Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-23
THE, CGCt ROACH.
WAITER l.. STEELE.
BYJOsH BILLINGS.

The cockroach is bug at large.
He is one of the luXuries ov civilization.
He is easy to domestikate, yielding
gracefully to ordinary kindness, and never
deserting those who show him proper acts
of courtesy.
We are led to believe, upon q close cN-
animation Ov the outward crust Of these
fashionable insekts, that they are highly
successful intermarriage between the hru-
nette pissnire and t. d1TichiLuS berO, or
common American grasshopper.
He don't leave the place he was born at
upon the slightest provocation, like the
giddy and vagrant flea, or the ferocious
bed-bug; and until death or some vile pow
er, (the invenshun of man) knocks at his
front door, he and hiz brothers and sisters
may be seen with the naked eye ever and
anon calmly climbing the white sugar.
bowl, or running foot-races between the
butter plates.
The cockroach is born on the fust ov
May and the fust ov November, semi-an-
nually, and is ready for use in fifteen days
from date.
They are born from an egg, four from
each egg, and consequently they are, all
of them, twins. There is. no such thing
in the annals Ov nature as a single cock
roach.
The maternal bug don't sctt upon the
egg as the goose doth, but leaves the lie
around loose, like II pint of split mustard
seed, and don't seem to care a darn whether
they get II pc Or not.
But I never knew cOckrOach egg fail
tew put in an appearance. They are as
sure to hatch out and run as Kanada
thistles. or bad kold.
The cockroach is OF two cOlors, sorIel
and black. They are always ou the move,
and kan trot, should say, on a good
track, and good day, cluss to three
| minnitts
Their food seems to consist, not SO mach
in what they eat rs what they travel, and
often finding them dead in my soup at toe
boarding house, I have cum to the conclu-
sion that a cockroach can't swim, but they
can float.
Naturalists have also declared That the
cockroach have no double teeth. This is
an important fackt, aud ought to be intro
duced into al the primary school books OF
! Amerika. ....
/ But the most interesting feature of this
| remarkable bug is the Iovelyness ov their
| natures. They can't bite nor sting, nor
| skratch, nor even jaw back. They are so
amiable that [ have even known them tew
get stuck i'll the butter, and lay there all
Ody, ana DOt nOiicf 1Or ueII, dIu aChLlAilJ y
die at last with q broken heart.
Consequences of Cuban Annexa.iop
The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph thinks that
| the acquisition of Cuba, batting tie homes
| ty of the thing, would be advantageous
| both to the Cubans and the people Of the
| United States. But it adds:
Much of the Northern emigration which
| nth "a Mt w
| transfer their destination to Cuba. That
island will forthwith be the scene Of Yam
kee adventurers, experiments and specula-
| tions of all sorts, which will astonish the
| Cubans who have invited their fate. Its
| political occupation will involve a heavy
additional expense. It will demand large
| addition to our military and revenue force,
and this is but the beginning of acqnisi-
tions from the Antilles. The Dominicans
in Hayti are already making overtures Tor
annexation, and probably in C few years
We may absorb island after island, until we
| get possession of all the groupe. It will
| be a troublesome acquisition-but one
thing, to-wit: It will make the collection
of high tariffs impossible, except at an ex-
pense which will consume the proceeds.
Proposed Ovation to Gov, Burnside. OF
! Rhode Island. a .r=rr.a .
- PROVIDENCE, r. L, April Il.
A paper was put in circulation to-day fol
| signatures to an invitation to Governor
| Burnside, asking him to accept public
ovation, owing to alleged aspersions OF the
first regiment in the battle of Bull Run,
| by Senator Sprague. Il a2zsbaao2 sa1ts&aa
| The river that looked so beautiful an
hour since is still to be seen; but it is the
river of death T. .fr- Ia. .Ta:~7 - .. =