Evening journal., 1907-09-04
LIFE AT CAMP cHURcHMAN.

THE Organized Militia arc having a week Of
4 real active camp life at Rehoboth, mingled
with the pleasures incident to the camping of sol
diers, and they will return home refreshed and
benefited by their outing. The camp so far,
judging from reports, is successful and satisfac
tory to the officers and men.
The only enemy that the soldiers appear to
have met is the force under General Mosquito
How many troops General Mosquito musters APP
pears to be a question of doubt, according to the
reports Of our staff correspondent, who is 'on the
scene of battle" He says the question of the size
the fatness and the general strength OF the mos
quito forces is open to argument-and we hope
so. Usually a man who is assaied by mosqui-
toes is not in the argument humor.
The testimony OF Lieutenant-C Colonel Evan c.
Boyd, of New Castle, however is that General
Mosquito is on deck and in the FIRST round Lieu
tenant Colonel Boyd was routed. lie was de-
ieated so badly that he proposes to become "a
man up tree, and to the top Of tree will Col
onel Boyd climb, canopy and all We are in
clined to believe that Colonel Boyd has facts to
sustain his opinions that mosquitoes arc answer
ing the roll call. We do not believe he is labor
ing under a delusion.
But this testimony brings up serious oues-
ton Of military tactics that should be considered
by board of strategy. Suppose Colonel Boyd
and his men were facing the real enemy in the
field of battle, and that enemy should load its
rifles and cannon with mosquitoes and then fire
them at Colonel Boyd and his New Castle men,
would the command be given to turn and hy up
tree Think of how that would affect the future
Some Washington Hastings of fifty years hence
IN chronichng "reminiscences would record the
battle OF Delaware troops and mosquitoes and
how the troops climbed trees to escape
One OF our interesting letters also says that
shark came ashore and caused CONSERVATION. We
don't believe II was a shark at all 1t was a big
fat mosquito that had tackled Former Congress-
man Handy as he was crossing the ocean, and
after finishing him drifted to Rehoboth.
The soldiers and State authorities. however
ought to hnd some way of dealing with these
mosquitoes. The other troops will not surrender
10 them as easily as Colonel Bovd did Why
doesn't Colonel Theodore Townsend issue
military order warning all mosquitoes to leave
the shore at once, and il they failed to do so let
the pest be locked up in the guard house or court
marshalled II that failed, the legislators at their
reunion, might pass law taxing every mosquito
so much year. This money, if collected, would
relieve the railroad company from paving higher
taxes, and we are confident that would please the
members of the General Assembly nightly.
Colonel Spnrks, who is on the ground might
build sewer and order all the MOSQUITOES 70
connect with it under penalty of being hailed be-
tore court As a last resort. Governor Lea
could issue proclamation warning all the mos
quitoes TO depart. Or, let the military court fine
every mosquito that tackled Colonel Boyd Ss and
costs. The marksmen might put up the mosqui-
toes at range Of 500 yards and shoot them off
one BY one
Colonel Boyds canopy tactics having failed.
some other method must be discovered to deal
with these disturbers of the soldiers peace. and
II the colonies and the generals and the majors
would only consider the subject calmly, iudi.
ciously and with due deliberation, we have no
doubt the mosquito plague, if there is one could
be happily abated.