The Red Cloud chief., 1892-12-16
N T DRUNK ON INK.
Red Cedar Proves . 0ood Extsrminsto
of the Insects.

" Wv WV /
Red Cedar Proves . Oood Extsrminator
Of tho Insects.
"a few years sgo while living in q
Long Island cottage" writes a GORE
spondent, ~ discovered my writing
desk was inhabited by IL colony of large
black ants. This discovery gave me
great pleasure at the time, for I was
dull and headachy from ovcrwork. and
was thankful for any amusing or inter
esting diversion.
81 had been steadily writing for some
time, and had fina ly paused for n rest
from continuous thought, aud was idly
tracing IN n scrap of paper, when, to
my surprise, l saw u large black ant
make his appearance from behind a pile
Of papers and follow my pen.
II was still moro surprised to sec
that he was drinking tho ink. He fol-
lowed every movement OF the pen, and
was soon Joined by n half dozen more,
when learned that for ants, at least,
ink was n sort of champagne dissipa-
ton, for after getting n certain guam
tity they began q series of the most
amusing antics, showing plainly that
the ink had for them an intoxicant
quality. After their ludicrous liveli-
ness came . stupor, when they lay
curlcd up in little round balls wherever
they happened to fall. al
Being suddenly called away, l
brushed them in a little heap and
pushed them In n corner of the desk,
closing the lid. 1t was several days be-
fore l opened the desk again, and not
m ant was to III seen, though l moved
papers and boxes looking for them, but
as soon as tho scratching Of the pen be-
gan they came hurrying out and fol-
lowed ina most amazing procession
over the paper, again going through all
the different stages OF intoxicotion
Being unusually busy with my pen. l
now and then pushed them aside, until
in their last stage Of stupor they ceased
, 10 be troublesome. This sort of neigh
borliness between myself and the ants
| continued for several months, when,
moving to a different house In the same
neighborhood. l made up my mind that
| the ants would desert the desk, II not
able for some time to have their ink
, diet. But when the house was in order
and the desk again opened they came
out as lively as eve evidently rejoicing
at the opening of the season. But the
numbers having increased TO such an
extent that they were often seen on the
floors of other rooms, determination
was declared n necessity.
among the various remedies sug-
gested as 'infallible' was red CEDAR
and passing by a boatyard where the
men were planning planks Of this fra
grant wood, ! gathered n f'w Of the
shavings and put them among my
papers and the drawers in my desk, in
fact every nook which might serve as a
hiding place for my army Of midgets.
at so happened after this that my
desk was closed for many days, and In
the stress of more important matter l
quite forgot the ants, and when ! next
sat ut my writing was so absorbed In
my work that I did not for a while
notice their absence until a little piece
Of shaving recalled my merry little
topers and I began n search in their
hiding places.
II had nearly overturned everything
unsuccessfully until l lifted n pile of
old letters and found q box which had
] OHCC HcNu pcuS uliCu W thC VOP WIN
dead ants. Not one was TO be found
elsewhere, and I began to wonder over
the puzzle. Did they go in q body TO
escape the deadly effect Of the cedar or
did they select this as a mausoleum
and the survivors carry the dead there
until the last one was left alone to seek
shelter with his silent companions?
Not nm ant was discovered anywhere
else, and though all this happened six
years ago, no more have I'M So II
any reader hears a housekeeper bewail-
ing the arrival of these tiny pests just
' recommend red cedar. 1t is surely ef-
~fective.
Carpenters say that the presence Of
black ants in q house denotes dccayed
wood, and if repairs are made that will
cause them to leave. In tearing down
an old house one Of the workmen struck
n portion of wood n heavy blow, and in
demolishing by its force q number Of
anita q most Irritating and poisonous
liquid was expelled into his eyes, and
the man was almost maddened with
pain, and for several days it was feared
he would lose his sight. 3
"There Is no creature so small or In.
significant as to be without interest,
and ven the pests have elements which
q careful study can make sttractive.-
N. Y. Times a