The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-03-19
ANOTHER INVASION.
a gss-s ailz.
A Fight to the Death, Maybe-aope of
Relief.

Jesse Spencer sDdIOef SuOp IS
again suffering from an invasion of
cockroaches from the old restaurant
building. and it seems unlikely that
there is enough grease and phos-
phorus in the town to arrest the
influx. By placing small quanti-
ties of these ingredients combined,
at various stations on the runways
of the bugs Mr.. Spencer has in the
past been reasonably successful in
poisoning them. After partaking
of the grease and phosphorus, the
cockroaches swell up and die from
heartfailure, and in the dark their
corpses glow with the brilliancy of
a lightning bug.
1t should be stated also that Mr..
Spencer supplemented this method
of fighting the cockroaches. by ex-
treme vigilance and activity upon
his own part, When he saw
stray bug racing along the wall or
across. he floor. he Immediately at.
tackled it in person and the ferocity
with which he would throw chairs
and men and other things out of
the way, in order to reach and pur-
sue his prey. is doubtless ore of the
principal observations which led to
recent PRONUNCIATION of the scien-
tific fact that man does not always
see snakes when he has the delirium
tremens. A little more profound
consideration OF Spencer's case.
however, would have as certainly
disclosed another scientific fact,
namely, that a man may not be
suffering from delirium tremeus al
though all the symptoms are pres
ent.
The latest invasion of the barber
shop by cockroaches is occasioned
by an extensive raising of floors
and tearing down of partitions in
the old restaurant building adjoin-
ing and the tonsorial parlors afford
even a richer field than prev
iously, for scientific investigation,
Here it is readily proven that a
sane mans realities may be to him
what hallucinations are to the in
sane.
The bugs have eaten up all ol
Spencer's poison and the horde Of
invaders seems not to have been IL
the least repulsed. Friends are mo-
disposed to attach as much impor:
tance to the circumstance as the pro
prietor does. At first they assisted
him in a desultory manner, but. 81
many became mained by the misdi
rected efforts of Spencer that they
finally deserted him to man. Whe1
he found that he would be compel
led to wage the war single-handed
Spencer addressed a few words, il
the nature of an appeal, to the las
departing comrade. 'sI expect,
said he, ''to die, if need be, in de
fense of my llihee, and if this re
suit should ensue, I hope the boy
will rescue my poor mangled corps
from these ghoulish varmints." H
might have said more, but at tha
moment a brigade of cockroache
swarmed through a crack in an TN
expected quarter. Razors begant
fly with uncertain aim, and the doc
! closed behind Spencer last hope c
a faithful ally.
) Latest reliable reports from tn
seat of war are to the effect tha
Spencer is battling manfully an
) holding his own, although the sho
is said to be total wreck. An er
couraging circumstance is ths
5 friends prevailed upon Charlie
Small to cease operations in the res
taurant building IN, the hope ths
: the migration thence will subsid
and at least afford Spencer chanc
to recover his wind and spit on hi
hands.