Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-10
IS WORSE THAN MAN
VERY BAD CHARACTER GIVEN
THE ANT.
FAR FROM INDUSTRIOUS
But More Than This the Little Crea-
ture Is Greedy, Tyrannous and
Vcious-Hoids Slaves and Is
Guilty of Many Other Crimes not
Generally Known.

fNiS"is
While the scriptures, centuries ago
commanded men to go to the ant and
learn ways of wisdom, it is only OF
late that scientists are, fully finding
out just what wonderful creatures
these insects are. Scientists now
claim that the ant was not only the
first slave owner in the werld but also
probably the last.
Despite the fact that the war of the
rebellion, thirty-ive years ago, freed
all the slaves in the United States. the
ants, regardless of the thirteenth and
fourteenth amendments, still have
their slaves. The ants, too, are the
original expansionists, for they en-
deavor to acquire, both by conquest
and by peaceable assimilation, all the
territory adjoining their particular
country
Scientists further declare that the
ants practice some form of marriage
similar to ours, and that the laws of
the marriage state are rigidly OBJ
served. The ants, too, have farms
and plantations, and they have small
insects, which resemble our domestic
animals, which they raise in large
numbers on their estates. There is
even a sort of mich kline insect dis
covered on the ant farms, and there
is another small insect that keeps
guard in front of the anthouses, and
that can be compared to our watch
dogs. Whether or not the antmaster
of the house is given to whistling for
his dog or to hitting his COW over the
small of the back with the milking
stool when she puts her foot in the
new tin bucket the scientists do not
tell US, but they insist upon the other
propositions.
Resemble Men, Only Worse.
The wise men say the ants have
about all the traits found in humanity
But they partake more of bad traits,
say the scientists, than they do of
good ones. The ants, according to
the savants, are lazy, greedy, tyran-
nous, and especially delight in bloody
wars of conquest and determination.
Of the prisoners taken in battle the
ants put to death the warriors and
as slaves. Just how the warriors are
sent to their last long accounts the
scientists do not say, except that the
prisoners are held down while their legs
and arms are bitten off, and at last he
is decapitated. 1t would make much
better story il the scientists would dis
cover an army of conquering ants
tying their helpless victims to the
stake and burning them alive, or else
loading them with chains and sending
them off to some ant Siberia to work
in the sulphur mines.
The scientists declare that there
are 700 species of ants which must
possess hypnotic power, since they
attack, subjugate, and reduce to sla-
very other species which are much
bigger, stronger and more populous in
the nests.
Management of Slaves.
<1LLCl LAC 1OhHoOl1A6 AS y
taken their slaves many queer things
happen. The slaves in some nests are
classified, so many told off as soldiers
to defend the gates, SO many for farm
and domestic duties, foraging, the
care of the eggs, and SO on.
The slaves who care for the eggs
seem to have the hardest job. The
ants show the liveliest concern for
the eggs, and the slaves are required
to keep the most watchful eye on
them. On fair days the eggs must be
logged up into the sunshine, but al
the slightest clouding of the sky the
precious eggs must be hustled in live
ly fashion back to the protection OF
the nests. If the clouds disappear
and the sunshine comes out again the
eggs must be carried out once more
and placed where the suns rays may
| fall upon them. But at the next cloud
| back they go again to the cellar. Or
! a tickle April day the eggs may be
moved a dozen times or more, and thC
slaves must heartily wish that such {
thing as an ant egg had never beer
| invented.
The scientists say nothing abou
the work of the household and farm
slaves. This is strange, for the spec
tacle of slave ant driving the ants
mich kline insects out to pasture an
back again, and then getting bootei
by the farmer ant because he is
half hour late, or because the cow at
burdocks and slough grass on the wa
home ought to attract the favorable il
terest even of the driest pedant
Make Their Slaves Fight
The soldier ants are also subdiyide