Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27
SHORT STORIES OF THE DAY
Steamboat Worm Makes It's Own Graft
and Navigates Hanscom Park Lake.
SKIP DUNDY AND THE MOON CONCESSION
Novel Horseless CarrinEe-why the
Countryman Dodged-Fusion Con-
vention Anecdotc-Menn Men
and women-BegRar's Trick.

nun OnHed-Eust Com
Vcntton Anecdote-Mean Men
and women-BegRnr's Trick,
News hat the army bugs were ravaRins
tne parks and destroying the lawns in Chi.
cago LED to a rumor that the pests had ap.
peared in Omaha. An inquiry among IN,
parks and lawns of the city, however. fails
to ind any Of the army bugs at work here
Inc common caterpillars, however, are caus.
ing much annoyance in the north part OF
the city, where they infest the shade trees
Inc people get rid of them either by scorch-
ing or by the liberal application of hot water,
From South Omaha the report comes that
the army bugs have made their appearance
there and that they are doing great damage
to the postoffice lawn.
Hanscom park the men who take care
OF the trees and lawns said they had heard
nothing of the army bugs, but they had dis
covered a new worm, which was playing
havoc with the water lilies. This new pest
is a brindle-colored worm about half an
inch in length. Thousands of them appear
on the leaves Of the water plants and cut
them to pieces. A favorite pastime OF the
worm is ITO cut out a piece of a leaf about
the size of a nickel. which floats away on
WV "obSi WIN IL WOTIH Oh the upper size.
This system of cutting the leaves of the
water plants into miniature canoes is caus-
Ing much annoyance and work for the keep
ers of the park and a strong effort Is being
made to destroy the worms. Workmen who
have been at the park for several years say
that this is the first they have ever seen
of this variety of worm and they are unable
to find In the books any description or name
that will fit 1t. In the absence of a scientific
name they have dubbed 1t the Steamboat
worm"
1T was an ideal summer night. There was
not a cloud In sight. The blue vault Of
heaven was Illuminated by the bright, sill
very moon and the brilliant, golden stars.
heavenly illumination, vieing in beauty
with the display of the 64,0 0 electric lights
Of the Greater America Exposition, was being
with much admiration by a rather
hilarious and happy-go-lucky quartet Of
men. Say, fellows, l wonder If that
moon up there is a part of the exposition? %
said one Of them. "If it is" replied an
other. you can bet that SciD Dundy has
got 1t on his list Of concessions. He has
about everything in sight. He wouldn't
the moon If he could get hold of It,"
SHS1 "ShuihS thSh way oioh6 q
winding road, homeward- bound from a
Syndicate park picnic, were startled by some
one yelling: Get out of the way! Here
comes a horseless %carriage!" The girls
jumped to one side, and turning round they
saw, l%eisurely approaching, a mule team
a lumber wagon. The driver, enjoy
Ing the joke on the girls, invited them to
ride with him. They declined the invita-
ton, one of them remarking: That's a
horse on U.s."
The street car was coming in from the
and nearing Dodge street. A man
with straw-colored whiskers was sitting near
the rear end Of the car, gazing about with
eyes and mouth wide open, taking in the
sights. He was evidently from the country,
for he had a carpet bag with him and there
we're other unmistakable indications that he
did not reside in town. As the car ratified
over the Dodge street tracks the conductor
,alled out in stentorian tones, Dodge" and
he man with the straw-colored whiskers
as though he were about to be hit
with a Cuban machete- There was a sup
pressed litter from the passengers who saw
he incident.
In the flood Of convention anecdotes and
N''NS W thS Idlt SIdie COu-
one from the populist county
should not be lost sight of. In
me of the worst mix-ups achieved by that
'ody one of the delegates arose and In a
oud tone of voice demanded recognition on
point of order. He was told by the chair
o state his point and said:
The gentleman is talking SANDER about
mother gentleman"
That makes no difference" replied the
hair. Islander is always in order in a
opulist convention"
A curious character was recently taken
nto custody by the police. His name is
'rancis Clark and he moves In an orbit
at Chicago. Clark describes him
as a bird Of passage" In the summer
g migrates to the north, and in the winter
e returns to the south. Clark admits he is
n impostor and glories in his profession.
When the police picked him up he was
about the street corners begging.
lie has a trick of contracting the muscles
( his arm in such a manner that his hands
ppear to be drawn hopelessfy out of shape.
le presents a pitiful appearance and the
haritable inclinations of citizens were
manifest by the collection of small change
the beggar's pockets.
a. pfuNSN ahhCi dilCSt SIdTh WOulu HOt
limit he was taking" He complained that
40 officers hurt him when examining his
hands. After he had gone to
eep the jailer visited his cell and found
is hands were just like those of an
rdinary person. Clark confessed and
nowed the policeman how he worked the
The trick, he explained, required
ears of practice, but it is worth all the
Dor executed for the reason that 1t enables
i'm to live without working. Clark claims
e Is the only man who possesses this
ocular accomplishment.
Two men met In the office of a down ]
wn hotel the other day and after exchang-
& a few curious chances approached one !
iother and shook hands.
Seems to me your face lis familiar" said
10 younger
Yes, | think / know you, too replied
e other. Then they discovered that they
ere from the same section of the country A.,
I'd that each knew a lot of the others
quaintances. After they had chatted a {
W moments the younger man said:
Lets see, seems 10 me you married my J