Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton




[previous page]     [next page]

[previous page]     [next page]




1867, MAY. 436 GRADING. They roosted at night on the side of a house, a wall, or a tree. They moved by brigades. Here. the army goes north; there, it goes south. Hogs grew fat upon them, and chickens could not be eaten with a. relishthey tasted of grasshoppers. Various schemes were ineffectually tried to destroy them. Fire and water were of no avail. All efforts were as va.in as to try to stop the tides by baling out the sea with a bucket. Trees were stripped of leaves; young and tender bluegrass pastures were left as bare as the public road. My wife thought she would let her cow have the grass of the yard, and had it cut off close to the ground; but it came up fresh and tender, and the grasshoppers dug it out by the roots. We had to sow the yard again with bluegrass seed. The hackberry woods were as bare of leaves as in winter. Early corn did well; but all planted in May was devoured. Such as was planted in June, a.fter the devourers left. was called grass- hopper co-rn. It was light. and loose on the cob. Seed corn. the next spring, was brought from Iowa. MAIN STREET OF PLATTE CITY GRADED. The new board o-f trustees of Platte City exhibited energy. Main Street was graded, by taking ve feet of dirt from in front of the new court-house and putting it on the lower part of the street. It cost 28 cents per cubic yard. The property-owners on Main Street were required, by ordinance, to macadamize to the middle of the street. This duty was cheerfully complied with. The work was done by Mr. Quinless. Zllay 10The court-house and jail are reported complete, by commissioner Jos. Murphy, and the contractor, J. A. McGonagle, paid o. May 15The Senate nds the charges against Judge W. A. King are true, a.nd he is degraded from office by a party vote of 2? to 8. May 23Richmond. M0,. is visited by outlaws. and mayor. jailer. and deputy sheriff are killed. The bank is robbed. JUNE. J lune 5Grasshoppers are leaving. going northwest. This is known as the first visit of grasshoppers. The last of them left the 29th instant. June 16Ridgely Christian Clllll("ll organized. June 2.9Soldiers of 1812 held a meeting: Present: W. L. Brightwell. Robert Cain. Thomas Jones. Jesse Lewis. Robert llitclicll. Samm-l Rogers. William Rogers7 out of 12 living in Platte.