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ANDERSON COUNTY, KANSAS THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON COUNTY, KANSAS FROM IT'S FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1876 BY W. A. JOHNSON, CHAIRMAN OF HISTORICAL COMMITTEE PUBLISHED BY KAUFFMAN & ILER, GARNETT PLAINDEALER, 1877 CHAPTER XIX
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 legislation, and vexatious law-suits. The county-suffered severely from its destruction of native cattle. 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 country 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 northward in July they came down in the northeast part of Anderson county, stopped two or three days, 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 vegetables, 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 vestige of vegetation in their course. They deposited their eggs all over the face of the earth. The winter 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 propagate 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 Association, in his report to the State Board of Agriculture, 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 depredations. They are diminishing, and have deposited but few eggs; in some portions of the county, none. In October the State Board of Agriculture addressed a circular letter to the different county societies, asking for a statement of estimated destitution 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 carelessness or want of work." "Corn, and feed of that kind, is high, but hay plenty, and the fall favorable for stock. Our stock of cattle and hogs is light. Some work can be-had, though at not very high prices. We think there will not he much scarcity and probably no suffering this winter for want of provisions." 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 producing 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 vegetables, 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. Each time they appear with greater numbers than on the preceding one. Their first invasions were in small, detached divisions, in different portions of the country; but the latter inroads have covered hundreds of miles in breadth. Should they continue to return, increasing in the same proportion, for a few years, with that of the last twenty years, it will be difficult to subsist them west of the Mississippi river, and they will probably visit the fertile fields of Illinois, Michigan and other States further east. SYNOPSIS OF THE SEASONS. 1854 Beautiful spring and mild summer, but rather
dry; fair crop of corn raised for the amount planted. |
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