Saturday, December 29, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, October 21, 1847
A correspondent of the Chicago Journal is denouncing the armies of grasshoppers that are so abundant on the prairies this season. They differ from European, being horse-headed, and winged like the African locust, and are the worst kind of those plagues. They are said to have increased very much within the last three years, and threaten to become a very serious evil.
The ravages of these insects are somewhat mitigated by the havoc made among them by the prairie fowls, which eat them greedily, and thus destroy enormous numbers during the season, and prevent their increase to a proportionate extent. It is recommended in reference to the usefulness of those birds in this particular, that the killing of them should be prohibited by law until the harvest is ended-say between February and September.
The grasshoppers have in time past caused the great calamities of famine and pestilence in the world. In July, 591 and 1543, they ravaged Europe in military order; 800,000 men perished by famine and pestilence. They wasted France A. D. 874 and 1842, when their leaders constantly flew a day before the host and marked the place to be devoured. These first appeared without wings, then with two wings and lastly with four. They were blown into the English channel, and were thrown on the beach in such numbers that the stench caused a pestilence.
The immense extent of our soil, its great productiveness and diversity of crops, would seem to forbid the possibility of a general famine ever happening in this favored land. But if such should ever be the case, it would most probably be brought about by the agency of these terrible scourges.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, December 2, 1847
Mr. Giberson, on Monday last, while hunting in the Sangamo Bottom, killed a deer that weighted 215 pounds. It is the largest one that we have ever seen, and if any larger are raised in other counties, we should like to know it.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, July 31, 1845
The Ladies National Magazine, edited by Mrs. Ann S. Stephens, contains, in the July number, a thrilling picture of a family-a mother and her children-being chased by wolves. The story told is as follows:
A few years ago, toward the close of a winter’s day, a mother and her children were traveling in Canada behind a one-horse sledge. Suddenly, from the forest, by which they were passing, issued a gang of wolves. It was a terrible moment when the mother first beheld these ravenous animals in full pursuit behind her, but she knew the only hope was in the superior swiftness of her horse, and so she retained sufficient presence of mind to urge him forward at the top of his speed. The noble animal seemed aware of his danger; he snorted fiercely on hearing the howl of wolves, and dashed ahead at a frightful pace.
On came the hungry animals, and fast fled the affrighted horse. Miles were soon past over, but miles of trackless waste yet remained before the travelers would reach the first village. Mean time the wolves gained on the fugitives. The mother clasped her babes closer to her bosom, as the howling animals came up, and, running almost at the sledge, threatened every moment to drag her and the little ones down. But the terrified horse seemed to gain supernatural speed, and on he dashed with increased velocity, snorting with affright. For awhile, the wolves were left in the rear, but his speed soon slackened, and again they gained on the sledge. The horrible now occurred to the mother of throwing over one of her children, and thus staying for awhile the pursuit; for she had heard of such an alternative having once been resorted to. But she sprang from the horrible thought with a shudder. She urged on the horse again, and once more he sprang ahead and increased the distance between her and the wolves. Thus, for another hour, she continued the prey of alternate despair and hope. Now she seemed in the very jaws of death, now an almost preternatural exertion of speed on the part of the horse gave her a momentary respite. At length the village was in sight. But, horrible to relate, at this moment she heard a crack, as if the sledge had given away. The runner had broke; she surrendered herself in despair. Through the fast gathering night she, caught a view of the farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. To die thus in sight of safety was terrible. She looked agonizingly on the face of her children, who were now sobbing piteously; she strained them to her bosom: she shut her eyes on the scene that was to follow. But, strange to say, the sledge still held together; and the horse, recognizing his home, dashed forward at a pace that left the wolves behind. She looked up once more: they were now close to the village. The inhabitants, by this time, had become alarmed; but the wolves kept up their pursuit to the very gate of the farm-house, and yielded their expected prey slowly and sullenly. The sledge, on examination, was found to be so much injured that it would have broken down before another mile. An escape like this surprises anything in fiction.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, May 15, 1845
The New Haven [Conn.] Courier relates the following interesting incident, which occurred a few years since in one of the villages of Connecticut:
“A young lady, confined to the house by protracted indisposition, was in the habit of feeding a sparrow, which had a nest on a tree near the door, with crumbs of bread. The little creature had a warm heart under her homely dress, and soon learned to love her patron, became exceedingly tame, and would hop about the table, while the family were at their meals. This was repeated whenever the door was opened, till, at last, her mate was induced to accompany her, and both would pick up the scraps which their fair entertainer, as she lay upon a sofa, scattered near her upon the carpet. In the fall one of them flew against the window, and tried to get in, but the lady was too feeble to expose herself to the air, and so could not admit her visitor to a farewell interview. Next spring, they both came again, as docile as ever. In the course of a few weeks, as the lady lay upon the sofa, upon a Sunday morning, being too unwell to go to church, the house perfectly still, and the door open, she heard a great chirping and twittering on the steps. Looking about for the cause, she spied her tame sparrow entering the apartment, followed by several of her progeny, and the partner bringing up the rear. They all remained with her for half an hour, perfectly fearless and at home, till having satisfied their appetite.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, June 5, 1845
We see, by our French contemporary, that two Englishmen in Belgium have formed a company to run a letter express on the railroad, by harnessing greyhounds to light cars and suspending bits of meat before them by a rod extending forward from prodigious velocity, and have the advantage over engines, of giving out no cinders to the eyes of the passengers.
