Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-10-27


An old pilot the Ohio river says: "Never kill or
drive off a skeeter Let him have his fill, expose
your body as to get bitten all over after which no
'skeeter will bite you for skeeter never known
to place his sucker IN the same place that one had
been in before him, if it fifty years ago"
Beng bitten all over therefore proves efectual
remedy edy--NOrthwestern Democrat
We don't believe that story 1t is not according to
our experience. We prove its falsiy in a court
of justice, not only by affidavit, but by that
of two or three other credible witnesses. We ad-
wise everybody not to be deceived by the theory that
a mosquitoe will not "place his sucker in the same
place that one has been in before him" We speak
undersandngly when we pronounce the " old pilot
of the Ohio humbug We tried the experiment
last June on Bog river, up in the Raquette woods
and the demonstrations perfect There were
three OF US up there, and the mosquitoes and black
flies were there too. plenty of them. They stuck
their bills INTO every pore exposed TO their operations
They probed every orifce in the epdermis of our
faces and cars They went over the whole ground
again and again. In fact they rather liked to find
and punctured spot and one of friends in
sisted thathe could detect half dozen waiting till
the one in position had filled himself that when he
Withdrew his proboscls there would be regular
scramble for his place. We can't attest from our
personal observation the truth of this assertion but
our friend is to be believed, and if he swears
to the fact it may be safely set down as so.
We have small confidence in these " old Ohio p-
lots" they tell such awfuliy large stories We re-
believe it himself. for he told it with a gravity of
face that would i'll comport with lis faIsity We do
not vOuch for its verify; we simply tell it as the
" old pilot told it to u.s. pleasant afternoon, as
gliding along quietly down the Ohio fight
ing mosquitoes and watching the he was sink
ing down into the Western wilderness, casting the
dark shadows of the woods far out over the waters
Twenty years ago." said the old pilot" as he
Lighted his stump OF pipe and seated himself on
whiskey keg, "t there warnt u great many people
al tho Ia Of fhn ondh
and didn't like to cultivate very close friendship
with either of them. | came out for some people
over the east side of the mountains, lookn' land
with a company Of four who had hunted over
the country. We came down the Allegheny in two
canoes and shanteed on the Ohio, just below where
the Allegheny enters it. EARLY one morning, while
my comrades were asleep, rose and went the
river after a deer for wanted venison for break
fast. | got buck and returning, when what
should see but a bear swimming the Ohio, and
put after him in chase. soon overhauled the crit
ter, and picked up my rifle to give him a settler,
when found that in padding had spattered water
into the canoe, wetting the printing and making the
thing of no more use than a stick. | didn't under
stand much about the mater of the beast then, and
thought Pd run him down and drowa him or knock
him the head. So put the right head
on towards him, bat when the bow touched him
what did he do but reach his great paws up over the
side OF the boat and began 10 climb in. | hadn't
bargained for that, and felt mighty unpleasant you
| ger | hadn't time to get at him with my rife until
he came tumbln' into the bow of the dugout, and,
as he seated himself on his stern, showed as fine a
| set of ivory q body would wish to see, There we
sat- he in one end of the dugout and l in the other.
eyelng one another in mighty suspicious sort of
way. He didn't seem inclined to come to my end of
the canoe and was princi pied agin going towards
his | made ready 10 take to the water on short
tice, but at the same time concluded TO paddle him
ashore if he'd let me do it quietly. Well, padded
| ha hpar md OrI1 at mo
sknning his face till every tooth in his head stood
right out, and grumbling to himself in way that
seemed to say, wonder if that chap is good to
eat" didn't say word to him, treating him all
the time like gentleman, but kept pullin for the
shore. When the canoe touched the ground he clam
bered over The side and climbed up the bank, and,
giving extra grim started off into the woods.
pushed the dug-out back suddenly and gave him,
as felt safe an extra war-whoop. which seemed to
astonsh him. for he quickened his pace nightly, as
if quite as glad as | was to part company I've
never tried to drown bear since, and shan't under
take to do it again in ahurry."-Albany Register.