Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-12-19

A CRATER ON THE GREAT NATURAL AND AcaurR- |
IN CAPACITY OF FLEAs!-The educated f1eas have
arrived at New York, and are now holding le-
wees al 1877 Broadway, where we advise every
man. woman and child, to visit them, and 90
away old prejudices. AS to describing the exhi-
biIion We take it to be all nonsense 1t must be
visited 1t is impossible 10 descrbef. we can
only say that it is well 1oorth VISIT and deiy any
one to say us nay when they come back The
wonderful ingenuity as well as patience requir-
ed to train such insects into docli ty and ooe-
dience so perfect-the manipulation oil chalns
minute enough to harness them, and the con.
struction of carrages for them to ride ln ana
weapons wherewilh to fight Their battles, are ex,
ercises ofhuman skill and perseverance beyond
any thing "dreamed Of in our philosophy
To see the fellow in his magnitude by the help
ofDr. Welden's, "Hydra- Oxigen,"is certainly
very curious, but to witness his exploits IN Ma
tive MINIATURE under the tutelage OF MI HoP-
kins (who by the way don't let him mop at any Is
to see something worth talking about! here we
have heas OF all nations and all sizes, ana II gra
titles our national pride, Ono body can tell how
much to see that the very largest OF the mena-
gerie. is a free born American flee, though IL
greves us to add that he is at this time IN dis,
grace and capacity, being chained 10 soIh oaii
of sixty times his own weight inns we TAKE
it proves conclusively enough, the sIander Ut
tered Of this country by Button and o'her EN-
vious Europeans about animal oelerioraloh III
America. FIeas at least, grow as Ian &c here as
! anv ,yhere else and have as much muscular
mower: for this fellow moves about with all ease
with weight attached to him, equal to an an
Choir weighing more than nine thousand pouhus
fastened to a man! But ii must be confessed
that the transatlantic members OIL this lrateThi-
ty are more interesting lnasmnch as they are
better educated, and have been presented at
Court; for we are told that they have all peen
patronised by their most Gracious MaJestes,
the King and Queen of England, their Males
ties of France, and Belgium the Dutchess OF
Kent. Princess Victoria, &c. &c. or course
there must be more polish among the hees that
have enioyed such advantages, than is confer
red by the more pleban opportunities OF the ma,
tves. Royalty probably imparts aporuon OF
its ton even to fees. Among other accomplish
ments, one Of the number drives sulky with
the very bearing of a Cockney; while one OF
his brethren moves off with ii with as much Dig
nfied gravity as the bearer of sedan char IN
his cooked hat This gentleman the drlver)
enjoys the reputation of first rate lrh'p. linen
Il ere is magnificent coach and four, drawn OF
course by that number oil full Dloodea meas. II,
this carriage, a venerable old flea, his vile and
two daughters are taking an airing en- JamiHe.
The vehicle and its passengers probably weien
about three hundred times as much as the team!
There is furthermore, splendid pail room
lighted by huge chandelier nearly the SIZE oil a
filbert shell, with an orchestra consisting OF a
grand piano harp, kettle drum, trumpet, violin,
&c. with the leader in front throwing about his
fiddle bow with nearly as much science and dis
erection as Mr.. Pension at the Park theatre. All
these musicians are fleas and are Us drowsy as
so many uuakers until the leader strikes up when
they 90 it like Norton and Gambatl. The nd
dler was excellentn his way, and put us mar
veously in mind Of certain nocturnal gam
bios which his countrym9n have sometimes
PLAYED off upon our right shoulder. We
think an American muscheto would gather lau-
rels in his concerto, and we marvel that he has
not been employed.
A coupe of young virg ins waltz TO this mu-
sic, with singular agility; and one OF theh
occasionally pirouettes q la Celeste; out VIC
solcmnly assure our fair readers that mere
isn't the least violation of modesty-the cos
tune being remarkably ample in its Longitude.
A damsel is also exhibited in the interesting
employment of drawing water from the very
DEPTHS of well. This, we believe, is what they
cal flea -boHomy Twoyoung bucks fight du-
ell, in presence Of the company, with three-edg-
ed swords Some Of the performers, who were
in the rudiments Of their educatlon-the nor'ces
as it were, in this academy Of accomplishments
were doing preliminary duty in the tread MILL
| To think that hcas must be "broke in" to their
studies by such an ignomnious Inlhatlon!-not
that we haven't often wished the whole trloe
upon the tread mill, or even under the rack OF
! the inQusitiOn-but to see such tender Juveniles
thus dealt with is too much. However, we are
told this is the true way to give flea the idea OF
walking. They always jump in state OF ma
ture We haven't told half the wonders OF the
exhibition, and do not propose to do so. Every
body must 20 to see it. The Phdntdscop,d IS
the most ingenious illusion ever seen in this
country and there is variety Of pictures, ca
rcatures and other rartirs-worth, themselves,
the price of the visit N y. COur.
letter from New Castle, Del. says:-The
Jury. af'er trial of eight days, returned their
verdict on the 9th inst in the Caveat case OF /.
Chader's wiiIl,-by which twenty thousand dol
lars were devised to educate colourcd children,
that there was no wiIl.-The ground on which
the Jury rendered the will nugatory was, that
ofundue influence. and departure by the scrlv-
ener who wrote it, from the letter of the written
he -, al