The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24
CATERPILLAR'S REVENGE.
IT PUNCTUREs THE HON. WILLIAM
LEARY's TIRE

In Walt for Him on HIS Hoturn, ana, Gud-
ing Under His wheel, Made n Hole in the
Tire with Its Horn as IL Was Crushed.
Since his retirement from the secretaryship
OF the Park Board the Hon. William Learv has
pursued unoflcially those scientific investlga-
lions which made him famous in that position.
Interesting facts Of natural history fill his note
book. and whether he Is studying the insect
life Of Corlears Hook. angling for the elusive
weaknsh In Jamaica Bay. or chasing the agile
will-o'-the wisp across tho swampy reaches Of
Bronx Park, 1t is still the pursuit Of knowledge
that lends SAVIOR to his occupations. In his less
serious moments he returns to the contempla-
ton Of politics. o field In which he IL q quiet but
by no means unconsidered worker. At such
times he may be found In his old haunts at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. and a sUN reporter found
him there on a recent evening intoxicating the
mysteries Of science among o group Of ave-
struck politicians.
DO any OF you gentlemen know much about
the habits Of snakes 2" began Mr.. Leary.
There was q pause, and o few deprecatory
coughs were heard.
do not let confusion overcome you, gentle
tlemen," said the scientist politician. encour-
aginRly. lido not now refer to the undesired
offspring Of the fat bottle and the pertinacious
thirst, but to the real. living snake. otherwise
known as serpent, an ophidian oviparous rep
tile which,
Here three members Of the group started
simultaneously to tell snake stories beginning
When I was in the West" but Mr.. Leary In
corrupted.
This is my platform. II you please. My Ques-
ton was not intendedto start any Ananias con-
test among such experts as / see around me.
I'm not going to tell any snake stories; neither
are you. The reason I mentioned the serpent
is because 1 wish to use him as o parallel to his
humble and little understood brother. the
crawling caterpillar"
"Those are those hairy things that live up .
tree. aren't they ~ inquired one Of the group.
You're thinking OF the squirrel. sir" said
the ex-Secretary Of tho Park Board; IAN en-
tirely different species. The caterpillar IL
sometimes hirsute and sometimes as bald as
we'll. I will mention nc names in this assem-
blage. It Is true that he sometimes crawls In
trees. but It is equally true that he may be
found upon the grassy lawn. roosting blithely
on the top rail Of the fence. or marching an
daunted along the shuddering flesh of the con-
torted human neck. We crush him by hum
dreds in our daily walks; we purchase paris
green at the corner grocery to poison him as
he perches upon our currant bushes. Yet
| l have discovered that this despised form of
insect life possesses attributes Of courage and
resolution nowhere to be excelled among liv-
ing things. and though 1 myself was the suf-
ferer by the incident which 1 I'M about to re-
late. Lshould rank myself as the lowest in the
scale OF humanity did 1 withhold the tribute OF
admiration due to such qualities"
Going to take up a subscription p inquired
q mocker.
Those Of YOU" continued Mr.. Leary. pass
ing over the query with the silence Of disdain.
who have pursued scientific studies will re-
member reading Of instances where a man has
killed q snake only to be himself trailed and
killed by the mate Of the victim; but I will
| wager that no book contains such an instance
of devotion and revenge as l am about to tell
you. Since l have taken to the bicycle I have
explored many Of the less-known thorough
fares IN the region Of this city. and my rota;
t bTRsy took * me Nome Sns d$ Ter to a ii WEeIs' qSe9ied
the road impracticabie., [ sacrificed law
to convenience and rode upon, the mar
t besid sAs a p po t ifjeld f. 1 fe sRoa and SdioEht ear rdi0a ae
unpleasant, scrunohing under my wheel. such
but too torpid toad. Leaping of, i made an in
vestigation and found that l had crushed a
S NSich i res Of the Teeo lSTSis; fFbs y The s stiif h T91m &
carries on its back near the tail. Only the head
had fHG been crushed he'd As As na st9prrowfTlly r r,
caterpillars orawled out Of the long, grass. but
upon seeing me turned and craWled hastily
This did not strike me as peculiar at the
time. l remounted and proceeded, 1t was
same path. as it furnished. a short cut. AS /
reached the place OF the unattended murder /
saw another OF the largo green worms crawl
out into the path. The paSsageway between
the grass ridges just there was very narrow,
but ] swerved a little to avoid another tragedy.
Tom amazementt the caterpillar crawled with
great swittness directly under my wheel and
was crushed.
IA clear case Of suicide exclaimed. as I
caterpillar, driven to destruction by grief
In part, l was right. 1t was a pretty COM
deposited by the other body. My mind was
pondertng these things as l proceeded. when
my progress suddenly became difficult, and
that peculiar sensation resulting from q pune
tured tire struck horror to my soul. OF course
there was no cement in my repair kit-there
walk to the nearest railroad station. Not until
/ 1 was seated in the train did the, true solution
strike me, and then | did not grudgc my weary
framp as the price of 50 remarkable n discovery.
| il. was a case of suicide. gentlemen. but suicide
with O purpose. and that purpose was revenge.
marked me as l went by for tho slayer Of its
mate. Sooner or later it reckoned 1 would re-
turn, Patiently it lay IN wait, its plan well ma
turod., Against myself it's puny strength was
powerless, but in the sharp horn it bore on its
back lay the power to spoil my ride. though at
coming 1t ~precipitated itself in front Of my
wheel, punctured my tire with its horn. and
died In the glory of heroic revenge"
Gentlemen" said one OF the group after a
prolonged silence, during which M. Leary's
bsiievss. f Is an S9 insect IN f GTlfi ns esh Is g efSt sg! PRO- !
pose that we repair to the bar and drink to the
honor of the bug in bug juice"
And 1t was so done.