The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-20
CRICKETs ON THE HEARTH.
Chicago Overrun by nm Army of the
Merry Chirpcrs.
(From the Chicago Chronicle

Merry Chirpers.
From the Chicago Chronicle.)
There should be luck and to spare in
Chicago households for while Inc
house which had net a cricket on the
hearth last week must be minus that i'm
portant part of the eombination-the
hearth-for there were crickets enough to
90 around.
They came to town Sunday night and
they covered everything in sight They
swarmed On the sidewalks and hoped in
millions around the electric lights down
town. Though the freedom Of me city
had not been officially granted them, they
took it without waiting foi the aid OF con-
sent of the common council. Where they
came from nobody knows. thoG1h many
people have had their three guesses- Ger
tain it is they arrived and they held the
fort for day
At the summer gardens they were more
of nuisance than a welcome feature of
midsummer. They cIawled upon the
necks of timid ladies and hoped into the
beer OF their esao-t4-Eh ich may have
helped things aloig lot beer without hops
is somewhat hat They caused at The
edges of the tables and plunged into the
meals Of those who ate under The trees in
the open air. and they kept thousands OF
people shaping and brushing themselves
while the bands played.
Two things combined TO bring about the
invasion, according to the statements OF
people who think they know These Two
factors were the excessive neat of the
three days preceding the plague and the
strong southwest wind. They figure it out
this way: The eggs of the crickets are
deposited in the grass of the prsirics 10 ne
Matched out by the sun. This op grafton
usually consumes some time when t.c sun
is at its normal working capacity and the
year product Of cricllets arrives gradual
iy, few billion at time, perhaps.
But the fierce rays of the sun beating
ooyn on the prairies for several days with
vigor unequaied this summer resulted in
the sudden and simultaneous Matching o. all
the eggs in the country. When the untold
millions OF baby crickets hoped into The
world they found it an exceedingly warm
place, and they discovered also .ka- there
was strong wind blowing from the south
west. AS it is easier for a swarm of
cTiekets to travel with the wind Than
against it. the infant hoppers allowed the
sultry brsezes 10 watt them hitherward
from the prairies. and they came across
the country in a great wave. borne on
ward by the steady breeze until it burst
upon Chicago last Sunday.
The swarm reached only the western
outskirts Of the city early in the day. but
the city TO the lake shore and had filled
up all the intervening territory. so 10 sec
ton Of the city escaped. From Evanston
to South Chicago there were crickets,
crickets everywhere. and although they did
some damage to vegetation IL was not no
ficeabie. OF course. that immense num-
her OF crickets feeding on the foliage and
things must have made some difference,
but they were not so disastrous as q swarm
Of Iraaff ~ al efac hay
On the contrary. they were welcomed,
owing to lie prevalent superstition that q
cricket brings good luck, and many people
in the summer gardens laboriously caught
one or two OF the little black hcppeTs and
carried them home in handkerchiefs 10
place them on the hearth, where they will
be expected to chirp merrily. The crick-
cts will probably find the ashes around the
Chicago hearth pretty dull eating and will
HE them away to the garden, but that
will not shake the faith of the women
who put them under the rusty iron crate.
One of the most remarkable features
about the visitation was the speed with
which the army disappeared. II evidently
swept on across the country, but If the
criekets were wise they lodged the lake
and went around by way of Hammond, lad.
the part of the delegation which was do
ing business up near Evanston viii have
TO travel on up into Wisconsin if it ex-
poets to find forage enough to last over
TO the first frost, as Lake Michigan is
mighty poor picking Tor crickets. WheT-
ever they went they disappeared almost
utterly by Monday night. Careful search
revealed a few. comparatively, in the parks
but the vast horde OF chirpers had passed
along on its travels.
Il is just sucn weather as that OF last
week which brings on the swarms OF To-
Gusts in the southwest, and the farmers
down there are praying for rain. 1t is a
long time now since grasshoppers over
ran Kansas and Nebraska and ate up
everything II sight, but fortnight of this
-the-shade weather has a remarkable
effect in bringing the long-legged fellows
to the surface. and there seems to be some
ground for the apprehension that they may
come this summer However, Chicago is
ooagratulating itself that It escaped win
a swarm OF crickets, for they bring luck
and don't eat much, while the other fell
lows, the crieke:g' big cousins. eat- every
thing in sight and bring hard luck.