Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-01-25
uNeR,ENDLY TO SCIENCE.
rhe squatter Didn't Like to near 'n'
Ne,~hborhood Deprecated.

rh sou.tter Didn't Like to Hear the
Neirhborhood Deprecated.
Many persons who are considered
"wen Informed" as the saying goes
have moods in which they wish they
had never heard Of microbes and dis
ease germs, but the following account
of ..souatter's" state Of mind upon
this point must at least be greatly over
drawn. We find 1t In the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch, and reprint 1t for its
bumor rather than for it's scientific or
historic value.
1t was a squatter's cabin on the Dor
der of a swamp, and the squatter him.
self sat smoking his pipe as the Colonel
rode up and asked for a drink of water.
One of the half-dozen children ran to
the swamp with a gourd and filed 1t,
but the Colonel turned away, and said:
81 can't drink that stuff; it's full OF
young tadpoles."
"Yes, they do seem to be pretty
thick" replied the squatter, as he blew
a cloud of smoke above his head.
Il should think you'd be afraid to
swallow these things" said the Colonel.
Don't see nothin' to be afraid of.
sab. Reckon it's wuss on the tadpOles
than on u.s. Been drinkin' it right along
for twenty years. and nobody's been
hurt yit."
There must be lots of malaria
around here"
''Mebbe they are, sab. but l haven't
seen one as knows of. Do they walk
or fy?"
Malaria is what breeds chills and
fever" explained the Colonel.
"Oh, that's it? Must be round here
then. though we amt worryin' any"
I But you ynuuidn't hive IN this vnias-
ma"
Dunno what your miasma Is. but II
she tackles this family she'll git the
| worst of 1t. We aint takin' a bluff from
anything"
MY friend" continued the Colonel
as he looked around, I'D you ever hear
Of bacteria"
"Never, sab. Does he walk or fy?"
"And did you ever hear Of a mi.
crobe2"
| Newer did. Is he on the fight?"
| How on earth you can live here, con-
dguous to this pestilential morass, with
the air weighted down with malaria, is
more than can understand"
The sQuatter looked up to the man on
horseback for a long minute, as If puz
ziing over the words. and then queried
| What's contiguous meanT"
ut means alongside Of"
"And-what's 'pestilentialY
Sickness and death"
And what's a 'morassY"
IA swamp"
Look here, stranger" continued the
sQuatter, as he rose, knocked the fire
out OF his pipe, and looked very serious.
i've lived here all my life. and I've
seen thousand people go along this
road' Dut you are the first critter who
mas gone at 1t to upset me, and make
me feel discontented and unhappy
was simply speaking of the situa.
ton" explained the Colonel
ana 80 am l. sab. and the situate
are Jest this: You've come along and
mace up faces at my tadpoles. you've
'nro"eo malaria and miasma at me.
you We talked Of pestilence and morass
ana microbes. and you've jest got me
so riied up that I'm bound to say that
you oont want to ask fur a cbaw of
teroacker or drink of whisky q,
wasn't intendin' to stop and tall nol,.
ucs' you'd better be a-gittin'. and keen
a-eittin till you git beyond the next
tuLn IN the road. You may pass all
:. ..sn' IN some parts, but I'm dawgoned
you amt twice too particular fnr
s s,cn common folks as we are around