Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-05-13
SCREW WORMS OF THE SOUTH.
Two Congressman Discuss the Terrible
Insect and Its Habits.

Two congressman Discuss the Terrible
Insect and It's Habits.
l dropped into the democratic cloak
room of the house the other day, writes
Amos J. Cummings. There was a bright
fire in the little CRATE. The apartment
was warm and comfortable. Seated
near the CRATE were four or five demo-
cratic congressman, lolling in easy
chairs, rubbing their legs, and enjoying
the bright glow of the Goals. Among
them were Hon. Samuel Matthews
Robertson, of Baton Rouge, and
Hon. Littleton Wild Moore, of La
Grange, Tex. Robertson is manly
young fellow, with regular features, a
clear complexion and an eagle eye He
has pushed many "a dear through the
swamps of Louisiana. and has won a
national reputation as bear hunter.
He succeeded his father as member of
congress three years ago. Moore is a
tall gentleman, with blue eyes, sandy
hair, rudy complexion, and a lichen
growth upon his chin. He is a conven-
tional Texan in attire, manner and con-
versation. He served in the confed-
crate army, and had been on the bench
in Texas for years before he entered
congress.
Robertson was telling a bear story
when | entered the room. He lamented
the appearance Of the screwworm in
his section of Louisiana this year. He
has lately been hunting in the Crosse
tete country, on the border of the
Atch afalaya swamp. His party had run
i L.
killed it. The animal seemed to have
magnificent pelt. AS usual there, they
slipped rope around it's upper jaw,
tied the rope to the tail of a swamp
pony and dragged bruin into camp.
When they came to skin the beast they
found the hide utterly worthless. The
body was perforated with screw-worms.
Not morsel of the meat could be eaten.
Even the paws, which are regarded as
great delicacy in the south, were value
less.
Robertson asserted that this was the
first time he had ever seen the screw
worm in Louisiana. 1t had evidently
come over from Texas. Upon inquiry
afterward he learned that cOons, pos
sums, foX-squirrels, hogs, dogs and all
kinds of cattle were infected with them.
"Why," said he, they tackle the blacks.
/ heard of a negro who was filed with
them" A northern congressman sought
information concerning the screw
worm. Robertson said that as long as
the skin of an animal remained I'M
the scrub, however, cattle were fire.
AL, l,,}o 10,
growth. Wherever trace OF blood APP
peared it attracted fly that deposited
larvae. He at first said that the fly left
behind it tiny grub of'unusual activity.
At this Judge Moore fired up. Moth
ing of the kind, he said. 1.-THE fly lays
an egg, the egg matches into worm.
and the worm bores into the hide, and
keeps on growing and burrowihg, and
burrowing and growing, till it gets to
be grub nearly as big as your thumb.
We've always had 'ern in Texas
Possibly you are right, responded
Col. Robertson. but if the fly de-
posits an egg the egg matches nearly on
the instant. l have seen a worm wig
Cling like a skipper within ten seconds
after the fly disappeared. When the
worm once gets to work, there seems to
be no remedy. The hog is the only ami
NAL that can get shut of them. If his
hide is perforated he plunges into a
bed of soft mud and wallows
there. The mud plugs up the holes
in his hide and suffocates the
grub. Let a drop of blood appear up
on the nose Of q horse, the leg of a sheep,
L l. G -,
and the fly will be thare. A negro in
the Gros-e-tete country got drunk, ran
against tree, and set his nose bleed
ing. Not long afterward he lay down
and went to sleep. A fly crawled into
his. nostrils and deposited it's larve. The
screw-worm made it's appearance, forced
its way to his brain, and the negro died
in horrible agonies.
The colonel said that in certain places
traordinary numbers. It had deposited
it's Larvae III great beds of mud. The eggs
had Matched, and the mud was alive
with grubs
This again aroused the Texas con-
gresham. He began anew to descant
upon the achievements of the Lone
Star screw worm. He said that in
Texas they had found only one remedy
when cattle were infested with them
They packed with dry buffalo COW
chips the holes made in the hide by the
worm. This moisture in the wound
swelled the substance, excluding all
air, and the worm persisted and dried
up.
The two distinguished gentlemen had
quite a discussion as to how the worm
propagated. They finally agreed, how
ever, that after a certain period of life
it dropped out upon the ground, and
turned into chrysalis. Afterward the
fly was evolved, and, pernicious as ever,
began to look for blood.
Col. Robertson was asked whether
the screw-worm troubled birds. He re-
piled that he did not know. The north
ern congressman, who sought the in
formation, said that he had killed cat
birds in the spring in the northern thick
ct and at certain times found their
bodies filed with grubs. He fancied
that they might be similar to the screw