USA > Kansas > Anderson County > The history of Anderson County, Kansas, from its first settlement to the Fourth of July, 1876. > Part 11
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A. L. Osborn opened a blacksmith shop in 1863.
The Eagle mill was built by C. E. Wolfley and W. S. Vreeland in 1867, on Sixth avenue. It was a saw and flouring mill combined, and one of the best mills in Southern Kansas. It is now owned and operated by J. M. Stevenson & Co.
M. B. Taylor built a two-story frame building on the northwest corner of Fourth avenue and Oak street in 1867, and opened a drug store therein,
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known as the "City Drug Store." The postoffice was kept in this building for several years.
Isco Sutton opened a dry goods and grocery store on the southeast corner of Fifth avenue and Main street in 1867.
The county built a two-story stone and brick building for a court house on Oak street in 1868, where the county offices and records have been kept ever since the spring of 1869.
E. I. Meeker opened a grocery store on Fifth avenue in 1868 ; and afterwards removed his store to Oak street, and entered into partnership with M. L. White, and added dry goods to their stock. .
L. Kolb built a one-story stone house on the north- west corner of Sixth avenue and Main street in 1868, and opened a saloon therein. The house is now occupied for the same purpose by Jacob Askins.
G. W. Osborn built a livery stable on Fifth av- enue in 1868, which is now operated by J. J. War- dell.
The Galveston House, on Seventh avenue, a two- story frame, was built by Riley Spriggs in 1868, and was destroyed by fire in 1871.
John Ricketts opened the first lumber yard in the town in 1868.
William Groll opened a grocery store on Fifth avenue, on the south side of the public square, in 1868, and still continues the business, having added dry goods to his stock.
Bruns & Fabricius built a one-story brick house
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for a furniture store and factory in 1868, and opened a store in it the same fall.
H. C. Moler built a one-story brick house on Fifth avenue in 1868, and opened a grocery store therein.
Mrs. S. J. Hamilton built a two-story stone house on Fifth avenue, on the south side of the public square, in 1869, and Mrs. S. J. Ross opened a gro- cery store in it the same year.
J. W. Rice built a two-story brick house on Fourth avenue, west of the city drug store, in 1869. and the postoffice was kept in this building for four or five years.
W. Huff built a two-story frame house on Fourth avenue, north of the public square, in 1869, and opened a jewelry store in it the same year.
W. H. Carson opened a dry goods store on the southwest corner of Fourth avenue and Oak street, in the Alvey building, in 1869, and afterwards formed a copartnership with Elias Norris.
The Barber block, a two-story brick, on Fifth avenue, south of the public square, was built in 1869 by F. G. and A. G. Barber. The Barber brothers opened a large dry goods store in the block the same year. In August, 1872, A. G. Barber withdrew, and F. G. Barber has carried on the business suc- cessfully ever since, in the same place.
A. F. Royer & Co. opened a hardware store on Fifth avenue in 1869, and afterward sold to Elmer
HISTORY OF
Golden and P. G. Noel, and they sold to Chas. W. De Wolf, who still continues the business.
Knouff, Wittich & Crouse opened a grocery store on Fifth avenue and Main street, in the year 1869, and dealt in grain. This was the first grain store in the town. Knouff afterwards withdrew from the firm, and the business has since that time been carried on in the name of Wittich & Crouse. They added dry goods to their stock on the withdrawal of . Knouff.
William Hamilton opened a boot and shoe store on Fifth avenue in 1869, and continued in that line of business until his death in December, 1875, and the business has been continued since his death by his widow, Mrs. S. J. Hamilton.
Mrs. A. Laferty opened a millinery store on Fifth avenue, south of the public square, in 1869.
Brunswick Hall, on Fifth avenue, a two-story frame building, was built by John D. Gill in 1869, where he opened a saloon in 1870.
J. P. Crane started a lumber yard on the north- west corner of Seventh avenue and Oak street in November, 1869.
A. S. Meriam & Co. opened a lumber yard on Oak street in 1869.
Edwards & Son opened a lumber yard on Main street in 1870.
