The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-03-05
AN EXPENSIVE BUG.
The Gypsy Moth COST the Gov
eminent $4,000.
1t was Hunted for Months by an Expedi-
tlon Throughout the Whole Country
The Insect Coat Massachusetts,
Fortune

The other day j made q 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, d. c., and about fourmiles
from what might be called his head
Quarters in the Mall. AS we stepped
outof the door of the agricultural build
ing Secretary Morton pointed TO
small brick structure to the east
"That's where we keep our insects"
he said, "and no one need laugh at our
collection. / 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 investlga-
tions. I've got bug in there that cost |
the government 100000; he doesn't
look it, 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
like bloodhounds. They ransacked
North America all the way from the
isthmus to Alaska. After the most re-
markable adventures by food and field,
they treed their bug and took him
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 to bay.
For instance, there was Prof. Har-
ringtou. at one time chief of the wealth
er bureau. He was scientist, and a
\ good one, and used only scientific meth
ods in everything to which he turned
/ his hand. For example, one day our
weather fellow at Baker City, Ore,
failed to send in report for four
straight days. We didn't knowwhether
he was in the midst of storms or Gains;
we couldn't hear from him. This Baker
City silence grew tedious. My first no
tice of it, however, was one morning
when / received communication from
Prof. Harrington, wherein he set forth
the deathlike stiffness which prevailed
in the case of our Baker City man and
wound upby recommending that gen
tleman named Smith in San Francisco
he instructed to proceed TO Baker City
at an expenditure not to exceed 500,
( and explore the observatory, as well as
the man in charge. and discover the
reasons of his silence, 1t struck me as
a scientific case Of going all about
Robin Hoods barn. and remarked tt
the professor after reading his recon
mendation!
81 guess Wen follow your recon
mendation after l have wired him
that is, if it should then be necessary.
"Thereupon took u telegraph blanl
and wired my tongue-tied friend a
Baker City, and briefly asked why h
had failed tosend theweatherreport TO
the last four days. In about an hou
his reply came in.
Because the wires were down unit
this morning. They have just been re
paired
"That was all he said, but it was full
enough for our purpose. OF course, W
didn't get the information scientifical
IL, but we got it just the same, and
only cost IS cents instead Of 500.
"Stin, there is nothing like science,
continued the secretary" only on
should be mighty careful how he fool
with it. A scientific mishap is apt t
broaden into a disaster rapidly. Itwa
only recently that some earnest Erenc
scientist imported from Europe an il
sect called the gypsy moth He il
tended to cross this foreign moth wit
some local bird of kindred feather, ant
while I'm not clear as to his ultimat
expectations, my impression is that b
thought that this mule moth which b
II was after would take some importaI
part in silk culture.
4 $50 he brought family of gyps
moths and established himself wit
. these interesting insects in some tow
in Massachusetts. He had them q
! locked up in sort Of mosquito-ne
ting cage. This was hanging near q
. open window, in order to give the ca
tiyes a chance at the fresh air, and
wind came along, when the Ffenc
mans scientific back was turned, al
blew the whole business out of door
The gypsy moths got away and sin
then they and their descendants ha'
nearly eaten UP every green thing
Massachusetts,, except Congressmf
Morse. | hear the moths missed hii
It's the truth; the moths simply Id
waste the state, and the legislature hi
already been driven TO appropriate ov
100000 toward their exer1ninatio
That happened as the result Of tn
acientific experiment. Oh, no! q
\ pot saying anything against scienc
only wish to emphasize the fact tn
people who fool with it ought to have
care."-N. Y. journal.
Vitality of Disease Germs.
During the summer Of 1894 the not
bacteriologists Of Europe, Koch, of Gt