Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1893-09-18
MORMON LEGENDS.
Singular Instances OF Providen-
tial Preservation.
How the Latter Day Saints We're Saved
from Crlckets by Sea Gulls and
from Grasshoppers by
Enms.

The announcement that legions of
black cric,scts an inch in length havo
invaded the vicinity Of Lost Cabin,
Wyo., and are stripping the country of
vegetation, recalls the experience of
the Mormons in the Salt Lake valley
in the simmer of 1873, says the Du-
huquc Telegraph. In the spring of
that year, the second of the Mormon
advent, much ground was broken. seed
own, and many irrigation bitches
Aug, and there was bright promise OF
3oEndanG crops. Eut iii juno cricket,
~:milfi. TO those now devastating; W.
o!allsS descended in clouds from the
lnountains'and began devouring cvcry-
thing green. The people could do moth,
ing to prevent the destruction, and as
they were more than a Thousand miles
from civilization and without rail-
roads, and the total annihilation of
the crops seemed inevitable, they rap
idly drifted into a condition of gloomy
despair. Starvation stared them in
the face, all were anticipating a most
horr1bfe death, and dependency was
profound and general, when suddenly
and unexpectedly relief came. I'M
mcnse ho"ks of sea gulls sailed through
the mir from Great Salt lake, and,
swooping down upon the crickets, de-
voured them, and thus saved enough
of the crops to tide the Mormons over
to the next season. 1t is q legend of
the Latter Day Saints that sea gulls
were never seen in the valley before,
and they infer from this, and firmly
believe, that the appearance of the
birds just at the time their assistance
was needed to prevent the wholesale
extinction of human life was divine
interposition of Providence in behalf
of the Mormons,
The latter have yet another and
equally as interesting legend. In
1855 such of the crops as were not de-
stroyed by drought were eaten by
grasshoppers. Many domestic animals
died of starvation and food was SO
scarce that dozens of families did not
taste bread for months at time. The
period was one of famine. Opportune-
ly, when it was most imperativcly
needed, species of yam, which served
for potatoes, appeared. 1t never had
been seen before and it never has been
seen since. Like the mama vouch-
safed to the children of Israel in the
desert, it wns found in abundance,
and, being succulent and nutritious, it
maintained life nnd strength till tho
plentiful harvest of the succeeding
year rendered it needless. Then it
vanished. This, Ike the blessed COM
ing Of the sea gulls, is also regarded
by devout Mormons as a special and re-
markable manifestation Of divine IA
vor.
Not one of the yams remains in Salt
Lake. If any arc there the writer was
unable to find them. But sea gulls are
plentiful, They 40 not connne them
selves to the picturesque mountain
islands of the lake or to it's pebbly ard
inviting benchs, bait distribute them
selves all over the wonderfully fertile
valley. They congregate in greatest
number around the plowman. AS he
turns the soil they gather the worm,
and as the worm is a most delcctable
article OF bird food the birds and the
plowman ore inscparable companions.
They perch on his shoulders and head,
plant themselves on his feet, flap their
wings in his face and are on terms of
most intimate familiarity with him.
Yet Is the Mormon farmer never an
noyed. He recalls what the gulls did
for his people in their time of deepest
distress, and gratitude malpcs him
tender. He would not injure the birds
for all the gold and silver imbedded in
the mountains environing Salt Lake
City, nor without protest would he
permit anyone else to hurt them.
THE nagnifying lens is believed to
have been known to the ancicnts, but In
nsotlera.times was brought into use by