P. G. Noel opened a dry goods store on Oak street in 1869, and sold to Edgar Barnes.
Elmer Golden opened a hardware store on Oak
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street in 1869, and afterward formed a partnership with P. G. Noel in the store room now occupied by C. W. De Wolf.
The St. James Hotel, a three-story frame build- ing on Oak street, was built by G. A. Smith and L. H. Gordon in 1870, and opened in the same year. and is still occupied as such by the same parties.
A two-story brick and stone block was built on Oak street, extending from the southwest corner of Fifth avenue to the St. James Hotel, in 1870, by John R. Foster & Co., E. I. Meeker, D. A. Perrin and Stouch & Vreeland. This block contains five business rooms below, and four halls above. The Stouch & Vreeland hall is the largest and finest in the city.
John R. Foster & Co. started a bank on Fifth avenue, south of the public square, in April, 1870. In 1872 "The Anderson County Savings Bank" was organized, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. The first board of directors of the bank were W. H. Conover, E. I. Meeker, Thomas W. Foster, William Spriggs, Isaac Knouff, John R. Foster, A. Bergen, J. P. Crane and W. F. Smith. W. H. Conover was elected president, and John R. Foster, cashier.
Joseph Coe and R. C. Marsh opened a grocery store on Fifth avenue in 1870.
A. Kunkler opened a hardware store on Fifth avenue, south of the public square, May 10, 1871, and remains in that business at the same place.
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1 .. Kolb built a stone building, two-stories high, on Fifth avenue, south of the public square, in 1872, and opened a saloon therein.
" The Citizens Bank of Garnett" was incorpora- ted on the 3d day of August, 1872, with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. A. G. Barber, J. T. Lanter, Milton Mills, A. Simons, W. H. Lott, J. Q. Hutchinson and Joseph Slutz composed the first board of directors. John T. Lanter was elected president, and A. G. Barber, cashier. The bank is situated on the northwest corner of Fifth avenue and Oak street.
O. E. Skinner opened a drug store on Fifth avenue in 1872, and sold it to W. R. Judson, jr., the same year, who continued in the business until 1876, when he sold it to Dr. G. J. Rogers and Jonathan White.
The Novelty mill was built by W. S. Vreeland in 1873. It was a first-class mill. In 1875 Vreeland sold the mill to D. W. Houston, who removed it to Leavenworth.
J. A. Gailey built a two-story stone house on Fourth avenue in 1870, and opened a drug store in it in 1872.
George Patton and O. W. Wyatt opened a gro- cery store on Oak street on the 15th of February, 1873.
J. H. Stewart opened a grocery store on Oak street in 1874, and continued there until 1876; then
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removed to the south side of the public square, where he continues his business.
The Garnett cheese factory was put in operation by M. M. Minkler and J. C. Wooster in IS74.
The above are some of the business men of Gar- nett : but various other business men and houses in the town, for want of space and time, are omitted.
The following are the attorneys that have had offices in the town : Sam'l Anderson, D. W. Hous- ton, W. A. Johnson, J. B. Stitt, Wm. Spriggs, J. G. Lindsay, B. D. Benedict, S. J. Crawford, A. W. Hazelrigg, Thornton A. Shinn, B. F. Ridgeway, A. Simons, M. A. Page. James F. Walker, J. J. Hoff- man, W. L. Pierce, H. W. Masters, - Ellsworth, L. K. Kirk, R. E. Heller, A. Bergen, B. S. Wil- kins, H. L. Poplin and Milton Mills.
Physicians : Thomas Lindsay, G. W. Cooper, Preston Bowen, J. Fitzgerald, John Buterbaugh, W. A. Walker, J. H. Whitford, O. E. French, J. W. Mackey, N. C. McMorris, G. J. Rogers, W. S. Lindsay, H. G. Wilcox.
Successive city officers : On the 7th day of Oc- tober, 1861, G. W. Iler, Thos. Lindsay, B. F. Ridgeway, G. A. Cook and William McLaughlin were appointed trustees, and they elected G. W. Iler, chairman, and G. W. Arrell, clerk. February 4, 1862, G. W. Arrell was appointed to fill the va- cancy caused by the absence of G. A. Cook from the city. October 23, IS63, C. Hidden, G. A. Cook and M. Puett were elected to fill vacancies
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occasioned by the enlistment of Thomas Lindsay and William McLaughlin in the army, and the re- moval of B. F. Ridgeway from the city.
