Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-16
WONDERS OF our DAY.
The wsrbIinG OK and the kissing BuE
sketched by Master Pens.
Washington Post

Washington Post.
Bulletin No.3S-new series-of the divi-
sion OF entomology Is perhaps the most in
teresting document that has been issued
from the Department OF Agriculture for
several years past. II is naturally out Of the
question that a mere newspaper should give
even the faintest suggestion OF the wealth
OF fact and sapience contained in that mod
est but pregnant pamphlet. We shall not,
therefore, essay the impossible. Keep on
the safe side is our motto. But surely we
may be permitted to revel in, and perad-
venture comment upon, at last a few OF the
simpler propositions involved. That cannot
offend science or take modern Journalism
beyond its depth.
On page 10s Of the pamphlet to which we
have reference there is a Note on the OF
MARBLE in Mississippi" We skip II. We
have never heard an OK MARBLE, in Missls-
sippi or elsewhere. It may Be all right. Far
be 1t from us to enter a denial. Strange
things have happened in Mississippi within
the past few weeks. What with bears and
Bobos and moving accidents by food and
field, how can we be sure that the OK
doesn't MARBLE in that illustrious state, or
even in Arkansas and Louisiana? Neither
have we a word to say against the assertion
that at Liano, Tex, the cattle owners treat
their cows for screw-worms by Christian
Science. We don't knew anything about the
Llano cattle owners except that they live
in Texas, and our information as to screw
worms could be passed through the eye OF
a cambria needle without crowding the ORR
fee in the very least. It may all be true
doubtless is. But we shy at the Notes on
kissing Bugs" furnished to the department
by a gentleman residing in Philo. o. One
must draw a line somewhere, and It seems
to us that the limit has been reached in
this:
Notes on Kissing Bugs-June %, 1902, we
received a specimen Of Reduvius personatus
Linn, from Mr.. W.. T. Hubbell, Philo. O.,
with the INFORMATION that II was caught In
the night within the fold OF a lady's night
dress after twice singing her. The lady
described the sensation like the sting OF a
wasp, causing sickness and something like
a chill, symptoms which, however, might
have been due TO nervousness, as the lady
was not very strong"
Any one who wants to believe this yarn
is at liberty to do SO. For our part we don't
see how a w~ell-regulated kissing bug could
get tangled in the folds of a lady's night
dress. We have never heard Of such a thing
before, and we don't propose to swallow the
proposition now
A careful perusal OF Bulletin Ss. however,
moves us to wonder whether the presidents
protest against lengthy Official reports,
especially those which are illustrated, was
intended to apply to such publications as
this. Surely every right-minded person
must want to know about screw-worms, and
kissing bugs, and warbling oxen, and things
Of that kind, and surely no taxpayer would
object to expenditures in illustrating these
exciting things. A really life-like picture
Of that kissing bug, for instance, would be
welcomed in every American home, while
the very simplest black-and-white sketch
Of the warbllng ox-especially IL 1t were
accompanied by the musical score-would
take the very highest place in the affec-
lions OF the people.
We are glad we saw that bulletin. Such
experiences help to impress us properly
touching the greatness Of our own, our ma
tive land.