The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-09-26
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
FINDS PLEASURE IN THE INVES-
n
TIGATlON OF DAME NATURE.
He Dissertates Upon Beetles, Rabbits
and Literature.
I wish that were a great naturalist

nave RTea. admiration 1Or LlnucuS AnC
Audubon and Humboldt and AeassiZ.
It seems to be by design that sucl
men were born to explore the myster-
les OF nature and solve them, and then
teach them to us. They arc all dead,
but they finished their life work and
nobody has improved upon it. never
go into drug store and read the Lat.
in names upon the jars but what ]
think Of Linneus. What Il work fol
one man to do--tc walk thousands OF
miles over mountains and valleys, in
heat and cold, and to study AMI tc
classify 5000 different Towering plants
and innumerable others that did not
flower. Poor as charity during his
early manhood; for weeks and months
actually suffering for food; and even
when his earnest work began to attract
attention of the learned and great he
was not allowed to marry tie girl he
loved until, like jacob, he had been
put on five years. probation. How ne
WAS enriched. honored and ennobIed
in his latter life is matter Of history
and is pleasant reading.
was Illuminating about these things
because q friend from 1TiIlcdgeville
wrote me about the large yellow but
terhies that were now migrating south
ward and asked if I had observed them.
He says that next spring they may be
seen migrating northward, and this
annual change OF place is as certain as
the flight of the swallows. For a few
days past had noticed tho number OF
these beautiful butterflies that were
passing over our flowers in the front
yard and stopping hurried moment
to sip honey from their chalices and
then moving on with steady and grace
full flight, but it had not occurred to
me that they were all going one way.
But they are; and still they come and
still they go; not by hundreds nor
tens, but hardly minute passes but
what I can see two or three or .half
dozen flying leisurely along, They are
a peculiar species, are all Of size and
with solid chrome yellow wings that
seem less .frail than those OF other
variet i& What does their flight
sisni.s2 Do they know that win
ter is coming, and whom? Where
is their journeys end? Where
will they stop to lay their eggs and
die, and what will be the TRANSFORMED
ton that brings new butterflies to life
for return in the early spring? Such
things are to be observed md studied,
but who does it? Some years ago when
I was farming I observed that hundreds
Of small branches of the persimmou
and the apple and other trees wero
lying upon the ground with withered
leaves, and upon examination they
seemed to have been cut CT as by Il
tiny turning lathe; the inclsion Il half
inch wide at the bark and narrowing
down to the center just as turning
chisel would do it. None OF the nabors
could explain it to me, but { found out
on closer investigation that it was done
by black beetle that first made m
incision on the tender bark and laid
her eggs like o locust and then pro-
ceeded to cut off the limb so that it
might fall to the ground where
the larvae could hatch and then
burrow in the soil and go through
natures transformations But how
did the beetle cut the limb so ar
tistical]y? Why it fastened its hard,
sharp, horny mandibles to the bark
and then buzzed round and round by
the power of its wings until the work
was done. What wonderful me-
chanic is this beetle! What wonder
full study in nature! There is more
unsolved science III the lightning bugs,
that like little meteors brighten the
twilight on our lawns, than in the
electric flashes that illuminate the
clouds. What are all these things for?
Humboldt says there are 400 different
species OF humming birds. What for?
Why should not one kind or ten kinds
have answered the Creators purpose?
Why are millions of flowers born to
blush unseen OF mountain sides and
cliffs and in the desert? Humboldt says
there are 100000 beautiful scales Oh q
large butteray's wing, and they can be
seen and counted with q microscope.
Why should there be 80 many2 Who
ever sees them but God, and perhaps
the angels?
But there is no limit to these mys-
ter!es, and no answer to these ques-
tions. And so I will forbear. There
seems to be bigger things before the
people now. The paramount question
is gold or silver and even the preach.
ers have engaged in the discussion.
DR.. Parkhurst and Tom Dixon and
some OF the southern ministers have en-
tered the arena and are trying to con-
vert sinners, not to repentance, but TO
gold or silver, according to their
views. They have searched the scrip
lures to find something about gold
and silver that they can torture and
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