April 6, 1863, at the regular election for trustees, G. W. Iler, G.W. Arrell. J. Graham, A. L. Osborn and C. Hidden were elected.
April 3, 1865, at the annual election of city offi- cers, D. W. Houston, J. F. Walker, H. Cavender, H. Capper and J. T. Lanter were elected trustees.
April, 1866, D. W. Houston, J. T. Lanter, T. G. Headley, H. Cavender and G. W. Iler were elected trustees.
April 1, 1867, D. W. Houston, T. G. Headley, G. W. Iler, M. A. Page and J. T. Lanter were elec- ted trustees.
.April 6, 1868, as trustees, G. W. Iler, J. T. Lan- ter, G. M. Everline, W. S. Vreeland and J. G. Lindsay were elected.
In 1869 the Legislature passed an act for the in- corporation of cities of the third class, which provided that all towns in the State of Kansas could become incorporated as cities of the third class, provided a majority of the legal voters of the town voted to accept the provisions of the law. On the 26th of February, 1870, at a special election for the purpose of changing the municipal government to that of a city of the third class, there were SI votes in favor of the proposition and one vote against it.
April 4, 1870, at the annual election for city offi- cers, L. K. Kirk was elected mayor ; Joseph Coe,
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E. S. Hunt, John Cox, C. T. Chapin and C. P. Al- vey, councilmen. J. Q. Hutchinson was chosen clerk, and resigned, and F. G. Barber was selected for the remainder of the term.
April 3, 1871, John R. Foster was elected mayor ; A. F. Royer, A. Simons, J. S. Wilson, J. E. Tay- lor and F. G. Bruns, councilmen ; and John R. Whitney was chosen clerk.
April 1, 1872, J. P. Crane was elected mayor ; A. F. Royer, Otto Fabricius, Solomon Kauffman, John Ricketts and J. C. W. Pearce, councilmen ; J. J. Hoffman, police judge. S. N. Williams was chosen clerk.
April 7, 1873, J. P. Crane was re-elected mayor ; John Ricketts, M. A. Crouse, Wm. Baillie, R. C. Marsh and J. Lamson, councilmen ; B. S. Wilkins, police judge. G. M. Everline was chosen clerk.
April 6, 1874, John T. Lanter was elected mayor ; Wesley Huff, Samuel Crum, James Watson, Solo- mon Kauffman and A. B. White, councilmen ; and M. A. Page, police judge. Thomas Bowles was se- lected clerk.
April 1, 1875, E. I. Meeker was elected mayor ; W. S. Vreeland, J. M. Stevenson, J. P. Crane, L. H. Gordon and W. H. Lott, councilmen ; J. M. Craig, police judge. J. Q. Whitford was chosen clerk. a
April 3, 1876, L. H. Gordon was elected mayor ; W. H. Lott, J. M. Stevenson, W. S. Vreeland, O. W. Wyatt and F. G. Bruns, councilmen ; George
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L. Will, police judge. J. Q. Whitford was chosen clerk.
Successive postmasters : 1858, Thomas Lindsay : 1860, C. P. Alvey ; 1866, Isco Sutton ; 1867, M. B. Taylor ; 1869, J. W. Rice.
CHAPTER XVIII.
" The Garnett Plaindealer," the First Paper in the County-"Garnett Courant," Established in 1868-"Garnett fournal," Established in 1873- Organization of Anderson County Fair Associa- tion-Organization of the Paola & Fall River Railway y Company-Charitable Socictics-Post- offices and Postmasters.
THE "Garnett Plaindealer" was established by I. E. Olney in January, 1865. It was a seven- column weekly paper, and the first newspaper pub- lished in the county. It was edited and published by Mr. Olney until his death, in the fall of 1866, after which it was conducted by Mrs. Olney, and edited at short intervals by William Duncan, Geo.
