The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-10-25
The Flea.

SAC + AV0s
We clip the following good thing from the
correspondent" column Of Pomeroys most
interesting daily. Fleas are not fashionable"
at McGregor-mosquitos monopolize the busi-
ness Of blood lettng-but the article is so
lively that we want to make record of it:
"My friend, Fitz Allick, who is always
aboundng with curious Statistics says that this
is the Flea-yenr. From what have seen and
felt, am prepared to agree with him.. Let IL
be understood, then, that eighteen hundred and
sixty five is not the year Of our Lord, but the
year OF the Flea. Consequently it is great
In Chicago, which ohTIsE8tS1n1zha aeo.
these energetic insects were just coming out.
As journied westward they increased in size
ard numbers. In Milwaukee they were drill.
ing with regular Fenian zeal; but 1t was in Ia
Crosse that | found them most vigorous and
irrepressble An old inhabitant Gays that pre-
cisely twelve years ago the city was infested
by an army Of these animated ard blood thirsty
beings, and that since that period they have
given comparatively little trouble until the
present time. Twelve years ago it was COM
mon sight to see people at church bitching and
jerking about in their seats as if under weekly
attacks of st. Vitus; and it was under serious
contemplation that small buildings after the
shape Of sentry boxes, should be erected at
stated intervals along the streets, at which
frenzied pedestrians could stop and relieve
themselves-ior the intelligent reader will at
once perceive that "St. Vitus" was no more or
less than q FLEA. At the present time they
have again appeared in such large and voracous
numbers that the City Atarshal might be justi.
fed in placing a bounty on their heads. A
FLEA hunt would be by no means, an unprcce-
dented thing, for doesn't an ancient poet say:
'Go af to swate Ireland, and there you will see,
Ten thousand big paddles a chasin flea"
which implies that at some epoch there
occurred in this Emerald Isle, not only hunt,
but a very spirited hunt, of this identical
kind
As twelve years ago was in the seques.ered
shades Of boarding accademy--where feas
knew better than TO come, because of the
made myself fully acquainted with Flea nature,
until westward and the Star Of Empire took
our way. l came out to the prairies to study
the habits of the Prairie Hen, and to test the
virtues Of highly lauded fowling piece; but
am not ashamed TO confess that while tossing
in incpient madness on my bed at the --
House) the idea Of distancng the FLEA. and
leaving him behind me with other city nuisan-
ces, occupied a prominent position in the ''ad
vantage" of q country tramp Vain idea! !
think il were to wander even to where the
wild Oregon rolls "and hears nc sounds save
his own dashing, that the Flea would be there.
At any rate he is here, aud why Flea before
him? "...
They say that love uncherished dies; but the
way the Flea continues to love me. and the
way don't cherish that love, refutcs at once
the poetical falsehood alluded TO-. In fact
:,,L; - will ho vnwcnlf mi
the FLxA-YEAR is speedily terminated. But
let me drop my personal feelings in the matter
and address myself more closely to the subject
Of this paper: .
have, under Craig Microscope, the aatten-
I'd and lifeless forms OF three Fless, hailing re.
90 ctively from Chicago, Milwaukee and La
Crosse The Chicago Flea is the most meagre
and slimly 'built' Of the three. | account for
this from the fact that the Mosquito in that
city-drawing his great natural strength and
vigcr from The Chicago River-puts tho Flea
in the shade and sucks his business quite away.
Mirthtuness and selfesteem are only slightly
developed, and hiS face in its compressed 70
pose, has an intcnsel, haggard appearance
No. 2 was captured by gas.light in Milwaukee
He is Of large, well developed species. en-.
cased in remarkably tough sides-the better to
withstand the Lake Winds-his face, even in
its fat and defunct condition, has an express ion
of indonitabe will and courage, and his gen.
eral physique indicates his having lived in a
bracing climate with an abundant patronage Of
sleek Germans. No. 3-the Flea from La
Crosse-is the largest Of the specimens
Alimentveness, combativeness aud secretive
ness. etrikingly developed, combine to make
him the most formidable of the Flea tribe yet
discovered. His limbs are remarkably long
and his fangs sharp and glittering (kept so from
the way he purposely sharpens them in the
sand which abounds in that city, The ardu-
Gus life OF long leaps over the sands in which
the Flea-race most delights to revel, has i'm
parted to him the powerful frame OF Flea
athlete. He evades pursuit with unrivalled
agility and dies, ,rhen caught, with the most
supernatural struggles. The specimen before
me valiaptly refused to kick his last kick. until
ore leg was torn OF, his head broken. and his
whole corpo' osity completely crushed under .
heavy silver pencil Even now--as l gaze
shudderingly at him through the microscope
his bulged eyes CLEAN with an unquencbed
ferocity a r.rf s,.,.... 49, -
The FLEA was created after the declaration
that nothing was made in vain, and the mos,
diligent inquiry cannot elucidate the why and
wherefore OF such creatures existence. He
is malignant consumer who produces nothing
like his amiablc competi:ors--the Mosquito