N. Y. Mirror.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, July 27, 1848
A correspondent of the National Intelligencer, writing from the Alleghany Mountains in Georgia, describes an old hunter whom he found in a log cabin, in the center of a small valley completely hemmed in on all sides by wild and abrupt Mountains and one of the most romantic and beautiful rocks imaginable. He has lived there for thirty years, is about 60 years old, and wears a long white beard. He professes to have killed in his life time, about four thousand deer, and amused the correspondent of the intelligencer with long stories of his adventures with the wild beasts of the forests, some of which that writer has condensed as follows:
On one occasion he came up to a large grey wolf, into whose head he discharged a ball. The animal did not drop, but made its way into an adjoining cavern and disappeared. Vandever waited awhile at the opening, and as he could not see or hear his game, he concluded that it had ceased to breathe, whereupon he fell upon his hands and knees, and entered the cave. On reaching the bottom, he found the wolf alive, when a “clinch fight” ensued, and the hunter’s knife completely severed the heart of the animal. On dragging out the dead wolf into the sunlight, it was found that his lower jaw had been broke which was probably the reason why he had not succeeded in destroying the hunter.
At one time, when he was out of ammunition, his dogs fell upon a large bear, and it so happened that the latter got one of the former in his power, and was about to squeeze it to death. This was a sight the hunter could not endure, so he unsheathed his large hunting-knife and assaulted the black monster. The bear tore off nearly every rag of his clothing, and in his first plunge with the knife he completely cut off two of his own fingers instead of injuring the bear. He was now in a perfect frenzy of pain and rage, and in making another effort succeeded to his satisfaction, and gained the victory. The bear weighed three hundred and fifty pounds.
On another occasion he had shot a large buck near the brow of a precipice some thirty feet high, which hangs over one of the pools in the Tallulah river. On seeing the buck drop, he took it for granted that he was about to die, when he approached the animal for the purpose of cutting his throat. To his great surprise, however, the buck suddenly sprung to his feet and made a tremendous rush at the hunter with a view of throwing him off the ledge. But what was more remarkable, the animal succeeded in its effort, though not until Vandever had obtained a fair hold of the buck’s antlers, when the two performed a somersault into the pool below. The buck made its escape, and Vandever was not seriously injured in any particular. About a month subsequent to that time he killed a buck, which had a bullet wound in the lower part of its neck, whereupon he concluded that he had finally triumphed over the animal which had given him the unexpected dunking.
But the most remarkable escape which old Vandever experienced happened on this wise. He was encamped upon one of the lofty mountains in Union county. It was near the twilight hour, and he had heard the howl of the wolf. With a view of ascertaining the direction whence it came, he climbed upon an immense boulder-rock, [weighing perhaps fifty tons,] which stood on the very brow of a steep hill side. While standing upon this boulder he suddenly felt a swinging sensation, and to his astonishment he found that it was about to make a fearful plunge into the ravine half a mile below him. As fortune would have it the limb of an oak tree drooped over the rock; and as the rock started from its foundation, he seized the limb, and thereby saved his life. The dreadful crashing of the boulder as it descended the mountain side came to the hunter’s ear while he was suspended in the air, and by the time it had reached the bottom he dropped himself on the very spot which had been vacated by the boulder. Vandever said that this was the first time in his life when he had been really frightened; and he also added that for one day after his escape he did not care a finger’s snap for the finest game in the wilderness.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, July 13, 1848
The journal of Commerce, speaking of a large haul of fish recently made in the East River, near N. Haven, states the number to have been two millions, while many estimated the number at three or four millions. This is no ordinary fish story, as some of the incredulous editor may suppose.
