Evening star., 1901-05-04

sails over Capitol Hill from the Easter,
branch once In a while Is a busy little chap.
But the Washington mosquito OF this or any
previous era is no more TO be compared with
tne common or garden variety of Jersey
mosquito than topaz-eyed Mexican puma
Is TO be compared with a royal Bengal tiger
Inc washington mosquito was always
amenable to reason. One determined swat
at him. and he would depart-murmuring
IL Is true, and complaining OF your inhospi-
tality; but he would GO and that was the
main thing. He wouldn't hover about Won
ana Sneer and utter remarks Of yituperafion
anu scorn, and then wind UP by accomplish
ing ms fell design. willy nilly. as is the
habit OF the Jersey mosquito, the desperado
of all insects.
All Sorts of Precaution.
The precautions which folks living In Jer-
sey take against mosquitoes are almost un-
believable. One is amazed TO note the num-
ber of wire screens ornamenting the doors
and windows of even the most unpreten-
uous suburban homes in New Jersey. They
even put the screens on the cellar and attic
windows Most of the porches are abso-
lutely screened in, that the Jrrseynan
enjoying the cool of the evening on his
'front.' porch looks as il he were Gagged And
me coarseness of this wire screening IS a
ullng 10 surprise persons used to the mos
quito of other communities Each n h,Ia-snacs
looks big enough for the average Washing
ton mosquitoes TO march through about half
a oozeh apreast-but the Jersey mosquito
IL truly or heroic proportions The Jersey
wire screening is very strong too leading
TO unpleasant reflections on the mart of
those unfamiliar with the Jersey mosquito
as 10 Whether ne Is capable OF prying the
smaller grades OF wire loose
Inc Jersey folks begin to set these screen
doors and windows almost before the s,oyv
Is on the ground. They solemnIy assure
you that this is necessary on account OF
the superior craftiness of the Jersey mos
quito They say that IL they do not take
measures to exclude the MOSQUITO before
ene Wlno-up OF the cold weather, the brute
Iokny sneaks In with his family so that by
the time the peach blossoms begin TO non
dynasty or mosquitoes of Incredible pro-
portions has full possession Of the estab-
llshment In which the screen business was
overlooked until too late.
New Workers are taking a lot of interest
IN the Jerseyites frenzied efforts to mimi
mlze the mosquito evil The interest of the
New Workers, as usual Is selfish The Jar
sey mosquitoes began to swoop ,,non Zer,
YORK number Of years ago They waited
Tor a faYoring wind to come along and
then they projected themselves in the air
currents and got themselves carried across
the Hudson river. There was no tutstal
Ing the brand. They were Jersey moso,It-
toes all right, and IL was noticed that every
tune curing the open mosquito season that
the WIND set in good and strong over the
Hudson the countenances OF New Workers
were more or less SCARED for some davs
afterward. So that the New Workers who
uoou 80. 20 Siodt before the beginning of these
invasion over the Jerseymens weird tales
anent their pet nuisance are now compelled
to root with the folks across the stream
for the abatement of the evil
"COIlectfng" spoons.
Strangers here visiting for the first time
New York restaurants with names that ara
famous throughout the country are often
heard to utter expressions OF surprise over
the meanness of the silver table appoin..
ments, and particularly the spoons in MANY
OF these places, In number of the most
noted restaurants In New York the kind OF
spoons with which guests are provided is
more or less of a laughing stock, so tawdry.
unselfsh and manifesty cheap are these
necessary implements Of the table. But
there Is. 1t seems very excellent reason
for their cheapness. There are too many
collectors of souvenirs about, and these
collectors" have, it appears. exhibited a
preference for spoons for number of years
past.
The proprietor Of one restaurant that is
known throughout the country frankly
stated. when asked about the poor quality
OF his establishments spoons. that he
couldn't afford to provide his guests with
any but imitation silver spoons of the
cheapest variety-that he had tried IT. and
he knew. He said that literally thousands
Of solid silver spoons with the name Of
his place stamped upon them, had been
collected" from his place by the souvenir
spoon devotee-mostly women-before he
had concluded that he wasn't conducting
his business for the benefit of thieves and
decided to make his spoons so palpably
valueless as not to tempt the collectors
to walk off with them. PrOprietors of
other notable restaurants had much the
same story to tea The proprietor of the
biggest soda fountain In this or any other
city also discontinued using dainty silver
ice-cream soda spoons for the simple rea-
son, as he had no hesitation in announcing.
that his women patrons had no conscien-
H.,
off with them. investigations along this
line evoked the fact from the manager Of a
famous hotel that the reason why the best
of hotels ordinarily furnish such an eX-
ceedingly poor grade Of toilet soap for it's
patrons is that the patrons can't be trust
ed to permit good soap to linger in the
tray, and the same hotel man had good
deal to say about those quite practical
collectors of the female sex who make
it point to collect" as many towels as
they can get hold of at each hotel they
grace when they are travelling. c. L. c.