The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-05-08
THE HOTEL ROACH.
Study In Natural History Contributed BY
Veteran Night Clerk.

Study In Natural History Contributed BY
Veteran Night Clerk.
The hotel cockroach Is d creature
of quiet, mothodical habits, and al-
though of decided gregarious tastes
SO far as his own race is concerned
shows a marked repugnance for the
society of such of his follow board
ers aspossess fewer number of legs
than have been given to him. 1t is
for this reason that he is never seem
in company with bipeds, tripods,
quadrupeds OF any other animals"
that he is positive do not belong to
his own family.
The hotel cockroach in it's highest
development is a duodeciped and as
proud of the number Of his logs as
an Austrian noblsman is Of the quar-
terings Of his escutcheon. In fact, tho
duodecipeds form a distinct cock
roach aristocracy and are big bugs
in the full sense of that familiar
term.
Although he is occasionally soon
crossing hotel lobby or skulking
behind u big pile of trunks, the roach
is possessed of certain tastes and
prejudiccs which lead him to shun
general society in the daytime and
remain in elegant seclusion among
the water pipes until lato at night
when tho crowds have departed and
SLOPPY night clerk and two bell
boys are tho only occupants of the
lobby.
It is then that the bugs of every
degree emerge from their hiding
places and indulge in their Innocent
rovcls and athletic sports, from
which they derive the fullest meas
ure Of enjoyment that it is possible
to conceive Of.
Colonel Roomkey, who has been a
night clerk in various hotels for tho
past quarter of a century and is gen
orally regarded as the highest living
authority on cockroaches, having
made a thorough study of their hab-
it's and peculiarities during his long
hours Of duty, has contributed to
the new edition of the encyclopedia
an exhaustive treatise on these re-
markable 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
reason he has always deemed 1t ex-
pedient to allow the fercest and
strongest of them to have the free
run of the hotel during the quiet
hours of the early morning. The
course Of physical training which
they undergo is remarkably thor
ough and effective one, and he has
frequently seen them playing follow
your leader, bounding from valise to
cuspidor, scaling almost inaccessible
heaps of baggage and swimming
across wash basins. Th0colonel has
frequently foigned sleep in order to
watch them crawl softly across the
marble counter on which his feet
rested, stand up on their hind legs
by the inkstand and drink the ink,
after which they invariably wiped
their beaks and fore feet on the blot
ting paper.
"Onoe thoroughly house broken"
says Colonel Roomkey, "they make
better household pets than either
cats or spiders and are really excel.
lent company for a lonely hotel clerk
who is behind the desk all night
long"
The natural foe of the hotel cock.
roach, and tho most dreaded as we'll,
is the colored servitor, who wages
relentless and cruel war Of extermi-
nation against this worthy insect,
referring to him as "annudder O.
dem gunboats. and pursuing him
OH every possible occasion with all
tho malevolence Of a brutal nature.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.