The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-16
The Cabbage Snake.

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The Cabbage Snake.
At last the Department of Agriculture
| has run to earth the cabbage snake
Since the kissing bugs terigrinations ii
1899. nothing has compared TO tile excite
lnent caused by the discovery of tho
so-callcd cabbage snake. In 1903 this
fogy 10 all cabbage growers and eaters
made It's appearance In Tennessee, South
Carolina and Louisiana. Tho papers were
filled with reports from correspondents
Of ruinors Of persons being poisoned bby
eating cabbage affected by this hair
worm. Indeed, some reputable physl-
clans were quoted as having said that
persons eating cabbage which has been
affected by tho worm would die Instant
Is, and one state chemist" appears to
have made the astounding statement that
one of these little snakes contained
enough poison to kill eight people.
ut should be unnecessary to add" tho
bulletin says, that none of these reports
lad any foundation in fact. Nevertheless
the known presence Of tho hair-worm IN
u
demand for cabbage there. causing very
considera bible loss to truckers aud groccrs.
What was in reality a hoax assumed most
serious proportions, not alone because ot
widespread alarm caused BY erroneous
reports Of loss Of life, but also because Oh
the very material loss to cabbage growers
and others who handled this commodity,
ana the decided extension Of the area IN
which the hair-worm was detected. Inc
scare soon became widespread. causing
general fear of poisoning from Virginia
and West Virginia southwark and west
ward to Kentucky. Illinois, Iowa, MIS-
souri,, Oklahoma and Colorado.
The cabbage hair-worm is described ny
tho department as resembling q piece OF
bnsting thread Of the thickness of a
strand of corn silk, white In color. lt3
length varies from to Q inches, but re-
ports have been received of Il creature
found IN the heads Of cabbage measuring
Q feet! The Imagination Of newspaper
writer's as to color runs riot through
green white, light red. olive green
and yellow"
Many popular names have been be-
SNAKE SNAKE" SNAKE worm.' ser
pent,'' reptile" and Cabbage rattle
snake
ana So one IlOlc AhA'sA sS'N -
been run to earth.
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We are glad to note that the Cohen
Company, one of the largest dry gooas
and department houses in the CITY, or
in the South, not only endorses the
early closing movement we have been
advocating for this city during the sum
mer months. but give strong and con-
ylnclng reasons why the dry goods stores
especially should make 5 o'clock the clos
ing hour for the day. The Cohen COM
many express willingness to make this
Tho closing hour for Saturday also.
What say the other merchants?
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The Army and Navy Journal, in de-
scribing conditions in the Philippines, de-
fines Ladrones as 'insurrectos who have
not been captured" After this rebuke,
we trust the Ladrones will all have the
courtesy to step up and do the correct
thing.
eg ----==-------=a go.
A Boston paper wants to Know no"
much longer Chicago is going to allow
It's best interests to be overridden by q
one-h horse Shea. The explanation seems
to be that the opposition movement has
been altogether under-Dunne.
AS long as such q large proportion OF
sweet girl graduates continue to announce
their engagements on commencement day.
it can scarcely be maintained that inc
higher education for women is really
failure.
Mr. Cleveland has shocked a good many
carefully insulated individuals by stating
frankly that high finance is often 1ndls-
tinguishable from the less luxurious
brands of larceny.
-.-:---------=--- sr
There seems TO be no foundation tor Inc
rumor that the Gear would gladly i'd
wise Japan of his willingness to surren-
der but for the fact that he doesn't know
the language.
We don't want to seem pushing. but
couldn't Togo take advantage of this
little lull to drop over and give few
pointers to Admiral Dicklns?
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Fortunately the terrible devastation
going on at Fort Monroe is strictly on
paper In short, it is constructive rather
than destructive.
s4t ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AS to continuing that Chicago tie-up,
why not get the real opinions Of the
strikers families?
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Still. whoever the new king Of Norway
is, 1t ought to be native Scandinavia.
RvupAts~rN0sN>e>~S1
! GREAT CROWDS