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W. Cooper and Adrian Reynolds, until the spring of 1870. when it was purchased by L. J. Perry, who sold the old press and material, and put in a new Washington hand press and a Liberty job press, with new type, etc. Mr. Perry subsequently sold out to John S. Wilson: who published it for about two years, and sold it to W. R. Spooner, who added new material, enlarged the paper to eight columns, and conducted it in an able manner until the latter part of September, 1874, when he sold to Kauffman & Iler, who have since owned the paper. S. H. Dodge has edited it since that time. The " Plain- dealer," since 1869, has been Republican in politics, and has continually labored for the improvement of the county and to promote the best interests of its citizens.
The "Garnett Courant" was established by W. H. Johnson in 1868. It was a seven-column weekly paper, and was published only a short time, when. its proprietor removed to Council Grove, in Morris county, Kansas.
"The Garnett Journal" was established in Janu- ary, 1873, by G. W. Cooper. It is a weekly, seven-column paper, an advocate of no political principles.
The Anderson County Fair Association was or- ganized on the 15th day of November, 1873, as a joint stock company, with a capital stock of five thousand dollars. The following are the names of the charter members : Thomas Gowdy, J. E.
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White, John Moler, W. W. Kirkpatrick, J. S. Kirk- patrick and H. C. Reppert. The following named gentlemen constituted the first board of directors : J. Q. Bowdell, J. M. Jones, John Moler, G. W. Flint, R. T. Stokes, J. E. White, A. E. Rogers, C. S. Elder, R. H. Cunningham, W. A. Johnson, D. D. Judy, J. S. Kirkpatrick and M. E. Osborn. The association purchased forty acres of land one mile southwest of Garnett, and have commenced improving the grounds and erecting permanent buildings for the exhibition of all kinds of products, stock, &c. The association has held two fairs on the new fair grounds. The present officers of the association are J. E. White, president ; W. W. Kirk- patrick, secretary; John R. Foster, treasurer ; Thomas Gowdy, A. T. Cook, Edward Rayn, W. H. Conover, A. C. Messenger, Robert Mundell, G. W. Iler and I. P. Sutton, directors.
The first fair held in the county was in 1863.
On the 15th day of March, 1870, a meeting was held in Garnett, at which the Paola & Fall River railway company was organized, with the following gentlemen as directors : Wm. Crowell, H. S. Camp- bell, H. H. Williams and S. R. Smith, of Miami county ; James Hanway, of Franklin county ; W. H. McClure, William Spriggs, G. W. Iler, E. S. Nic- colls and E. S. Hunt, of Anderson county ; and N. S. Goss, of Woodson county. A certificate of in- corporation was prepared and filed with the Secre- tary of State, incorporating the company.
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This charter was signed by H. H. Williams, S. R. Smith. William Spriggs, E. S. Niccolls and G. W. Iler.
The board of directors, on the 21st of March. 1870, qualified, and organized by electing William Spriggs, president : H. H. Williams, vice president : E. S. Niccolls, secretary, and G. W. Iler, treasurer.
The directors opened a book immediately for the subscription of stock, and soon procured the necessary amount of stock to be subscribed to pro- ceed with the business of the corporation.
On the 14th day of September, 1871, a proposi- tion was submitted to the voters of Anderson county. to aid in the construction of the road by issuing one hundred and sixty thousand dollars of county bonds. Six hundred and fifty-five votes were cast in favor of, and two hundred and eighty-three against, the proposition. The city of Garnett also voted fifteen thousand dollars of the bonds of the city to aid in construction of the road. Osawatomie township, in Miami county, voted twenty thousand dollars bonds, and Pottowatomie township. Franklin county, voted twenty thousand dollars to the enterprise. The company had the line of road surveyed and located from Paola to Garnett in the fall of 1870.
On the 25th day of August, 1873, the executive committee of the company met at Garnett and en- tered into a contract with M. S. Hall, an old rail- road contractor, to complete the road along its entire line. Hall commenced the grading and
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masonry work at Paola in the latter part of 1873, and had the principal part of the grading and ma- sonry work done to Garnett by the first of Decem- ber of that year ; but failing to raise the necessary money to pay his hands, he had to suspend opera- tions, after creating a debt of about fifty thousand dollars.
