Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-09-23
SEA GULUS IN UTAH.

why They Are Loved, and No Law In
Needed to Protect Them.
"Murr than 10 years ago, said
Eldrod Hitchcock of salt Lake City,
"thc legislature of Utah territory
passed law making it an offcnse,
punishable 10y heavy fine, to kill a
sea gun. Whether or not that law
has been rr.onaCtcd by the state leg
islatlTc don't know, hut it makes
no difference whether it has or not,
for there il nothing that flies or
walks or swims that the farmers Of
Utah have moro affection for than
they have for the sen gull
In lN4S, the second year after the
Mormon pioneers had settled out
there, when the crops were young
and green and promising for IN
abundant harvest, which the set
tiers very much needed, suddenly
there came most extraordinary
visitation of CriCkCtS, black, vOra-
Cious and overwhelming. They camo
hopping down from the mountain
sidoS upon the fields in the Salt Lake
and adjacent valleys and covered
the growing grain, leaving barren
ness and dCSOlatiOn in their wake.
The hopes of the pioneers turned to
despair NJ they saw their crops dis
appearing day by day before this
dcvouring plague, and they were loud
in lamcntati0n because they regard
ed 1t as Il curse sent upon them for
some shortening. No human effort
was Capahl" of successfully combat
ing the hOrdrS of sable insects as
they advanced over the land, and
the hCartSick farmer could do moth
ing but stand idly by, n despairing
witnsS to the destruction of his sea
sons labor.
But another extraordinary man
Hesitation WAS in store for the Utah
pioneers. One day the sky suddenly
became dark with endless tlocks of
birds that came from the direction
OF the coast. They dropped down in |
thousands upon the cricket scourged |
they We're Gulls of the kind that ut |
intervals were wont to visit Salt |
Lake i'll small and scattering groups |
The gUllS at once set to work mt de |
VOurinG til" CyiCkcts. From morning |
until might thUy gorged themselves |
mccasina, with the ravaging pests
Day after day this singular pursuit
ana destruction of the invading in
sects continued until tho plague had
disappeared before it, and the gulls
rose and winged their way west
ward toward the Pacific Then there
were days of thanksgiving and
praise, for tn" crops wcro saved and
ruin was waldvd from young Utah.
1t was soor after this that the legis-
latllro passed the law protecting sea
gulls rs some little recognition of |
their service daring that memorable |
visitation of CrICkctS, which was the !
first and last of the kind in the his !
tory of that region.
EVERY season since then gulls in
moro than usual numbers visit the
farming districts about Salt Lake,
but never III amy force approaching
that great raid of rescue in lS4S.
Some seasons Thousands of them
may hU seen in Ihr fields. They fol
low the plOwman along the furrow
familiarly and tCallcssly. Wherever
there is Il newly plowcd field there
the gulls may lH seen dcvouring the
gruhs of harmful insects the turned
up furroW exposes 10 sight. The
birds seem L. know that the farmer
IL their friend, for they hover about
and around him, and even permit
themselves to l." captured without
much protest. They never eat grain
or any fNm crop, but dcvour by
millions the worms and insects that
are injurious 20 the huSbandman
So there i no Ncrd of the law max
ing it an GuvN>r Ia kill one of these
birds. The i1r."ur would almost as
soon think Of killing his brother"
New York sun.