Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1859 — A Gold Winter Predicted--migration of the Squirrels. [ARTICLE]

A Gold Winter Predicted--migration of the Squirrels.

The St. Louis Express of the 24th ult. says: About ten days ago a tremendous drove of gray squirrels, numbering hundreds of thousands, suddenly made their appearance on tha Marriinac, covering the trees and waters Jika a pall. Thousands of them were afterwards found dead in the river and on the ground. They crossed the Mississippi at that point, and worked their way down the river, nntil on Wednesday they reached Cape Girardeau, crossing the river at ihat point in countless myriads. The citizens turned out en masse and killed them by hundreds. Every tree |nd bush in that vicinity swarmed with them until night, when they all disappeared, niod Rave not been heard of since. Their route was marked as by a devastating storm. Trees were girdled, and fields destroyed. Old French settlers predict a very severe winter, as it was noticed in 1834 and 1852 that immense droves of squirrels suddenly made their appearance followed by intensely sevfre weather.