Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-06-27
Man and His Eellow-Insects

Many wondciful stories have been
told about the sagacity of birds, beasts,
and insects. Those who have had any
opportunity of revelling in the delights
of country life krOw great deal about
the sharpness of the humble bee and
the keen penetration OF the wasp. We
read surprising accounts of the sage
hen on the wild western prairies. We
think the wonderful sagacity of ami
mails and insects is ovcrratcd. 1t IS
with the lower creation rs it is with
man, both have their weak as well as
their strong points. The man who
may show genius for building bridges
may be an ignominous failure as n per-
former on jewsharP, and the scientist,
who knows much about astronomy,
and who is able to weigh and measure
the stars, may not be a success in WIN
ming prize in the Louisiana lottery.
We have known man who could bal
ance an orange on his nose in q man
rer calculated TO command the awe
and admiration of all the crowned
heads of Europe, but who was tran
Scendcnt failure as u pawnbrOkar. So
is it with other insects. There is the
bee, for instance. II gets n great deal
of credit for its industry. and because,
without any mathematical education,
it places the comb in its hive at pre-
ciSely the angle that will cause it to oc-
cupy the least possible space, people
rave about the Intelligence of the bee
and write poetry about it. Yet the
bee, with all its supcrhuman intelli-
gence, will, when swarming, allow it.
self to be baggcd by negro boy beat
ing on IN old tin pan. Like bees. the
mass of the people allow themselves to
be bagged by demagogues, who shake
some political bloody shirt at them.
Again, like the bee, there are men
who well, for example, there is that
wealthy citizen of Houston, whose abili-
", enterprise, and money built rail
road through the pine regions. He
was hived short time ago by q bunco
man-she simple old lottery ticket game
and the prominent railroad man.
when he balanced his cash, was - 600
short
1t is claimed for the red ant that it
IS one of the most intelligent of the
saurian tribes that roam the plains.
1t is eXtolled TO the skies, and patted
on the back, so. 20 speak, on account OF
its great foresight in lay ing up during
summer food and fuel for winter This
is al very creditablo to the ant, as is
also the fact that it eschews politics,
speculations, poker, etc. Yet commu-
mites OF ants viii, year after year, build
their residences in tho middle OF wac
on road where hundreds Of them are
crushed TO death daily, and IL never oc-
ours TO them TO move their state capital
to more safe locality. in wreaking
vengeance on man, the intelligent ant
is particularly stupid. After il has
sealed mans lower eNtremitieS and
inflicted q stigma,as it were, on the sUf-
terer that causes him to shed tears and
some OF his clothes, the ant does not
seek TO escape by flight, but sticks
right TO the spot where the injured
party can get at him and dislocate his
spine or wrench of MS legs with a
lemon squcezer.
There may be traced resemblance
between the ant and the dcfaultinr
clerk or bank cashier, who brazens it
out in the place where he deprecated.
and who fails to seek repose in some
country without an extraditon treaty,
and whore detectives do not break
through and steal him away. There
IS also some resemblance 10 the ant
in the class of men who industriousiy
gather Of the worlds goods, at the
same time neglecting their health and
living in insalubrious places.
We might turn to the festive mosqui-
to, that does not lay in lirewood when
1t is cheap in summer and as aSconse-
quence perishes miscrably in winter,
and we might show q parallel ease
amOng mon. who are as carelnes ahnnt