The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-09

liz YEAR LOCUSTS Due
DR.. J. B. nOrner Tells About Them,
Having Studied Them for Years.
Will Appear This Year.
Editor Reporter:
Many times in the years gone by
l have read statements in the papers
to the effect that scientists say that
this or that year would be seventeen
year locust year. Within a year
have seen an article in the Louis
Vile Courier-Journal, also one in the
New York World, each by some al
legged naturalist or scientist, stating
the year the "cicada septcmdecem, -
as one Of the writer's gives the Latin
name for the seventeen year locusts,
would appear Neither was correct,
nor have l ever seen the correct
year given until recently. Prof.
Webster, Of Ames, states it as given
in the Reporter of a recent issue.
All tie time l have known when
they would appear and have many
times been on the point of writing
an article on what l know about the
seventeen year locusts for the in
formation of scientists ald others
interested.
If l do not write now the lOcusts
will soon be here to speak for them
selves, for this is the year they come,
A. D. 1912. 1t will be in June, how
ever, instead of May, as Prof. Web
ster states. 1t may be that the
seventeen year period falls on differ
ent years in different sections of the
country. l speak for southern Iowa
and northern Missouri, as that is
the part of the country in which my
observations have been made.
| How do / know this is the year?
Like Patrick Henry, l know of no
way of judging the future but by the
past. My first observation of the
locusts was in 1861. At that time
was boy living in Appanoose coun-
ty, Iowa. One evening after a show
er l went to drive home the COWS.
! While looking for wild strawberries
l noticed ground oak bush, on
which there were lot of big white
bugs, IS I thought them, much re-
sembling a young bumblc bee that
has not yet learned to fly. These
j were crawling over the bush. They
had wings but could not yet fly. They
were whitish in color and soft and
tender looking. They were larger
than a young humble bee. / no.
ticed them on other bushes that
! inn
heard of seventeen yer locusts. but
, or perhaps less, the woods we're ling
ing with thcir strident songs. The
reason ] fix their time of appearing
es in June is because at the time
saw those first ones that had evis
IDENTIFY just come out of the ground
during or after the shower, ! was
+, looking for wild strawberries and
they do not r:pen in this climate till
about the middle Of June. Il taink,
I saw come of the very first locusts
that came out OF the ground that
year. l wish / knew the exact date
but do not. l remember that When
the locusts were fully abroad in the
land everybody was talking about
; them and the older people said they
were the seventeen year locusts. l
supposed that was Just en- old folks
saying and for seventeen years so
regarded it, but not so.
The year 1851 was an ominous
year. There was much talk of war
before the locusts appeared. When
they appeared many people said it
was sure sign of war. Some said
they were the descendants of the
! locusts sent as one Of the plaques of
Egypt, because Pharaoh would not
let the Israelites 60. They said the
veins in their wings formed plain
letter P for Pharaoh. 1t did not re-
quire much effort of the imagination
to see the letter P, for l have ex-
amined many a one. Other locusts
had the letter w on their wings,
which was for war. To make their
presence more pretentious in that
year their peculiar sounds were also
said to foretell war. Their song or
mate call had two syllables, so that
with little suggestion to start with,
one could hear them say Pha-ro in
long drawn plaintive tones as plain
at least as one ever heard a katydid
say katydid: Others with a coarser
sound seemed to say War-o, equally
plain. A little before this Lincoln
had called for the first seventy-fve
thousand volunteers, but the first
battle of Bull Run had not yet been
fought. Some Of the people talked
,, about the war being being a break
fast spell; others regarded it more
seriously. Each side belittled the
fighting qualities of the other. l
have read that. the locusts were sing
ing in the woods during the battle
of Bull Run. In a few weeks the
locusts were gone but the war lasted
four years.
The years 60 swiftly by. In 1873
l was practicing medicine in Davis
City, having forgotten all about the
old saying in reference to the ap-
pearance of the locusts, when 10,
they appeared on the scene and soon
the woods were resonant with their
strident songs. remembered then.
what had heard older people say
about them when l was a boy. l
added II to 1861 and the result was