It has been stated, a seine about 1 mile in length is drawn in at high tide, by horses attached to a windlass, until the multitude of fishes are drawn to land or strike the bottom, when the tide leaves the fish are left high and dry on a hard sandy beach, ready to be carted away and sold for manure. We have seen an acre or two of these fish a foot or two deep and a constant procession of carts taking them back into the country to enrich the sand-hills where even the oak of Jerusalem will hardly grow, but which having received a layer of this marine manure-this guano-produces luxuriant crops of corn.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, November 28, 1844
While the ships of England and America are coursing the oceans in pursuit of guano, I would call the attention of our agriculturists, to a manure of similar origin, and possessing the same properties, that abounds in many places in their own forests; which may be had for the labor of collecting. I allude to the droppings of the wild pigeon. It is well known that these birds live together in floods of myriads according to Autabon, that their sojourn at a place is not limited by the season, but by the supply of food. This great naturalist remarks that he has seen the earth covered with their evacuations like snow to the depth of several inches. The use of the manure is of very ancient origin. During the great famine that prevailed in Samaria at the time of Elisha, [2 Kings vi. 25,] the fourth of a cab of dove’s dung sold for five pieces of silver. It is highly prized in Persia to this day. Many pigeon houses are constructed for the sole purpose of collecting the droppings of the birds. It is there used for manuring melons; the finest in the world are raised in that country. In Belgium it is used as a top-dressing to flax. They pay for it at the rate of five cents for the evacuation of each bird for a year.
The great value of the discharges of birds as a manure, arises from their urine being deposited with their feces. In animals the salts of urine are separated from the kidneys in a solution of water, the secretion passes down and collects in the bladder. In birds, on the contrary, the salts of urine are separated by the kidneys in a solid form with water barely sufficient to convey them through the tube to the commission outlet. Birds have no urinary bladder.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, October 14, 1847
In a quarter of the town of Hingham, known as Rockynook, there is a pond where a little girl not six years old, who resides near the bank, has tamed the fish to a remarkable degree. Gradually the fish learned to distinguish her footsteps, and darted to the edge whenever she approached; and now they will actually feed out of her hand, and allow her to touch their scaly sides. A venerable turtle is among her regular pensioners. The control of Van Amburgh over his wild beasts is not more surprising than that which the little girl has attained over her finny playmates. Visitors have been attracted from a distance of several miles to the spectacle she exhibits. The fish will have nothing to do with anyone but their friend. They will trust no one else, let him come with provender ever so tempting. Even fish are not so cold-blooded but they will recognize the law of kindness, and yield to its all embracing power.-Bost. Trans.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Published in the Lake County Independent, Libertyville, Illinois on Friday, February 28, 1902
They tried to Uproot Tree in Which Hunter Had Taken Refuge.
J. P. McGee, of this place, has just had an experience that has thickly flecked his auburn hair with grey.
He is an ardent sportsman, and early Christmas morning hastened to that sportsman’s paradise, Cookson, on the Illinois.
His luck was good, and by 2 o’clock he had succeeded in filling his bag, and was thinking of returning home, when his attention was attracted by a rustling in the cane, and he discovered a young pig rolling in the soft earth.
He raised his gun, fired, and wounded the pig.
Its squeals of agony were answered by hundreds of ferocious grunts, and from every side the enraged animals came pouring in.
McGee is a Scotch-Irishman, a cool, clever, quick-witted chap, and he realized in an instant that he was up against a hard proposition, but his coolness and presence of mind never deserted him.
A small pecan tree stood near, and in a moment he was safely ensconced amid its topmost branches, and quite beyond the reach of any hog. The animals kept coming in from every quarter, and it soon appeared that there were thousands in the drove. The grunting, snouting, and squealing was appalling, and the appearance of the animals themselves, with red, fiery eyes, and foamflecked jaws, no less so.
McGee felt reasonably safe, as it seemed impossible for the enraged animals to reach his refuge, and the worst he anticipated was a long roost in the tree. The wild hogs glared up at him and leaped high in the air, but failed to reach the quarry. Time and again the larger hogs made the attempt, but at last all seemed to understand the futility of further trial.
Four immense wild boars suddenly began rooting as if for life at the root of the tree. The now thoroughly terrified hunter gave himself up for lost. He understood the intention of the hogs-to uproot the tree, and thus secure their enemy. He was entirely helpless; nothing he could do would postpone his fate a fleeting moment.
The hogs rooted in a rapid manner, and from his perch the unwilling watcher peered down upon them.
Fortunately for him a pecan tree has a taproot, and the root of this tree seemed to fill a crevice or interstice in the rock, and when this was reached the efforts of the animals was unavailing, although time and again they renewed them with savage energy.
All through the night the hogs kept on guard, but as day began to break they gradually began to diminish in numbers, and by sun-up none were left.
Cautiously the tired hunter descended from his tree and made his way to J. H. Goodson’s, who at once brought him to this place in his carriage. He is very nervous and weak at present, but the doctors say he will be himself again in a few days.-Bragg [I. T.] correspondence St. Louis Republic.