Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-04
Trained Pleas.

Signor Bertolotto, a venerable Ital-
ian, upward Of sixty, in connection with
the flea has established European repu-
tation. Yesterday he had his menagerie
at 80 Union square, and invited select
audience to witness his performance. The
exhibitor Is genial old man, with voice
modified by long intercourse with his
minute friends; his hand, though large,
Possesses an exquisite delicacy OF touch,
and he bends over and fondles his singu-
lar pets as though be felt real affection
for them. In 1882 he began the training
OF aeas in England, and amassing con-
siderable fortune retired from professional
life. Recently times have gone hard Win
him, and again he summons the feas 10
his rescue The professors present troupe
consists of 100 female fieas tmale fieas are
discarded as utterly intractable), which
were brought from Canada, the professor
making the delightful announcement that
fieas are extremely scarce in the United
States. The performance yesterday
opened with a passageatarms between
Don Ouixose and Sancho Panza, two
bloodthirsty feas that, mounted on tiny
paper. horses, attacked each other with
spears. The tiny paper-horses being sta
tionary, no great damage was done 10
either Of the Contestants, but the fieas real
Iy appeared actuated by deadly hatred,
and whiI led the little spears about in a
furious manner. Next an illustration OF
the immense strength of the creature was
given in the performance of an herculean
flea, who, being harnessed to little gilt
chariot, weighing just / 200 times his own
weight, drew the same about the table.
As an agent of locomotion, however, the
flea is rot as much of a success as in some
other particulars, for, its legs being cen
tered in the immediate neighborhood OF
It's head, there is an unavoidable slOvenly
appearance about the way in which 1t
carries the remainder Of the body; and
besides, the natural gait of the flea is that
Of the agile kangaroo, and ii can never be
trained 10 assume comely trot. Howev-
er, the little creature shambled around with
the chariot. and one of its fellows sat on
the box as dignified driver as ever cracked
whip.
A wild flea was next produced, one that
had never received any educational adj
vaniages. It's habit was still that of a
creature who lives only TO hop and bite,
and chain and ball attached to the hind.
leg told of its unfitness to associate un-
restrained with its civilized brothers.
The chain and ball were Of gold, the
former being Just one inch in length and
containing 400 links. On the same micro
scopic plan all the paraphernalia used was
constructed, little hats and coats fitting
with remarkable nicely. Other of these
remarkable insects were made to turn
cranks and hoist buckets, but the chef.
q .f ha farta inn mt xryaa
two dozen fleas at ball. AT one end Of
the ballroom was complete orchestra,
each flea holding its peculiar instrument
in readiness for the dance. I'm the floor
two couples were seen, and on tiny sofa
another was engaged, at least so said the
professor, in a very desperate filtration. A
music-box was then set in motion, and at
the first sound the little insects began
their respective vocations, those on the
floor whirling about in the dance and
those in the orchestra working their legs,
10 which were attached the instruments,
in most enthusiastic manner. When
the size of the flea is remembered the task
of handling them at all will be appre-
ciated. Fortunately, they are as tough as
porcupines, and can be unceremoniously
picked up with the little steel pincers
without danger of hurting them. The
average lifetime of flea is about eight
months, and as four months is required
in subduing their spirits and altering
their gait from hop to trot it will be
seen that the process of training is an
endless one,
OF the 800 fleas in this collection about
half are performers and have TO be taken
from their harness Of threads once day
TO be fed. Their fodder is nothing less
than the blood of the professor, who per
mits the whole flock to browse on his left
arm every morning IN. Y. World.