Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1889-03-14
rHE RoAcFs.kILLER.



:. ma,mAm@ "a - gss sAa maass sm~mw&m.
hWn nave perhaps heard tMAf there
j. a man Ia Pittsburgh who makes bis
living by destroying cock-r1arhes. A.
there are a good many Of those trouble
su'ne insects In the city AZ an times
The crop being one which never fails
tn dry SEASONS. uad does bsttrr In act
oHes-ahd but onr man who &. their
sworn cucmy. quite naturally be- l.
kept rather busy Fate tried 10 OBJ
srars him by hs~tow ing ga him a com
MON patrouymic. bat b. has risen 10
rvnnuu la spite ~ a. Prom The last
End " the Wet End and from the
bleak bluff on the south eide of the
MpnongahelA % the top ~ Troy hill
hoy ond the Allegheny, yes. even be-
You'd the bounds ~ the county and the
lines ~ the State. the fame of the
Pittsburgh rOaeh-kiiler has spread
tur fourteen years b. ha- bccn vaeing
war on The roaeh trihe, By which be i
doubtless rrgarded A. veritablp mon
.tsr. Vet b. does net slaughter the
innocent 90 insects hseausc he de-
lights In cruelty % animals. but b,.-
cause IL l. his business and be gets
paid for H.
The roach-man takes contracts for
foeping the pertiierous orihoptera out
~ public buildings. hotels. depots. sa-
looms, stores and private residences.
He charges a certain sum per year Zoe
the work When he has bccn engaged
for job he goes al night armed with
dark lantern. aitirvd la overalla aud
q blouse. and carrying wlth him q
satchel. bellows and powder ot his
own Manufacture.
lie wears a sponge over his nose. 80
that when he begins shooting The
powder into the haunts of the bugs he
may not breathe too much of it him
self lie claims that the stuff will kin
nothing bat roaehes. yet he prefers
pure atmosphere for respiratory pur-
poses.
Then he goes prylng around into
cupboands. closets, bchind furniture,
into dark corners, and every time he
liberal quantity u the death-deallng
compound among them. When he has
flashed the tour ~ the whole building
b. goes away, 30 return again a week
later Two az thr,se more weekly
nocturnal visits foilow. and after that
be- takes look over the house once
fortnight to make SURE that no new
families shall move la and make the
place their permanent quarters. Etsr-
nal vigilance ls the price oi freedom
from reaches.
There are more ruaches than ever
In the city since natural gas began 10
BE- used. /" said the lnsect-slayeF. They
hreed faster In warm places. and
people generally keep their houses
much warmer, especially a. night
With gas than when coal wa= the fuel
A female reach lays ten oF aftoen
eggs nj a time. and lays ofien. These
eggs are all enelosod Ia one she'll, the
powder won't prevent them from
ha,ching. and ~ course have " keep
= sharp watch or a vigorous eomma-
atty ~ young reaches would sooH
spring Into beihg 10 take the place Of /
the old ores killed OF
''kaaehea. although universally de-
tested. are much more eleanly in their
habits than house nlee. Give me my
choice of ford that reaches have
feasted On and that whieh has fur
niNhmd meals se the eies. and | wiil
ehoo@e tha stuff the rssaches have 4
tfAmpled an every time. They like
% gse and any thing that h moist. aud
srs always aaoee numerous wherc
waaer l. frequently sioppcd areAmd.