The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-09-03

Never mind, said Drifter. i will
take you for sail on the Trinity river
some afternoon. They are talking now
of running line of boats up the Trim
ity from Galveston, and it will seem
like old times to get on real big ex-
cursion steamer
For the next week or two Trinity
river navigation was thoroughly agi-
tated in the Texas papers. AS near as
l could make out, the principal diff
Guilty seemed to be that they were clear
ing the river of snags. read that snag
boat No. 1 had accomplished wonders;
that snag boat No. 2 had just left Dallas,
and l fairly revealed in the anticipation
OF trip on the broad bosom of the
Trinity. Then the newspapers began to
print columns about the need of rain,
and 1t was reported that the snag boats
were tied up, owing to the drought.
zone day Drifter took me on the
train over to the banks of the Trinity.
Sure enough, there was the boat, an
excursion steamer on a small scale. to
be sure, but boat, nevertheless. Be
heve me, there was not two feet of
water in the deepest part OF that won
derful river. One of the Texans got real
mad when Drifter suggested that it
would be good idea to put the boat on
trucks, so as to give an excursion up
and down the river on wheels, at any
rate.
"'You wait until we have rain,' said
one of the Texans. then you won't poke
any fun at Trinity river navigation
'The rain finally came, and there was
enough of it to satisfy all Texas. Now
we will have our boat ride, said Drifter,
and we hurried over to Dallas. Alas,
Trinity river was then so high that the
excursion boat would either have to be
pulled over the bridge or stay at its
dock. They couldn't afford to cut a
hole in the bridge, you see, just for an
excursion, and the river had risen to the
level of the bridge.
AT last accounts the Trinity river
excursion had been abandoned. Drifter
told me that the boat couldn't make
much Roadway on account of the dust
/ In the river bottom, and believed him.
Why, actually they have to wait for a
rainstorm down there before they could
have outdoor baptism services, for you
see, 1t wouldn't look very well to have
people lie down in the bed of the river
and have water poured over them from
a sprinkling pot.
IF we didn't have river excursions or
sails on the lake, there was always
something to make it lively during our
stay in Texas" continued Mrs. Drifter.
81 wish you could have been down there
/ when croquet was in season. went to
croquet party one evening when we
! first settled in Fort Worth. l enjoyed
I it very much. but didn't understand at
that time that one ought to wear hip
boots or armor in a simple little game
/ like lawn croquet.
"The next day was a sight to behold.
I hadn't seen any mosquitoes, but it
/ was evident that had been settled upon
/ by a swarm. My lower limbs were
1 spotted with the most irritating and ex-
asperating mementos of the bites of
some insects. confided my trouble to
one of the ladies in the house, and she
said, consolingly:
"'Oh. that's nothing. You have been
bitten by chigres, that's ALL
"'Chigres, what are they? asked.
"Why, chigre is a little red bug
she replied, the most persistent insect
you ever heard of. You got them play
ing croquet on that lawn. We have not
had one at our house this season, but
they have them over there. You ought
to put some salt on the places where
| you were bitten. Rub them with salt
and water, and you will get the chigres
off,
"'Surely they are not on me now,'
l said.
eyes, they are said the lady.
'Chigres bury themselves under your
skin. If you look closely you can see
/ them
by the aid of Drifter's microscope,
/ was able to detect in the center of each
infamed spot a little bright red insect,
something like spider. When poked
it with the point of needle it ran with
incredible rapidity, 1t is needless to
say didn't play croquet on that par
/ tlcular lawn again. Dr1ter lolu me
that chigres in Texas were like the
chills and fever in Missouri. The ma
| tives didn't mind them.
81 found out in time how the natives
| protected themselves against the in
roads of the spider-like chigre. Having
been invited to picnic in Ia" woods. I
asked a woman who had lived in Texas
a dozen years or more what to do. |
told her I couldn't possibly survive an
other attack of chigres, and Drifter had
told me the people who subscribed for
his paper would be offended if declined
the invitation to the picnic. She told
me to follow her example, and would
not have to worry about chigres. She
said:
Whenever go to picnic in Texas,
prepare myself for the chigres. Do
as do. In the morning before starting
out rub yourself thoroughly from head
to foot with a chunk of salt pork.
Chigres don't like pork, and they won't
1 light on you
81 did not GO to the picnic" concluded
Mrs Drifter.-N Y. Sun.