The sun., 1903-07-12
IOss STICKS FOR MOSQUITOES.
S,or, NJ Female Deceit and or the Dis
,omniurc Of an Innocent Chaperon
Mosquitoes That soar Even 10 the
S,,m,,,,s OF the Highest Buildings.

u.,, travelling mandarin who should
,,a ,hro,,ch any of the citys suburbs In
M'as,. DAYS might well believe that the
,,,.d States was becoming converted
o,i,nt,I ideas Of worship ard that the
,,,,d sowu by the Hon. Mr. WI when he
n.,,d Confucianrm on a large American
o,,I,ncc a few years ago, had taken root
and Welded fruit. The permeating odor
of the Chinese joss stick ia sverywere in
the air
somcbodv discovered lately that the
o,on, of the Joss stick was good, not only
40 rriphtener of evil spiritss but as an
,,vorci.er of mosquitoes. Everybody who
,ashc,n out of the city of late has had reason
10 know that there are mosquitoes abroad
l., fine land in unusual numbers. They
have invaded the city 10 an unusual extent,
and folks who live near the parks or along
,be waterfronts have been greatly pes
,orcd They rise into localities that have
never been mosquito-ridden before.
Two explorers OF the resorts about Fort
George the other day, sought breeze on
a roof Of a building that beetles over the
Harlem River, and were overjoyed. at first,
n find that they were clear of the mos
outors which had bothered them on the
street level But as the sun went down
and the light faded. mosquitoes came up
from below in clouds and bit their ankles
about the tops of their low shoes until they
fed from the place.
Mosquitoes have appeared in apartment
houses downtown where they were never
known before 1t may be imagination on
lhe part of those who are hunted by mos
nui,ocs, but the miserable insects seem to
bite great deal harder and to leave a
great deal more poison in the wounds than
In other seasons.
The punk cure" as il ia now known, is
widely believed to be useful There Is no
question that it is ornamental. The long
slender straw-like joss sticks, which burn
with a steady glow, make very attractive
ornaments for young woman's hair
They have much the effect which is obtained
by the skewer-liks things that Japanese
ladies' wear through their hoaddressas. in
pictures at any rate. Chaparons approve
Of them, too. In these mosquito-riclden
tinns there is every excuse for keeping
down the lights in the places where young
men and women meet in the even
ing The joss stick worn in the hair fur
nishes an illuminated clue to the move
ments of the young woman's head, at any
rate
A story comes from Arverne. howe YER,
which should put on their guard thoss
who are set to watch for tho over-mnni-
90 AZ liz,
10 the yarn, the young woman who was
10 be chaperoned wore n perfect festoon Of
joss sticks: she retired to a porch corner
that was within sight Of tho chaperon,
but out Of hearing The chaperon. 1t
should be mentioned. was a simple, I'm
suspicious thing. But small boy who
was looking for trouble and other things
disturbed her reveries by shout of amaze
ment about half an hour after the young
people had gone to the corner Of the porch.
Aunt An n" he howled, say, what a
funny thing sister did! She has stuck
all that punk of hers up on tho railing here
in bunch, and has gone OF and left it.'"'
Which only goes to show what things
some tender young souls will suffer for
loves sweet sake. ,
Another variation of the same preven-
tive for mosquitoes is the making of large
sticks Of punk out of insect powder, which
burns very slowly and gives OF very
pleasing odor and much more smoke than
the ordinary joss stick. Blcyc have been
seen in the suburbs Of late wi h burning
punk attached to the handle-bars of their
machines; 1t is apparently put up in sticks
half an inch or so In diameter.
Drug stores and notion stores near the
ferry houses and railroad stations reported
Yesterday that there had been a tremen-
dous demand for joss sticks in the last
few days, One drug store reported that
II had sold hundred dozen packages since
The hot spell began. Others say that their
stocks of anti-mosquito ointments and
lotions have been greatly depleted and that
working overtime to replenish the vacant
lhelyea