The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-09-10
AN EXPENSIVE Rug.
The Gypsy Moth Cost the Gov
eminent 100000.
q Was Hunted for Months by an Expedi-
tiop Throughout the whole Country
The Insect Cost Massachusetts
Fortune.

The other day / made trip with
Secretary Morton about his preserves.
Every once in two or three Months the
secretary makes progress throughhis
domain, which extends as far as the eX-
perimental station at Bennings, near
Washington. u. c.. and about four miles
from what might be called his head
quarters in the Mall. As we stepped
out of the door OF the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ing Secretary Morton pointed TO a
small brick structure to the east.
That's where we keep our insects"
he said, "and no one need laugh al our
collection. l regard it as fine an array
of bugs as any on earth. Yes, sir" re-
marked the secretary. while his eyes
twinkled, for be it known the secretary
doesn't think much of bug investiga-
tions. I've got bug in there that cost
the government $4,000; ho doesn't
look il. but he did. lisa fact. One day
an outfit of scientists started in pur-
suit of this bug. They ranged all over
the hemisphere and stuck to his trail
llht
North America all the way from the
isthmus to Alaska. After the most re-
markable adventures by flood and field.
they freed their bug and took him "A
prisoner He was then brought captive
to Washington and he's right there
now. in that brick house. the highest
priced bug on earth. A roundup OF the
total expense of that one bug hunt
came TO over $4,000. But we got the
bug.
There's nothing like science" re-
marked the secretary. "or scientists to
bring some bald detail of government
properly tn bay.
"For instance, there was Prof. IIar.
rington. at one time chief Of the wealth
er bureau He was scientist. and a
good one, and used only scientific meth
DDS in everything to which he turned
his hand. For example. one day our
weather fellow at Baker City, Ore.
failed TO send in a report for four
straight days. We didn't know whether
he was in the midst of storms or caims:
we couldn't hear from him. This ttaker
City silence grew tedious. My first mo-
tice of it, however, was one morning
when | received a communication from
| Prof harrington, wherein he set forth
the deathlilSe stiffness which prevailed
| in the case of our Baker city man and
wound upby recommending that gen.
tleman named Smith in San Francisco
be instructed to proceed 10 Baker Ity
at an expenditure not to exceed $Ioo.
and explore the observatory. as well as
the man in charge. and discover the
reasons of his silence. II struck me as
II scientific case of going all ABOUT
| Robin Hoods barn, and 1 remarked To
| the professor after reading his recon-
mcndatIon:
| - guess well follow your recon-
mendation after have wired HIM
that is. il it should then he necessary
"rhereupon took a telegraph biauk
and wired my tnnguetie'l friend AZ
Baker THY. and briefly asked why he
had tnIlcd to send the weat her report for
the last four days In about an hour
his reply came in.
| "'i;ecause the wires were down until
this morning. They have just been re-
| paired
THAT was all he said, but it was full
enough for our purpose. OF course, We
eiidnt get the information seientitical
| ly but we got it Just the same, and il
| only cost IS cents instead of 800.
"Siill. there is nothing like science"
continued the secretary" only one
should be mighty careful how he fools
with it. scientific mishap is apt tn
broaden into disaster rapidly. twas
only recently that some earnest French
scientist imported from Europe an in
sect called the gypsy moth lie in
| tended to cross this foreign moth with
some local bird of kindred feather. and,
Will. Tn not clear as To his ultimate
expectations. my impression is that he
| Thought that this mule moth which he
WAS after would take some important
part in silk culture.
80 he brought family of gypsy
moths and established himself with
these interesting insects in some town
| in Massachusetts. He had them all
lacked up in a sort of a mosquito-net-
ling cage. This was hanging near an
open window, in order to give the cap
tiyes "a chance at the fresh air, and
wind came along. when the French
mans scientific back was turned, and
blew the whole business out of doors.
The gypsy moths got away and since
then they and their descendants have
nearly eaten up every green thing in
Massachusetts, except Congressman
Morse. ! hear the moths missed him
It's the truth; the moths simply laid
waste the state, and the legislature has
already been driven TO appropriate over
s4DU 900 toward their determination
That happened as the result OF that
scientific experiment. Oh, mol / am
not saying anything against science;
only wish TO emphasize the fact that
people who fool with it ought TO have
care. IN. T. journal.
An Cnwashed Model.
"This is one of my models, !" Mr..
Brown said one day to the writer,