The Republican., 1895-04-18
THE HOTEL cockRoAcH.
Interesting Study of the Habit of That
Duodecipedal Insect.

Interesting Study of the Habit of That
Duodecipedal Insect.
The hotel cockroach is a creature of
quiet, methodical habits, and although
of decidedly gregarious tastes so far
as his own race is concerned, shows a
marked repugnance for the society of
such of his fellow-boarders as possess a
fewer number of legs than have been
given to him. it is for this reason that
he is never seen in company with BIZ
peds, tripods, quadrupeds or any other
animals that he is positive do not be-
long to his own family.
The hotel cockroach in it's highest
development is duodecipede and as
proud of the number of its legs as an
Austrian nobleman is of the quarter
ings of his escutcheon. In fact, the
duodecipedes form distinct cockroach
aristocracy and are ''bigbugs" in the
full sense of that familiar term.
Although he is occasionally seen
crossing hotel lobby or skulking be-
hind big pile of trunks, the roach is
possessed of certain tastes and preju-
dices which lead him to shun general
society in the daytime and remain in
elegant seclusion among the water
pipes until late at night, when the
crowds have departed and sleepy
night clerk and two hall-boys are the
only occupants of the lobby.
1t is then that the bugs of every de-
gree emerge from their hiding places
and indulge in their innocent revels
and athletic sports from which they
derive the fullest measure of enjoy
ment that it is possible to conceive Of
Col. Roomkey, who has been a night
clerk in various Broadway hotels for
the past quarter of century, and is
generally regarded as the highest au-
thority on hotel cockroaches having
made thorough study of their habits
and peculiarities during his long hours
OF duty, has contributed to the new
edition of the encyclopedia an eX-
haustive treatise on these remarkable
and interesting domestic animals
According to the colonel, they are
very expert in all matters pertaining
to sport, and display much skill and
daring in the pursuit and killing of
mice and other vermin, for which rea-
son he has always deemed it eXpedient
to allow the fiercest and strongest of
them to have the free run of the hotel
during the quiet hours of the early
morning. The course of physical train
ing which they undergo is remark
ably thorough and effective one, and
he has frequently seen them playing
follow-your-leader, bounding from va
lise to cuspidor, scaling almost mac
cessible heaps of baggage and swim
ming across washbasins. The colonel
has frequently feigned sleep in order
to watch them crawl softly across the
marble counter on which his feet rest
ed, stand up on their hind legs by the
inkstand and drink the ink, after which
they invariably wiped their beaks and
forefeet on the blotting paper.
Once thoroughly house-brol1en, .
says Col. Roomkey, they make better
household pets than either cats or
spiders, and are really excellent com
pany for a lonely hotel clerk who is
behind the desk all night long
The natural foe of the hotel cock
roach, and the most dreaded as well,
is the colored servitor, who wages a re-
lentless and cruel war of extermina-
ton against this worthy insect, re-
ferring to him as ''annudder o dem
gunboats," and pursuing him on every
possible occasion with all the malevo-
lence of brutal nature. 1t some
times happens that in the watches OF
the night noise like the sudden ex-
plosion of an inflated paper bag is
heard by some wakeful guest and tells
of the passing of another duodecipede
over to the great majority. Brandon
Bucksaw.