The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-09-06
THE coCKRoACH.

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Next to the mouse, the good house
wife fears and detests the cockroach.
He is not handsome, but gloomily
black and extremely numerous. He
is found in closets, refrigerator, par
Tor and dining You see him
by day and trample upon him by
night. Whatever pertains to him,
his habits, history and extermina-
ton, has an interest universal. It
seems that lately number of cock
reaches invaded the building occupied
by the Agricultural Department at
Washington. AS there was nothing
specially good to eat in the depart
ment, even the seeds being passed by
with contempt, the said cockroaches
made raid upon the boxes contain
ing gummed envelopes and upon the
drawers holding postage stamps.
The bugs found the paste palatable,
and, so ate heartily and thrived.
This, Of course, accidentally brought
the cockroach under the eye of the
bug specialist Of the department. He
had exhausted a study of potato bugs,
various species OF moths, locusts,
worms and grubs, and so the cock
roach appeared to give to scientific
life the spice of variety. After his
investigation he has learned much
and perhaps something valuable,
which, when duly given the world,
will be appreciated by the Lancaster
county housekeeper, or, for that mat
ter, by every one in the land over.
Up to date, the department biolo-
gist finds that reaches, like Indians
and wild dogs, live in tribes and de-
light in internecine war, or any other
kind. Reaches are warriors, though
the casual observer would not think
so to see them run. The various
tribes attack each other and the law
of the survival OF the fittest prevails.
It is asserted that the cockroach is
older than man, and in spite of all
schemes to annihilate him the de-
partment specialist thinks he is des-
tined to live for may years to come.
Still, there is hope to lessen in time
his numbers and annoyances, even if
he has wisdom above the ordinary
bug nature. Concerning this it may
not be out of place to quote the scien-
fist named, who says reaches ARE un-
usually well endowed with the ability
to guard themselves against enemies,
displaying great intelligence in keep
ing out of the way of the irate house
keeper and in avoiding food or other
substances which have been doctored
for their benefit"
How to get rid of cockroaches is
the question which has annoyed neat
and thrifty housewives ever since
Adam and Eve started housekeeping.
The department bug specialist has
several schemes, though he admits
that considerable difficulty was ex-
perienced in getting the reaches in
the department building to give up
their regular fare of envelope and
postage stamp paste. Poisoned food
doesn't work we'll. The reaches are
too wise, and after one has taken
smell he passes the word along to the
other members of the tribe, and none
of them will go near it. But there is
one thing that is sure to be effective.
In the department publication on the
roach we read these words: 1.-The
smoke of burning gunpowder is par
ticularly deadly to reaches" 1t is
SO simple a remedy the expert did not
fsel Elsa sailed gJ upon q to suggest way. J By
could be had in various parts of the
house without danger of blowing out
the side of the building or sending
the chairs up through the roof. Suf-
fee it to say that gunpowder smoke
is deadly. There is another way of
getting rid of the ancient roach. Set
a trap for him. A Frenchman in
vented a glass device for this very
purpose, and if some tempting food
is placed inside the trap the reaches,
it is said, will tumble over themselves
to get it.
The story is interesting and the
moral is gunpowder and French roach
traps. -Lancastey (Pa.) Examiner.
TIE cnpvRTcHT law