Evening star., 1938-02-12

There were white men in the Middle
West Ave centuries before Columbus, 1t
is maintained by DR.. Alexander B.
Fraser, associate professor Of archaeology
at the University Of Virginia.
Recently uncovered evidence in Min
nesota and Alberta. he insists, leave
little question but that wanderers from
the Viking colony in Greenland entered
North America by way Of Hudson Bay
and the rivers leading southwark and
penetrated at least as far as Lake
Superior.
In the tenth century the Greenland
colony was fourishing and in commune
cation with Europe. Established by a
sea afaring people, it would be hardly
likely that this colony should have re-
mained contentedly in land which was
hardly favorable to human habitation
in spite of much better climate than
at present. 1t is known, in fact, that
long voyages were made which resulted
in the discovery and at least temporary
colonization of MARYLAND" and Win
land The natural assumption has been
that these voyages were southwark along
the Atlantic Coast, perhaps even as far
as Virginia.
From time to time supposed evidence
Of these voyages has been found, in
cluding one allegedly Runic tablet near
Great Falls. None Of these finds, how
ever. has stood the test OF scholarship
Prof. Fraser, in trying to reconstruct the
Morse voyages. rejects them all and finds
no evidence that the explorers ever came
south of Newfoundland in this direction.
But, he maintains, the Hudson Bay
route is different. It afforded natural
passage into the interior. He accepts as
entirely authentic. however, finds near
Lake Superior. One Is at Kensington,
Mimi. about ITS miles southwest Of
Duluth, and consists Of well-preserved
Runic inscription. This stone Is dated
1862 and records the tragic fate of q
section of Morse party at the hands Of
the Indians Viking knives and hatchets
also have come to light in this neighbor-
hood DR.. Fraser claims.
He regards as of the greatest impor-
tance of all the discovery, less than two
years ago, of Vikings grave north Of
Lake Superior" The finds included 4
shield ak and sword Of eleventh CEN
tury type which are now in the Royal
Ontario Museum at Toronto.
X
This is likely to be another "year Of
the locusts.' Very large grasshopper
outbreaks are probable in II States, ac-
cording to surveys just announced by the
Department of Agriculture's Bureau Of
Entomology. They will exceed the out
breaks Of 1897 in Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Montana, Oregon, Missouri, Iowa. Me-
braska. Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Ari-
zona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Last year these insects caused loss
estimated at $e6,000,000. The cool. rainy
spring of 1897 was quite unfavorable to
them, Matching was delayed two or three
weeks and vegetation got a sufficient
start so that it could Withstand q con-
siderable infestation. Nevertheless, when
the warm dry weather of midsummer
and early fall came the hordes fell upon
crops with great destruction. In some
areas they removed most Of the vege-
tation in the grain fields.
An unusual development last fall was
THE appearance OF an extra generation
Of grasshoppers which ruined consider.
able grain in several States and added
greatly to the number o6eeggs now pass.
Ing the winter In the soil.