The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-07-02


From the Mankito tNiun.) Review.
Overl.aulng some Old papers, last
week, we accidentally came across Il
package of old bills dated June, 1875,
III Which WAS printed Il resolution or
order of the county board offering Il
reward of ten cents per quart for
<gr..Sshoppers. To indicate 10 the read
ers OF to day how this business WAS
transacted we copy the resolution as
follows:
ORDERED. On solicitation of many citizens
Of this county. that there be paid Uu' of the
county treasury the sam of ten cents pr
quart. for era ~>h appcr- caught within this
county and delivered dead. until public not
ice 10 the contrary ~ special committee Of
this board.
And further ordered Tha, upon cititirate
Of any Que Of the Supervisors. Town Clerk,
or Justices Of the Peace of the several towns
and certificates Of person, appointed Icy fn5.
Trustees "f IA" village Of La:>c Crystal. aud
# p.r-rn- appointed by IL, common Coun-
this Board be and i, hereby ant borizcd 10
draw orders III payment ,h"rgfof:
And further. That the authorities above
namci. provide for the cumpcnsa ion. ii amy.
If the persons receiving III" shopper
keeping III AL eases lis: Of the nanIe@ and
amounts received: ami that in each case h,
certificates be signed officially and that the
Auditor he Instructed to keep Il -vpari;" AZ
count of the monte, PAID for the above puT-
pos. Attest.
Co Auditor. Blue Earth co.
This bounty was offered i'll response
to an almost unan nous demand of the
farmers living west of the Elue Earth
river, whose crops We're being destroy
ed, ana those best posted estimated
that not to exceed 5000 bushels would
be gathered, costing in round numbers
$4,000.
The war opened on the 81 of June in
good earnest. the town author tiles be
ing authorized to receive and bury the
'hoppers and to issue voucher to each
individual.
Geo. Dauber, then lad of II years
old was the first TO claim the bounty,
gathering quarts.
The catcher was required ~ Kill the
hoppcrs, which was generally don" by
dipping the bag OF basket in boiling
wafer.
Tuesday afternoon the order was
passed, and it took at least Il day to
proclaim the news through the county,
and Thursday morning the war WIS
thoroughly inaugurated. BY Saturday
night over $,O.GGO had been paid out
and every days receipts were lncreas-
ing. Some men made so and So per
day Nj l.. ID. Mills Of Garden CITY,
gathered go quarts III two days, and
Mr.. Henry Schwarble aud several boys
earned :::i,5. % III two days. On Satur-
day of that week - bushels were re
ceived at Mankato, 469 in Rapidan,
and Lime reported 10 bushels Ill two
days.
Fearing bankruptcy the Co. Board
WAS called together, and one week after
the bounty was first offered reduced it
ne-half; three days after it WAS made
81 per bushel, and the next day wholly
repealed. In the twelve days that the
bounty had been in operation :3l zoe
was paid ont, and the quantity killed
and buried WAS variously estimated at
is, UGG TO -, coo bushels.
y careful computation showed that
I buslel represented l3o, Geo gr@ssilop-
pers, and there was Il total Of .,6J3,
oD0, 900 killed and buried under the
bounty act. There WAS apparently bnt
slight elimination i'll the rayaging
hordes that covered the grain fields
and pastures of this county.
ASwe stated before, these pests were
most destructive west OF the Blue
Earth river, soil in that part Of the
county j. sander aud quicker and
there Is tradition among the Indians
that the hopperS could not thrive and
prosper in the sol east Of that stream,
which is generally heavier and wetter.
1t is certain that the experience Of
that scourge sustained this tradition.
All but about S5,WnD OF this bounty
was paid out west OF the Hlue Earth;
Garden City leading with >:5,434.7i;
MankatO next, 50, 2Dj75; .JuGson 81,
G63 Is; South Bend SS, 1888; Lime 81
3a7 50; while Lyra only had siS5S6;
Maple;on SSI55; Mcpherson $5.25, and
jamestown so Gets.
There is no doubt but this wholesale
destruction did much to protect the
crops of this county, and lessen the
Ill; images for the future. AS 1t was,
nearly 1900 acres of crops We're Who'll
" or nearly destroyed, in money value
nearly a half million dollars.
The hoppers laid their eggs honnti-
fully during the fall of 1915, and the
outlook for the future was dark in
deed. The following spring when the
egg sacks We're beginning to swell and
the more exposed hatch out, day OF
prayer WAS held all over the state by
appointment OF the governor.
Whatever may be public belief in
proyldential interventions, the fact is
certain that soon after. and when the
young insects We're just Matching out
cold, freezing spell accompanied by
snow and ice overspread the state, the
insects were killed, and the state was
freed from that time to the present
from this terrible Scourge.