The company then sought other contractors, and in March, 1874, entered into a contract with C. H. Dillingham & Co., of N. Y., to complete the road. Dillingham & Co. put men on the work of construc- tion, but about the first of June of that year failed financially, and suspended work.
In October, 1874, the company contracted with Cutler & Davis to complete the grading and masonry from Garnett to Le Roy, which they completed on the 18th day of December, following, which finished the grading and masonry on the line from Paola to Le Roy, a distance of sixty miles.
The road still remains in this unfinished condition.
The company has labored earnestly for the com- pletion of the road, but the panic in money matters in 1873, and the active opposition of some leading men along the line, who are believed to be in the interest of other and rival roads and towns, have prevented its success.
SECRET ORDERS.
Delphian Lodge, No. 44, A. F. & A. M., of Gar- nett, was instituted in 1864, under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of the State of Kansas, to
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ANDERSON COUNTY.
W. C. McDow, J. T. Lanter, C. T. Chapin, M. A. Page, J. W. Stewart, I. E. Halloway, E. W. Robert- son and Benjamin Lawellin. The first officers of the lodge were: W. C. McDow, W. M .; M. A. Page, S. W .; E. W. Robertson, J. W.
Zion Chapter, R. A. M., No. 24, was chartered in 1872, with the following members : W. H. Makeaney, J. T. Lanter, B. Pritchard, W. A. Gil- ham, J. T. B. Routh, E. L. Hawk, E. S. Niccolls, J. Falls, E. S. Doll. Officers : W. H. Makeaney, H. P. ; J. T. Lanter, K. ; B. Pritchard, S.
Faith Chapter, No. 55, Eastern Star, was institu- ted May 25, 1876, with forty-three members. Offi- cers : Mrs. Ally Osborn, W. M. ; Benjamin Pritch- ard, W. P .; Mrs. Della Hubbard, Associate M. : E. S. Hunt, treasurer ; G. A. Cook, secretary.
Garnett Lodge, No. 16, I. O. O. F., was instituted December 27, 1865, with the following charter mem- bers : I. E. Olney, D. D. Judy, J. W. Stewart, A. M. Mullin, P. T. Mathews and G. W. Iler. First officers : I. E. Olney, N. G .; C. P. Alvey, V. G. ; G. W. Arrell, secretary ; G. W. Cooper, treasurer.
Wildey Encampment, No. II, was organized in 1869, with a membership of 19, with the following officers : J. L. Kercheval, C. P .; G. W. Iler, H. P. ; M. B. Taylor, S. W .; Jacob Schull, J. W .; E. S. Niccolls, Scribe ; F. G. Bruns, treasurer.
Rebekah Degree Lodge, No. II, was instituted July 11, 1874, with sixteen charter members. 'Offi- cers : M. A. Page, N. G. ; Mrs. M. J. Kauffman, 25
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V. G .; C. E. Dewey, secretary ; Mrs. E. G. Mc- Donald, treasurer.
POSTOFFICES AND POSTMASTERS.
Greeley, D. W. Smith ; Garnett, J. W. Rice ; Central City, J. M. Aldridge ; Ozark, Mrs. J. Hall ; Mineral Point, T. L. Harford ; Emerald, Terrance McGrath ; Rich, B. F. Reiber ; Colony, J. M. Ford ; Welda, J. M. Kauble ; Sugar Valley, J. T. Weeden ; Cherry Mound, J. M. Hill; Elizabethtown, J. B. Rhodes.
CHAPTER XIX.
Spanish Fever Among the Cattle-Locusts, or Grasshoppers-Synopsis of the Seasons.
DURING the early settlement of the county, Texas cattle were driven annually through the country ; and, after they had passed, a terrible disease would break out among the native cattle, in most cases proving fatal. It was called Spanish fever. Its cause was made a matter of investigation by cattle raisers and scientific men, but no satisfactory conclusion was attained. The disease was the cause of much
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legislation, and vexatious law-suits. The county suffered severely from its destruction of native cat- tle. Committees were organized by the people to prevent Texas cattle from being driven through the county, but often the cattle would be driven through before the committees would have knowledge of their being in the neighborhood.
