﻿72 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT 



and, finally, appointing a committee to issue an appeal to the people of 

 Jackson county, and discouraging all unlawful acts by sufferers. 



An adjourned meeting was held at the same place on the 31st of 

 the month, at which 150 delegates were present. The story of desti- 

 itution recited that many were living on bread and water; trees were 

 being cut dow:i for food for cattle. A relief committee was appointed 

 and donations were solicited from all who were able and willing ta 

 help. As a result of this movement about $5,000 to $7,000 were col- 

 lected and distributed. 



I spent some time in this county, and the gloomy outlook toward 

 the end of May could not well be exaggerated. The stench from the 

 immense numbers that were destroyed around Kansas City, was at 

 one time unendurable, and lest it should breed a pestilence the au- 

 thorities of Westport took measures to deodorize and disinfect the 

 atmosphere on a large scale. Fifteen barrels of locusts were one 

 evening shoveled up and hauled from the base of the court house at 

 Independence, each barrel weighing 220 pounds. These were only a 

 portion that were unable, after a hard days' battle, to get inside where 

 there was a luxuriant growth of blue grass. 



Johnson County. — The western portion of the county was most 

 severely handled. In the vicinage of Kingsville it was estimated that 

 four-fifths of all the wheat, oats, rye, corn, flax, meadow, wild grass 

 and garden products were destroyed. At a meeting of farmers from 

 Madison township held at Holden, June 2d, and presided over by the 

 mayor, Hon. W. C. Smith, it was shown that the locusts had devoured 

 all the wheat, flax, clover and timothy represented, together with half 

 the corn. Potatoes were entirely ruined, and but little fruit, small 

 or large, left. It was found necessary to drive live stock out of 

 the county to localities more favored to prevent starvation. A large 

 number of families were reduced to a bread and water diet. All 

 were hard pressed to raise means for obtaining seed for replanting^ 

 and work teams were so reduced as to be scarcely able to perform 

 their necessary tasks. 



At the invitation of the county court, a delegate convention was 

 held at Warrensburg on the 28th of April, all the townships in the 

 county being represented. Dr. J. M. Fulkerson was elected chairman^ 

 and Rev. I. N. Newman, secretary. A committee of one from each 

 township was selected to propose some plan for meeting the necessi- 

 ties of the county. The matter of relief was finally referred to the 

 action of the individual townships. In some of the townships eff'ort 

 was made to efiect large loans upon bonds given by the most respon- 

 sible men in the community, the object being to sub-loan the amount 



