The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-07-05
THE .A!LANTHtS.
A MYSTERY SOLVED At LAST.

.tbolt to.ty-:ivc Years ago, Il long, iank,
lean Yankee visited Elkton for the purpos,
/ of introducing the AilanthuS tree, which is
sometimes called the Tree of ParadiSc-why,
we never have been able to imagine, for W.
have reason to believe it never grew in that
beautiful region. 1t may, perhaps, have
been planted around the place, but we favor
the opinion that il was not, for the reason
that, il His Satanic Majesty had got Il Whit
of the nluSeating odor that cXhalei from
its blossoms, he would not have tarri"l long
enough i'll that locality to have done the
mischief that he is charged with doing.
The aforesaid Yankee probably represented
/ Il Nursery that was interested in the sale OF
this peSiilrntill and ill-avorcd tree that is
almost as deadly in its effects as the table'l
( UpaS. In charity to him, we will state that
lcprobahly was unacquaintcd with Its bane-
tul effects. But, at all events, he succeeded
by making good Use of his persuasive pow
ers in diSposiuG of Il large quantity of the
I trees, which We're planted and tlouriShed,
like worthless things are apt To do, with L
vi%or unsurpassed by the Green Bay tree,
unto which the wicked are lkcned in the
Holy Book. The tres looked well enough
and made Il good shade and everybody
liked them till they got ready to bloom, and
then the trouble bcg;n-nubody could en-
dure the abominable oder that emanated
from their blossoms. But shade trees We're
scarce in Elllton torty-fve Years ago, and
the trees had been procured at some eX-
penSe, and much labor had been expended
in planting and tending them, and they
We're allowed TO stand. After few years
the families, who resided near where they
grew, became afflicted with consumption,
and many of the members of them died.
Then the griet-striclrn relatives of the de-
parted did what they should have done long
brtorc--cut the ahominable trees down and
cast them into the fire Some of them, how
ever, that occupied obscure positions along
the outskirts of the marsh were allowed to
stand. Some years after the Introduction
of the -AilanthuS, Il strange fatality began
to atfiict the ducks that fed upon the marsh:
whole tioriis of them would suddenly Sicken
and go staggering around as if they had
been hewitchcd; soon they would die, whole
hock> of them III Il day. People accused
each other of poisoning their ducks, which
cngrndered much i'll feeling, and, i'll some
eases, accusations of this kind came near
ending
" In clubs and naked swords,
In murder and i'll DEATH
Nobody suspected the real cause Of Tie
death of the ducks, and the restiterous allan
thus was still allowed to poison the atmos-
phere with lis abomntble oGor \ few
weeks ago widow Lady, who WAS the happy
owner of ii iiocl: Of - nice Sprightly ducks,
noticed that they We're S.taitsGiy afflicted.
and in few days they We're all dead except
five. 1t WAS the same old Story-She be
lieved they had been poisoned. Shortly
after this happened, another person having
fine flock of the a,iita.ic birds found they
We're similarly afflicted. and believing thes
had been poisoned, penncd them up, and
instituted an Investigation into the cause Of
their sickness. The rGn In wlicll they We're
confined was underneath the bouglS uf an
siiau,luS tree thai was shedding its bios
SONS, and he noticed that the young duck
lingS ate freely of them. Aching ui.ut, ,n,S
clue. and being aided by the scientific Re.
searches of Others the mystery was soon
afterwards Solvcd-the ducks had been
poisoned ~ eating the blossoms of the
abominable tree. We hope ti.n i'roEer an
thorities will take the necessary steps 10
have this abominabe nuisance removed At
an early day.
:, ieai.i!g contemporary. in speaking of
the tree, says:
This poisonous tree is very offensive whon
it is in blossom: and it has been well ascer-
tanned that it is poisonous and injurious to
health. 1t brings on catarrh, teverS, and
ina.s diseases that spring from poison
broathcd into TIC iltnss i is y Chinese
rlal.l aaf1iIs,i il heiIAs to the taniiA OF inc
sumachS which grow wild in this country.
and are very poisonous. even to the touch.
None of these trees should be permitted To
stand in amy wcll-rcgulatcd city or town.
They kill more people every year than mad
G,.YS. aHl poison and bring i'll health TO
many 1hHHsanns %lla ~ m..n?t die at once
from the effects OF their posse"