Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-04

been found 70 I've ineficacious, seeing
that n learned German naturalist has
demonstrated that a flea can endure
immersion in hot water for mp
wards of forty minutes, and that u
might sometimes happen that the end
Of the experiment might be the parboi'-
ing, not of the flea, but OF the victim.
Another and more fanciful device has
been recommended which consists IN
carefully balancing n slate ut an angle OF
fifteen degrees on the end OF a luciier
match, placed on On open copy OF
Punch with a lighted candle before 1t.
The feas are naturally attracted TO the
pernsal Of the facetious periodical when
they reach the end OF the page they are
Of course anxious 10 turn over - fresh
column OF fuDniments," but in the at
tcmpt 10 do 50 they disturb the perpen-
dicuIar Of the match, and down comes
the slate and squashes them. stu, the
practicability OF even this course OF pro
cedure has been questioned IN the
case OF house where the heas
are as numerous as the leaves IN
Vallamboroso, seeing that a paving
stone OF the largest size, instead OF a
slate. would be required for the purpose,
and single match would scarcely be
able 10 sustain the superintendent
weight. After all, perhaps, the Prlze Tor
n0enuity-notf for absolute flea catching.
but for the evasion OF the attacks OF
those minnie plagues-should be award
cd to the Rlobe-trotter in the tropics,
who gleefullv told bis friends that he
had wholly escaped being tlea-bltten du-
ring his travels. as be always took care to
have bis white linen clothes thoroughly
well starched. so thst the feas had
not purchase, and slipped Of in hide
Gus disnay from IRE impregnsble man.
There was no getting at that shining one.
II is ~ be feared that tho bank director
daughter only followed the good old
rule-the simple but slightly inartlstlc
plano finger and thumb. She would
have done much better had she care
fully boiled some mercury and some sul-
pbur IN VIpkin and scrupulously spIln-
ked the carpet with the mixture. She
might have done best had she filed a fry
ing pan with Cayenne pepper. set fire
10 IT. and awaited the results. VI IS cer-
tnin that the fleas would not have sur
yjved tire ordeal, but the consequences
might have boon disagreeable TO the
frirr OF the CAYENNE. Or she might have
tried eome OF TIE extensively advertised
vcrmin povders. We Do not, however,
fail 10 sympathizc with tie young lady,
especially in thut part Of her evidence IN
which she described the horror she had
felt m finding flee on her hand while
cuioviuean evening walk on that resort
ol bcautyand fashion the Southsea per.
The solicitor for the plaintiff did his
very bcsi for bis client ; but the County
I Court o. udQe held that the bank director
and hia family hal been driven from the
house through its being infested with
1 G,aa. and he consequently gave judgment
/ for the defendant with costs. The plain
/ tiH's representative took occasion 10 re-
mark THAT the deci ION opened up very
vide question, not only IN Southsca, but
/ elsewhere for, # a party hroueh: lieas
/ with item INTO lodgings and were pcrse-
| cutcd by tho insects, u would continually
/ lc an excuse for breach OF contract.
| lie therefore asked for n new trial
/ with "a mtg, in order that the knotty
/ point might be decided as to how many
/ llcas were requisite 90 niest house.
new triai was refused but the gentle
man was toll that hc could 90 TO %
hrher court That course Is undoubt-
cdIy open % him. hut 1T IS 10 hc feared
| THAT on the question Of the number OF
/ No9s requisite TO constitute "nie-uon
! fine ARGUMENTS would be as bootiess as
| tho controversy among the medieval
/ scholiasts as 10 how many thousands ~
angels could dance on tire point OF a
needle. Whore rs the statIst who can
count Aeas? They are infinitely more
apie than the little hills which
skip and hop; for tho lively
hea. rendng the slikcn yoh
which has shrouded hm in ms larya CON
dItion. literally leaps Into the life which
Is to be so merry 10 him, until one fatal
night the Eumenidos of the finger and
tho thumb close upon HIM. and he
concludes his existence in an unmclodl-
Gus crack. How are You TO take stock
Of hcas which at single bound clear
the measure OF 200 times their length
and height ? The knotty point as to IN
testing might indeed be solved could the
liens be put IN the witness box and
| sworn to tell the TRUTH and the whole
truth, and nothing hut the truth !;
but as vet the tiny creatures
remain inarticulate. Nevertheless,
in these secular miracle-worklng
days Of Photographs and micro
phones, 1t would be hazardous to assert
that the time will never come when fieas
shall be loQuacious. Whe kotzbue. the
author Of " The Stranger. was IN Parls
IN 1904, be met with probably the first
exhibitor of industrious fleas which had
been seen in the French capital. They
were harnessed to and drove carriages ;
they drew loaded cannon and were not
terrified by the defamation of the dis
charge thereof while other ileas, array
ed in military garb. rode on teaback or
surveyed IA Roman emperors the per
formances Of acrobatic heas, who
jumped through hoops, hofped
races, and stood on each others heads,
while the rear was brought up by one
guilty lea convicted of some dire offence,
and who plodded sulkly along with a
! golden chain and ball attached to one OF
his many and criminal toes. The der
man tourist had the curiosity to ask the
Snowman, who was Nh Italian, how he
trimmed his fcas to 60 through their as
tOnishing tricks. lie WAS told they were
taught to draw heavy weights by beng
attached by cable made Of three strands
of human hair to the body which was TO
DO moved. The flea tagged aud tugged
to Eberate itself until the object to
which it was tied budged just lit
tie Then to encourage the laboring
flea the weight was placed on rollers,
and finally the insect was harnessed
TO wheeled vehicle. kotzbue would
have pursued his inquiries further, but
be was met with the vague yet suficlng
reply Of prisoners patience" accom-
panied by significant fash from the
ltalisn's dark eyes. lie had possibly
been lin trouble, and had begwled the
tedium of his captivity by teaching
tricks to fless, even as other prisoners
have forgotten the horrors of their dun
geons in tanning rats, mice, and spiders.
Altogether the lively flea although he is
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