The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-29
WITH THE PASSING TARONC.


Captain John r. Hankley of Sabine
county ia spending couple of days in the
city seeing the sights and meeting old
friends and acquaintance whom he knew
in his home county. The captain Is quite
character in his way, his manner OF life
being the opposite extreme from the
'move-about" people OF whom the present
age is so productive. He has never found
# cheaper to move than TO pay rent, hav-
ing lived within two miles of the same
place In Sabine county for sixty three
years. Though quite an old man now, the
captain is still known as a Wit and phtlos-
opher In his neighborhood. He is thor
ough Texan and a true type OF the rugged
manhood that has carved an empire out
OF wilderness and a prairie and made 1t
to blossom as rose. While Post re-
porter was talking with him yesterday az
ternoon some one invited the capt lin to
take drink, but he refused,\ saying: Il
take a drink occasionally, but not often.
In the past, when / have grown tired OF
being poor, when / sighed for rlcnes and
longed for happiness have tried the ex-
pertinent of taking three or four drinks,
and tell you, gentlemen, there Is moth
ing that will make a man weather. than
four or FIVE drinks of good whisky. Why,
I've seen the time when Jay Gould's over
coat would not make me vest pocket.
Yes, liquor not only makes man rich,
but 1t makes him pious, wise and phil8n-
thropic-for n while. But l rarely take q
drink now. live in prohibition district
and they have what 1 call Endfeid rifle
whisky there. When a man takes two
pf ha lie m n
steal something
fashionable trap which passed at this
juncture interested the captain, who re-
marked after cycling 1t refectively Tor a
time We'll there's one good thing about
a rig of that sort: What one party doesn't
see the other will
yes, the mosquitoes out in the 3razos
bottoms are rather troublesome at times.
said a we'll known traveller at the Lawlor
yesterday, but they don't begin to COM
pare with the bloodthirsty insects te be
found in the Arctic regions during certsin
seasons of the year. | went up the Yukon
few summers ago as the representative
of big trading company and we struck
mosquitoes as soon as we got into TIL
hills. They are twice as large as our ia
miiar bayou species, and their sting is
like the prod of hot needle. They sweep
along the valleys in dense clouds, and IL
they catch a man unprepared they are liza
BILE to blind him before he can escape.
have heard stories uf children being stung
to death, and can readily believe them.
Whenever we went ashore we wore heavy
hat nets, and took the utmost preeaution,
but were certain to suffer more or less.
One of our party cut the tongues out of
his shoes and marrow line of sock was
exposed under the lacing. Next day he
was bitten there al least a hundred times
and his feet were so terribly inflalned that
the shoes had 10 be cut off. Another man,
fireman in the boat crew, got drunk on
Alaska whisky one afternoon and lay
down 10 take a nap Ia corner of the en-
CINE room. noticed him little later,
and was Mortified at the solid brown mass
of mosquitoes that had settled on a small
exposed section of his cheek and throat.
In an hour his face was swollen out of all
resemblance TO anything human, he was
unable to swallow, and was burning with
fever. Ii was n week before he was able
10 be about. I saw a number OF cattle
near Fort Hamilton that had been made
stone blind by stings near the eve The
Arctic foothill mosquito is without doubt
the most terrible insect pest in the world 1
and am quite sure that any one who has
ever been in that section will agree Nth
me-
\ \
Hon, Webster Flanagan and Mr.. Carr |
F Drake of Austin were in the city for
a short time yesterday morning, guests at
the Capitol hotel Mr., Drake, who is a
well known lumherman and who has held
the position of secretary and treasurer
of the state Lumbermen's association for
some years past, is quite fayorite in
Houston and has number of friends here
who are always glad to see him. Mr.
Flanagan, well known politician, Is col
lector Of internal revenue, with headquar-
tiers at Austin.
Mr. Francis NJ. Morgan representing
Lincoln ]. Carter's Western Heart Of
Chicago" company, was in Houston yes
terday arranging for the appearance of his
here next week, Another theaL-
rical man in the city during the day was
Barney Reilly, agent for The Hustler"
which Will also he seen here next wees.
Mr. Reilly was formerly with the late
Robert G. lngersoll and was treasurer for
the great agnostic on the occasion of his
last visit here.