The sun., 1897-01-17
HE FIGHTS COCKRoACHBS.
A Mna whose Vocation Is the Pursuit OF
These Too Familiar Bugs.

HE FIGHTS COCKROACHES.
A Msa whose Vocation Is the Pursuit OF
These Too Familiar Bugs.
From the ST. Lous Globe Dsmocrat
BosroS, Dec. 30.-Ths Pied Piper who charmed
away rats and reptiles In olden times has faded
into n misty legend. but that n successor Of his
still lives. aud does hourishing business. few
people are aware. 1t is n fact, however. that In
Boston there lives at the present time man
who gets his living by stamping out vermin Of
every description. He doesn't 30 about as did
his carly predecessor. with q curious costume
and n magic pipe. for his instruments OF war
fare are all contained in a neat leather satchel.
Neither does he look bit like a magician. for
no 10 quito q young man. with blue eyes ard
Light mustache and hair. His name Ia q. Il. De
Lue. and his place Of business Is on crooked
little alley known as Avery street.
He is a hrstrate. all-round vcrmin hunter, but
his specially is the obnoxious water bug. first
got his address from the steward OF one OF tho
hotels. from which ho had stampeded all tho
aforesaid bugs"
SO sure is tho hunter OF his success tha: he
usually takes n contract to rid the premises for
q certain length Of time, say year.
found him very pleasant. and rs might DO
expected. well up In the peculiar!ties and habits
OF the bugs in question.
"In the frst place" said he. there are not so
very many real cock kroaches. They are about
two inches long. and differ In many particulars
from the water bugs. whose greatest length Is
reaches breathe from little openings all along
their body. ten on each side The scientific
implies. IL came from the Orient. II is calou-
lated that the first roach landed IN England not
S'c SSs eomo an 70 tSs from. rapdy ALTHOUGH not on
the passenger list, they doubtless came over in
The water bug is variety with n stir harder
pams-but Is. no doubt. used to hard names"
Mr.. De Lue goes cunning Tor them with pow
| and is as deadly as the fsr-famed knock out
drops upon the ,unsuspectlng human victim.
| proportions. He hunts the bugs by day ight, as
they, are all then hidden away IN crannies
| What would be tho effect Of dropping nsman
pinch o. powder upon single bug placed upon
run 10 tn. edge. There are Ave or, siI different
| ingredients. all OF which are fatal, They stick
70 the bugs feet and teelsrs: and ho pot'0ns
mouth to cleanse them. have spilled a box OF
powder on tho floor and seen a water bug walk
| into IL and drop in tho middle OF the heap.
For ssreat hotel. one having countless bath
rooms and mile. of plumbing, sometlmes uso
tho bugs are originally from warm climates,
and they therefore stay chiefly around the
AsNti' VIZ i once zee Thoroughly clear out a private
house no, bug will be E sesn i05 s as ma many ,, a,
IassS marty sS go ionr because they arc % constantly
bringing ,h:% In often in the straw in which
III. cockroaoh Ia tho original sixteen to one
advocate. The egg cases. which are laid with
alarming frequency. are little brown purses.
' little rosches @ % no more. no less rAclsd in TWO
rows AS neatly as cigarettes. They arc white
the air. The little water bug is even more pro-
Inc. for his family increases at tho rate OF from
'hMSiSyawGs MSy.a ,ss to sooa rSfaY "i Sa Sp wpAp Mnn.
rived In Boston and was turned over TO the boy 3
arIS igs swarminS With larss and G'% small HS roseSs
They could be -cooped up by the handful. Com
mander Week, almost nos ds,psired -; =, Of IRE rendering
and tho reaches had a lad day OF 1t. None have
Almost aiI the large real estate owners con.
tribute to tho comfortable earnings OF tho
hunter of insects.
Mr.. De Lue was born In Maine. but has lived
IN Boston for the last twenty: -four years; lie
was for many years connected with the hotel
tn. difficulty OF fighting these unpleasant pests
that he frat started out !" solve tho problem
and fnsl,y nal disc discovered T this non. poi.onous % com.
pound about slx years ago, He eHperlmented
with !, f'r three years yesrs and finally Secomins y.
to make bug killing his business. He has from
the first worked for all the notable Boston
arst In tho business. In the old days" ho
said. "a man could only. take caro- OF three OF
or eighty with no more dificulty. People won,
believe mo when tell them that each little egg
Ssld one oSes IN my hand Until Il That Rscsed viii, Hi
| the heat, and then showed Il to tho man was
talking 10. Tho hrst OF the lttl bugs were
running around looking for n place to hide
before the last were out OF the sack. They were
little white speckS at fret, but then the little
% tSaSe ''fs The ] eyes were tiny black spseEs "
"In New York." he continued. =" hear thoy
nre having n fearful time with these insects
They hro so plenty that they stop np the drai M
and pipes, and in now buildings they are using
Zinc instead Of wood around the kitchen
whsrevar poasible. L guess | shnll have to &c
thero and take = turn at them,
"The bug-hunting season Ia dullcst In cold
weather, the two months when bugs are thick.
: est being In September and october. Where
} get my success is in stopping breeding. Thu
small bugs are killed Just about ~ soon A. he,
are Matched, and it's Just as important to xii
sixteen young ones as ono old one. They arr
smart and intelligent, too. Oftentimes you Will
| see them come out and wAtch you, with the
: feelers waving i'm ths air. IL you make mov'
4 FOR them they will dive out OF sight l don,
! suppose the general public knows that the III
2 OF tho average cockroach is Mt least hve years
| at which age no is several hundred times
l grandfather, and has about two bushels o
descendants.
!. crawls out. He then has on light suit am
. tan shoes. Ths sun aud air soon turn then
y dark brown. They eat any OH thlng, ana, a
| they are somewhat related to the Rrasshopper'
| like them they pour from their mouth dark
4 molasses-l Ike fuid, Of repu!slvs appearance an
y odor which aids their digestion. They have a
= enormous stomach. In proportion 10 their size
Mr.. De Lue has so fnr prospertu IN M
= uninue profession that he has acquired nea
little property in real estate In the suburbs an
y Ia fast becoming well TO DO.