El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-11
The Kissing Bug
The Strange Visitor Who Has
Usurped the Place Of the
Sea Serpent In This Sea-
sons Yarns.


maidens of Albany who are now of un.
speakable age. After being cruelty
snubbed by Hobson in bis trip across
the country their chances seemed
slight but a new osculator has appear
ed in the field, says the Albany Times
spades to the sinker of the Merrimac
and beat him hands down.
| No respecter of persons, he fits from
lip to lip and steals from the unwilling
as we'll as the willing. the sweetness
denied to man. But for his generosity
in leaving a memento of his visit, the
comics" would have to resign to the
waste basket the stereotyped jokes on
| the man of the summer resort. His
prestige would be gone and he would
be replaced by Melanolestes Picipes.
| No, he ls not an Indian nabob nor a
Turkish prince, but q small highly
| POLISHED BLACK BUG
slightly over one inch in length, witn
q sharp proboscis and q propensity for
kissing not to be trifled with. His
royal highness Is not to be despised, as
his bite is ever more horrible than
his high-sounding name.
Born md reared in Africa, he who
has pressed the lips of our fairest wo-
men, including Rose Coghlan, the &C
tress, came to our fair land as strange
passenger. At least that is the opin-
ion of several entomologists. The bug
| ia of the South African species and is
closely allied to the ''tsetse fly OF Dur
ban and Natal. Among the ranchmen
and stockmen it is greatly dreaded, as
it's ravages are particularly severe, not
only among human beings, but cattle.
Thousands of cattle die yearly as a re-
suit of its bite, which, when neglected,
leads to blood poisoning. Human be-
| ings are not immune and several cases
have proved fatal. Its emigration to
America is thought to have been in a
| bundle of hides while in a somnam bull
| istic state.
IT'S RAvAGES
Have become serious in several
American cities: in fact, have assumed
such proportions that movements are
on foot in Philadelphia, Washington
and New York to devise some means
whereby the pest may. be suppressed.
They increase very rapidly and it
will be only matter OF short time
| before they secure a strong footho.d II
speedy action is not taken.
Latest Geographic reports are hope
fui. From Washingt ton Melanolestes
went to Paterson, N. ]. His indiscre-
ton may have been fortunate for
Albanians. He reckoned without his
host when he made an attempt to in
wade the dominions of culeX pipiens.
Culex is no other than our friend, the
moso uito, swho. as is well known, has in
New Jersey passed far beyond his
brethren in other parts of the country.
The size and daring of Jersey mosqui-
tos have become proverbial and unless
he Is far beneath our estimate, he will
make short work of the kissing bug.
To our friends on the western coast
of the bay we extend ourheartfelt sym
l Nv nd
| been suggested, popular subscrip-
tion list for the purchase of netting
will be started. 1t is q latter which
| appeals to ali who have visited the old
| farm, and while simultaneously count
ing the stars and in we'll chosen words
blessing the day mosquitoes first visit
ed earth, have at last been clssped In
the arms of Morpheus to be released
and find ones face resembling relief
map of the Helderbergs.
UNLIKE THE MOSQUITOES
the kissing bug aims directly for
one spot, the upper lip, and when he
has inserted his lance-like proboscis,
retires, leaving behind q lump the size
of an orange.
Leaving New Jersey, members of
the family made a tour of New York
city with coiors flying. The trip was
a great success and already the hospi-
tai physicians are at work on twenty
odd cases.
The natural route is through the
Hudson valley and the Albanians may
expect visit shortly. II the expec-
tation is realized 1t will be no Joke un-
less the fair young maids of Albany
would like to remain at home and nurse
lip suffering with "buggus elephant
iasis." But the baby, passe maid, man
or youth must not think that because
in his wisdom, the bug has decided
preference for ripe, young lips, that
they will escape.
In Philadelphia all classes have been
visited, even to the handsome and
calloused police officers. In the
Quaker city the trouble has been the
greatest. The hospitals are filed
with patients, scientists are working
night and day to discover the true nat
ure of the insects, and the consulting
physician of the Pennsylvania hospital
having offered reward for a genuine
specimen, has had to give I'D all other
occupations and remain at his Office to
examine the hundreds of odd-looking
bugs brought to him daily. Everything
from an overgrown FREELY to Jersey
mosquito that had crossed the border
was submitted, and when rejected, the
owner would Oftentimes Indignantly
tell the doctor that he didn't know his
business and remark in an undertone:
'rIf he saw Jimmie's face he'd think it
was kissing bug or some kind of
One brought by a farmer
from one of the suburbs was, in the OPT
MON of the doctor, a fine specimen,
aud the doctor is satisfied that in a
short time he will be able to give q