The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-01
Fleas in Florida.

A recent correspondent of the Baltimore
S,ta, writing from Jacksonville. says: One
of the most prolific crops that the sands OF
Florida develop at certain seasons is the
playful flea. He is merry little nOmad,
and wanders around on warm days i'll
reckless, dissipated sort ola way. He is
gregariouS in his tastes. One no sooner
begins his gymnastics on your legs than
whole regiment marches up, dcplOy into
line and begin skirlnishing over your body
in a manner that is very perpleXing.
They are very Independent and Liberal
Republicans, bling all alike, without re-
gard for color, race, previous condition,
etc. When captured early in life and
properly educated, they become very do
Gle and almost as intelligent as are the
trained fleas'' in London, which are
dressed and armed and mounted on horse
back. like Christians, every horse being a
flea, bridled and saddled, and at the COM
mand of their owner they 60 through a
number of movements with regularity
that is truly wonderful. In the uncivil-
lied state. however, the flea is very I'M
certain ''critter." and very agile. 10 catch
him is like playing at "thimble-rig.o
Now you see him, now you don't. You
slap your hands down violently and with
great precision on some tender portion OF
your body, where the little rascal is pleas
antly grazing, and are ready, like the
victim of 'thimble-rig," to bet -
YOU can name the hand he is under.
You carefully remove il, finger by
finger, and discover, instead of little
red rascal, big red mark. met the other
day popular young man from your city
who resides on Park Street, on a big flea
hunt. He is quite a sportsman. and came
out here for sport; he thinks he has had
it, having been in close pursuit of a flea
eversince he came. The morning | met
him, he was sitting up in bed. As | en-
tered the room he signed me to be quiet.
If a snake had been his bed-tellOw he
would scarcely have moved more cautious
lV or removed the covers more stealthlly.
He saw him; his hand was poised for a
few seconds in mid-air, as smile OF ma
lici0us satisfaction passed over his coun-
tenance, then down il came like a siedge-
hammer, smack went the report, away
skipped the flea, "merrily singing his
chic-a-dee-dee." 1t has often been said
that women have more tact and skill and
perseverance than men in overcoming the
little difficulties of life. They surely
make an admirable display of the quail
ties in the manner in which they deal with
these little red wretches. A lady told me
of a system she adopted when in Italy,
and which experience has proved to her
to be the only successful way of dealing
with them. | give it to you for the bene-
fit of such of your readers as may be at
tackled when either travelling abroad, or
in many parts of this country. go to
your r0Om.' she says. clock your door,
close your blinds, spread large blanket
on the floor, take your position in the
middle of it, with basin of wafer beside
you, then remove each article of dress,
one piece at time, turn it inside out, and
shake it carefully over the banket. The
little wretches viii drop on and become
entangled in the nap of the blanket, when
they can easily be caught and consigned
with appropriate rites tOa waery grave
in the basin" ~ ..fe- ~ .A- 20