The disease made its first appearance in the county in 1857, and continued annually until 1861, when Texas cattle were not driven through the coun- try, because of the war, until 1866, when they were again driven through and the disease as before appeared. Since the building of railroads, and cattle are shipped over them, but little trouble has resulted to the native cattle by the disease.
The locusts, commonly called grasshoppers, have for some years past, in the frontier States, been, in localities, very destructive to crops and vegetation. Having visited Kansas several times, it is just that some account of their visitations be given, in brief, in this volume.
The first account we have of their appearance in Kansas, is from Father John Shoemaker, of Osage Mission. He says : "They came down in August, 1854, like a fall of snow." They deposited their eggs in the earth, which hatched out in the spring of 1855, destroyed all the crops and grass in the vicinity of Osage Mission, and in their flight north- ward in July they came down in the northeast part of Anderson county, stopped two or three days,
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destroyed all the young crops in that vicinity, and again took their flight. Their next appearance was in September, 1860. The " Conservative" of May 21, 1861, says :
" Judge Lambdin, who is just from Butler county, states that the reports of damage done by grasshoppers are not exaggerated. The insects have traveled a belt of country about six miles wide, devouring every green thing ; young fields of wheat have been completely destroyed by their ravages-not one blade remaining. Early corn and vege- tables, and the foliage of trees, have suffered with equal severity. The evil seems to be on the increase, with no means of prevention."
They departed for the northwest about the middle of June.
Again they came in September, 1866, reaching the northwestern part of the State about the first of the month. The "Wyandotte Gazette" of the 5th of that month says :
"Between Topeka and Wamego they fill the air like snow-flakes in a winter storm."
They reached Anderson county on the 10th day of September, in vast swarms, destroying every ves- tige of vegetation in their course. They deposited their eggs all over the face of the earth. The win- ter following was wet and cold, with frequent thaws, which damaged their eggs so that but comparatively few hatched out in the following spring. They did but little damage in the spring of 1867. They took their flight to the northwest about the middle of June, to visit the place of their ancestors, to propa-
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gate their species and increase their numbers for a future invasion.
In 1874 they made their appearance in this county on the 22d day of August, in numbers innumerable. They came from the northwest, at first like flakes of snow in the winter time, and then in clouds. destroying all vegetation, remaining and depositing their eggs in vast numbers. By reason of the dry summer season, much of the crops matured early. The secretary of the Anderson County Fair Asso- ciation, in his report to the State Board of Agricul- ture, says :
" More than half the corn had been cut and saved, but the balance standing has been materially injured. The fruit is reported as being entirely safe from their depre- dations. They are diminishing, and have deposited but few eggs ; in some portions of the county, none."
In October the State Board of Agriculture ad- dressed a circular letter to the different county societies, asking for a statement of estimated desti- tution of the counties in consequence of the ravages of grasshoppers. The secretary of the Anderson County Fair Association, in answer to the question whether there would be a surplus of breadstuff and meat, says :
"We think there is enough provision for the people of the county. No person need suffer except through care- lessness or want of work."
Under the head of remarks, he adds :
"Corn, and feed of that kind, is high, but hay plenty. and the fall favorable for stock. Our stock of cattle and
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hogs is light. Some work can be had, though at not very high prices. We think there will not be much scarcity. and probably no suffering this winter for want of provis- ions."
The winter was dry and remarkably favorable to the preservation of the eggs of the grasshoppers. They commenced hatching about the first of April, in vast numbers, along the timber and low lands, emerging in such numbers as to devour every green thing in about two-thirds of the county. In some places they drifted up two or three inches deep, and remained for weeks, in many places pro- ducing a sickening odor, and the people in many places, because of them, had to keep the doors of the houses closed all the time. The tame grasses, as well as the wheat, corn, oats and garden vege- tables, were destroyed by them, and fruit trees were in many cases badly damaged. They commenced their departure' on the 10th day of June, and by the 16th of the month had principally disappeared to the northwest, to again visit the land of their fathers to recruit a large army.
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