Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-05-07
TEN THOUSAND LEEcHEs LOOSE.
Hundreds Of them Invade a Tenement TO
the Discomfort of the Occupants.

Hundreds Of them Invade Tenement to
the Discomfort of the Occupants.
People in the Western Addition have
slept soundly for years in ignorance Of
the fact that at any moment a plague
wors than the locusts Of Egypt might
come crawling into open windows and
under loosely hung doors-a plague Of
fierce bloOd-hungry leeches.
There is an extensive leech farm at
1925 Bush street, where 1000 of the
repulsiye monsters are confined. await
ing purchasers. The farm is one Of
two in the United States, the other
being in New York, and there at times
3D. leeches squirm ceaselessly about
over and through swamp muck, con-
stantly searching for some hapless
animal that chance may have mired
down 10 furnish feast for the insatiate
annelid.
The leeches at the San Francisco
farm broke away the other night and
oyerspread the neighboring tenement
in very short time. Hundreds Of
them crawlcd up the walls and tried
every window and crevice But a
minority found their way into the
sleeping rooms-not more than q thou
sand but even that number Of snaky,
greenish-blaek, creepy worms sufficed
TO territy the occupants almost into
fits when they felt the eager suction Of
the leeches, and awoke TO find them
selves festoOned with the ugly products
OF the swampy oo2c Of Bordeaux.
The first 10 awaken was a young
! lady, and she was not long in aunounc-
ing her distress and arousing her
fellOw-occupants of the house. only 20
find that each of them had for room
companions from score to hundreds
of the leeches.
Brooms were sayagely piled in every
corner, and under every piece Of furnit-
ure Bed-clothing was shaken aud
closely examined Leech bites were
dressed with soothing applications,
and after several hours of activity the
household again settled down to rest.
Next morning an examination Of the
premises and those adjacent was made,
and when the leech farm was discover
ed the secret was out, as we'll rs the
leeches.
The worms are brought from France,
where about Bordeaux there are wide
areas Of black, light ooze. in which
, leeches of the iieTcest sort multiply I'M
stiuted. The ooze fairly heaves with
their writings at the season of the
year when they are most active. and
then one Of the cruelest sights possible
may be seen.
n7l ~
service, are driven into the marshes
and are soon covered with the hungry
leeches, which fasten to lips, eyelids,
nose, or any other tender part. and
hang on until glutted with the life
blood of their victim. or until the
wretched horse weakens under the
drain and falls 10 suTocate in the slime
of the leech morass
When leeches ar desired to send to
| New York or San Francisco men are
hired whose poverty compels them tn
accept any chance. The men walk
bare-legged into the borders Of the
| leech swamps and are Immediately
covered by the repul,iye crawlcss, but
before they can more than pierce the
s. sin of the men with their sharp semi
I lunar Afttu AhEN dAE swept OL AlLD
pouches, from which they are counted
out into beds Of wet moss and boxes
/ Of their native ooze, embedded in
which they are transported safely any
distance.
The large leeChes, such as those of
Japan. which reach two feet in length,
are not i'm common use. nor are certain
! poisonous sorts, such as the small black
/ ieeches OF Australia The thick, fat,
fierce worms Of Hungary. Sicily, and
France are preferred by practitioners
who use leeches. and il IL from those
countries that the rest Ct the world is
supplied The san Francisco leech
farm = formed by placing quantities
/ of the uaze of the Bordeaux swamps.
| Especially imported for the purpose. in
large boxes with tight covers. The
| leeghes bore about through tae muck
until Nautal for sale, when they are
counted out. washed. and disposed Of.
ready to bite any living thing and hang
on until they are swollen 20 eight or
ten times their ordinary size. Then
they drop off and lie dormant until as
similaUon shall have been finished and
hunger again arOuses them. = sun
/ Francisco Examiner.