News and Miscellany by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 3, 1875

News and Miscellany.

By Editor

—The coal miners' strike seems to be nearly at an end. Messrs. Lintz, Bowman & Co.'s collieries at Mahanoy City (Pa.), resumed operations yesterday. The workmen went in at 20 per cent. reduction on the basis of 1874 for one month, after which a new and permanent arrangement will probably be made. The fact that over one hundred miners applied for work above the force needed shows favorably for an early resumption in the entire anthracite regions.

MAUCH CHUNK, May 25.—A heavy rain during the past eight hours has completely quenched the flames in the lumber region, and in all parts of the country.

—The Upper House of the Prussian Diet has passed bills for the suppression of convents and relative to the administration of church property.

—The Italian Government has ordered a removal of all Bishops who have not received the Royal approval of their appointment. The Archbishop of Palermo has already been warned to leave his see.

LONDON, May 28.—A dispatch just received here this morning reports a disastrous earthquake in the province of Borussa in Asia Minor. Over 348 persons were killed and wounded, and the destruction of property was very great.

WASHINGTON, May 28.—Information has been received at the State Department of the passage by acclamation, on the 22d of March last, of an Act by the Cortes of the Kingdom of Portugal granting unconditional freedom to the remaining Portuguese slaves known as "apprentices" or "freedmen." This act has not as yet been officially printed by the Government in the customary form, but it has been semi-officially promulgated.

THE GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE.

NEW YORK, May 25.—A letter published by William Grosvner, the scientist, claims that the insects ravaging the Western crops are not grasshoppers, but the young of the Rocky Mountain locusts, hatched this spring from eggs deposited last fall. He apprehends no injury of consequence west of Sedalia or Desmoines.

LEXINGTON (Mo.), May 28.—"There are millions of them" is the report from nearly all parts of this county. The grass and dog fennel will not last much longer, and as soon as they are gone the grasshoppers will make an onslaught on the crops. Their wings are developing very fast, and it will not be many days till the largest proportion of them will be able to emigrate.

RICHMOND (Mo.), May 28.—Since the heavy rain of Wednesday the hoppers are traveling in a southeasterly direction, eating everything as they go. There is no garden in this locality that they have not eaten up.

NEW ULM (Minn.), May 28.—Spring wheat is doing well in this vicinity, but it is feared it will be destroyed by grasshoppers, which are very thick in some localities. The probable yield cannot be ascertained yet.

OMAHA, May 28.—Heavy showers have prevailed throughout this State during the past two days, greatly benefiting the crops and proving fatal to the grasshoppers.

ST. JOSEPH (Mo.), May 27.—For the past three days hoppers in this immediate vicinity have been marching in a southwesterly direction. Whenever they strike a field or a garden, they leave scarcely a vestage of vegetation. Whole fields of grain are devastated in a few hours and the sections which they visit are laid waste. However, their ravages are not universal. They seem to collect in armies and all march in one direction, turning aside for nothing. Thus some sections are devastated while others are free from the scourge. In many places plans are being devised for their destruction, and bushels are destroyed daily. The most sucessful plan is digging trenches in front of them, with pit holes every thirty or forty feet, and sweeping the "hoppers" into them. Had this course been pursued from the time they first commenced marching, there would have been very little damage done; as it is we fear most of the small grain will be destroyed, although the farmers will be able to replant a crop of corn and late potatoes.

Persons receiving letters from the grasshopper district in Southwestern Missouri affirm that the prospect is appaling. For two years they have had scarcely any crops and this year there is prospect of none; wheat, oats, and corn are eaten to the ground; and the cattle and horses are dying. Even the wealthy are becoming alarmed, while the poor stand face to face with the grasshoppers and starvation. One family has already died for want of food. Those wishing to sell cannot get one-third of the value of their lands two years ago, and in some places landed security will not obtain money at the banks. That this state of things prevails in a comparatively small district, is the only encouraging feature in the case.

CHAMPION STEALING.

Of late years there have been a number of adroit official thieves, but the State Treasurer of Pennsylvania looms up conspicuously as a champion worthy of dividing the honors with Tweed. It is stated that on assuming office in 1869 he was a bankrupt. He was treasurer for five years, during which time his lawful salary would have amounted to $22,000. In the mean time he paid off all his debts, purchased a re-nomination; loaned to a banker in Philadelphia $100,000; bought $40,000 worth of stock in the Pittsburg Commercial; paid for a brown stone front in one of the fashionable thoroughfares of Philadelphia; sports a $1,800 span of horses on Broad street, and spends money like a prince. It might be thought that so precious a thief would be under arrest for his purloinings; but he is not. On the contrary it is alleged that his influence in political circles is only exceeded by that of Senator Cameron. What a comment on the immorality of the times.