Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-08
CROP OF ARMY WORMS
ADVANCE ON CAPITAL
Reported to Be Modified Near
Rockville for Fresh Attack
on Washington.

Let those who will delude themselves
with the fond fancy that wars horrors
cannot reach the peaceful shores of
the placid Potomac. Let them read the
bulletins from the CORY battlefields of
the old world and shrug their shoulders
In SNUG assurance that such things can
not touch them. let us stand aloof from
the quarrel of kaiser, czar, king, emperor
ct al, holding that our splendid isolation
spells everlasting peace in the land
where the eagle screams and the sound
of the auto horn is heard in the land
But let lis have one or more cares, as
has been remarked by several thousand
vaudeville comedians since a newspaper
humorist invented the phrase.
AS yesterdays sun began to climb
through the morning mists and labor
upward through the neither darkness
strange sounds were heard along the
Rockville road. Calls as to battle re-
sounded down the boulcvard-war was
in the air!
The army worms are mobilzing today.
1t will not do for the Department of
Agriculture to call this rumor a nature
fake. Rather it is a mature fact
ne bureau VI eIiIoiiioloSy Inlay ucSldi {
with tears in it's eyes that army worms
are strictly passe, as those French bel
ligerents might say; they may aver that
army worms have all passed away to
that bourne from which no army worm
returneth; they may all declare that
army worms in this vicinity have sue
cumbed to arsenate of lead quicker than
man doeth to restaurant grub; the
bureau on bugs may assert all these
things. nevertheless the truth is
Marching on Washington.
Army worms are mobolizing again.
They are gathering out on the Rockville
road. presumably for an invasion Of the
city. commuter spy from Bethesda
saw them marching in close formation
early this morning. and just managed
to escape with his life from the oncom-
ing hordes.
The worms since their depredations of
last month have adopted new tactics, &C
cording to the reports Of the spy. Seeing
them coming down the road. he crept into
the bushes to observe their movements
Soon they came on-great bodies of in
fantry marching in single file. Like so
many great. long worms the separate
masses of leucania punctata rolled down
the Rockville road on their way to Wash
ington. raising great clouds of dust as
they came.
AS the marching troops Of worms came
by the bushes in which the spy was hid
that bold individual, extracting his six
feet of manhood from the leaves. like a
true soldier made a single-handed sortie
on the advancing hordes.
He executed turning movement on the
worms and kicked his way through their
center, thus separating some of the IN
fantry from their fellows. Bringing up
his left flank rapidly. the spy cut off and
surrounded quantity of the army and
began to look at them critically.
Reinforced Army.
infantry was right. Every blessed
one of those cute little worms was a baby
army worm. The old guard having fallen
on the fields of battle waged several
months ago. the younger generation has
taken up the work it's elders couldn't eat.
Thousands strong they are coming down
the Rockville road today headed straight
for Washington. according to the most
reliable information obtainable.
Each one of the infantry is said to
he about three-eighthS of an inch in
length and to wear white helmet. The
worms march in angleworm formation.
so that at a little distance they give the
appearance of one single elongated snake
about the size Of lead pencil.
vt their present rate OF travel. il is
stated they probably will not reach this
city before several days. SO Inhabitants
need have no fear for a while.