Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-14
CATERPILLAR MUSIC.
Wild Hopes Excited by the Reported
Occurrence Near Catskili.

From the Pittsturg Times.
All students of the Bible remember the
siege of Jesicho, how the priests, blowing
upon trumpets of rams horns preceded
by armed men, marched around the walls
of the city, and how, after they had en-
compassed it seven times, Joshua called
upon the people to shout. The subsequent
proceedings are thus related
80 the people shouted when the priests
blew with the trumpets; and it came to
pass, when the people heard the sound
of the trumpet, and the people shouted with
a great shout, that the wall fell down fiat,
so that the people went up into the city,
every man straight before him, and they
took the city"
Joshua did many strange and wonderful
things, including the stopping of the sun
in the Valley of Ascalon, in order that he
might have time to finish battle and
thoroughly defeat the enemy, but there is
none of his exploits that so excites our
wonder his overthrow of the defenses
of Jericho.
There are some who say that this story
is a myth, but there are on the other hand
those who contend that such thing is
possible. 1t is claimed that there are GER
tain vibrations that will disntegrate solid
substances, and that If the right note can
be sounded it will throw down walls or
topple over a great bridge or other struc-
ture. True, it has never been done, but
there have been occurrences which have
indicated it's possibility. Certain hints
which we have concerning the mystery of
sound vibrations give it just an air of
possibility, and lend color to the belief that
Joshua may have possessed the secret. 1t
was upon the theory that he had mastered
the secret that Keely first announced his
discovery of a new and wonderful force,
and his supporters spun out many an elab-
| crate argument from the meager knowledge
| that we have of the laws of vibration,
| tending to show that he was right
This abstruse subject is called to mind
| by discovery that is said to have been
| made near Catskill, N. Y We are told that
| a unsteady inclined owner of an orchard,
| a few days ago, CHANGED to blow vigor-
| ously on some sort of trumpet or horn i'm
| mediately under one of his apple trees that
| was infested with caterpilars, and, to his
| surprise, the destructive worms came tun-
| bling to the ground by hundreds, dead as
| door nails He tried it upon other trees
! with the same result, and in short time
| his whole orchard was clear of the pest.
| This is certainly a. discovery of the high
! est Importance For If blowing horn will
| kill the caterpillar, why4will 1t not be pos
| sible to find the right kind of noise for al
of the farmers other enemies so that al
| will he will be able to slay them as ut
| terly as Joshua did the citizens of Jericho
| If horn will bring down the caterpillar
1T is probable that whole brass band vii
| do the business for all the destructive in
sects in the orchard. There can be littlt
doubt that a selection or two from Wagner
| would slaughter every insect pest in
space of ten acres, ana that an amateur
| practicing on a cornet would do as mucl
execution in the potato patch as a ton O.
paris green, and at one one-hundredth par
of the expense. If there is anything in it
it will certainly open new and profitabl.
field for musicians, since there will be
great demand for killing music. '"Th'
| Caterpillar's Dead March, 1.-The Curculio'
Finish,' and similar pieces would be sur
| to command q tremendous sale,