with wide brimmed Jesse
James sombrerO and a shotgun, with
which brought to earth many curious
insects peculiar TO this semi-tropical re-
gIon. / had always felt that / had missed
my vocation somewhere; that instead of
laboring hard with brain and muscle for
the edification OF less worthy people,
should have been chasing butterflies
with musket, and now / am certain
that this Is what Providence intended
that / should do. But it sometimes han
pens that we are forced by unforeseen
events 10 DRIFT out of the lines of duty as
laid down for Us and pursue avocations
wholly unsuited and at variance with our
inner selves. When we are conscious of
the fact that we have so drittedi it behoov-
eth us to make the best of a bad
situation and live up, in theory, to what
We cannot live up to in practice.
have never used this assertion heretofore,
nor have / ever heard any otlier man use
II. 1t is perfectly fresh and pure, and
worthy Of consideration.
l sometimes surprise myself by formu-
laung original ideas, which strike me
very forcibly as worthy of perpetuation
and l Immediately jot them down in a
little book which l carry in my left-hand
ovcralls pocket. There is no better plan
than this for the security of ideas, which.
like tleas, are perpetually and spontane-
ously hopping forth from ones mental
incubator. Some day / shall find that
my book is filled with bright, pithy. orig
lnal thoughts, and | viii have them pub
lshed in an ornate volume suitable for
birthday and wedding presentations, or a
conspicuous position on the escritoires of
the 400 Of Fresno. The salvation of orig
inal thought, is, or should be, the highest
aim OF the literati of the present time.
This, and an assiduous cultivation of the
faculty of adheSiVeness--the sticking to
one subject until it has been thoroughly
treated-lS one OF the most important
things of life. l hope you understand me.
Bean-pulhng has been in progress in
the Santa Clara Valley tor several weeks
and the crop / am told, is very great. |
did not think, when first ! came to this
part Of California that | should proudly
tread upon soil holding in a mineral state
those germs of thought which have made
Boston peculiar, have given us q Chau-
tauqua and created for us "A Ward Meal