Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-04-18
.INDIA'S PERPETUAL
PLAGUE OF INSECTS
TheI Are the Housekeepers'
Terror---Native Method
of Publication.
From the Cornhin Magazine.


We christened our house The Barn.
It's walls and floors were poor in plane
surfaces they bulged Unexpectedly.
There was no ceiling, and from the
old thatched roof gamboling snakes
and rats shook down unsavory par
ticles upon our food. During the rains
this thatch leaked in spouts of muddy
water like the nose of a watering pot,
so that there was practically no dry
spot in the bedrooms, and in time
became accustomed to sleeping under
macintosh and umbrella. Ventilated
roofs of this nature were not uncom-
mon in the station.
The windows of our dwelling house
were meagre Sits with calico nailed
across them instead of glass, but we
had four excellent doorways. To one
door there was a lock and key; an
other possessed handle; the third had
no fastening at all, and the fourth did
not exist. Every night we methodical-
ly turned our only key in its lock, de-
termined that such a luxury should
not want recognition, but there was
nothing to prevent all the burglars In
Uganda from streaming through the
three other entrances, and l have al
ways wondered why on earth they
never did so.
From the moment of our arrival at
The Barn it became evident that my
lot in life was to contend hourly with
predatory insects, who, like tropical in
sects everywhere, seem to pursue their
nefarious callings night and day un-
resting. Thus the war waged against
them was always "a losing one, for
while we slept they Bit chewed and
devoured: they bored, tunneled and
climbed, and we woke in the morning
TO find fresh ravages as the results
Of their nights zeal. There were not
only the usual mosquitoes that fed
upon us, and the usual flshtail in
sects that chewed our woolen clothing.
and the usual cockroaches that bloated
themselves on our silken vestments,
but there were others.
There were insects that sprang and
Insects that did not spring, there were
ticks of revolving outline, there were
jggers who lamed us times without
number, there were boring beetles who
consCientiously mined out the interior
Of all serviceable wood till our chairs
and tables became hollow Shams, tot
tering to destruction before our eyes.
There were little ants who swarmed
up giddy heights in order to fatten on
butter, there We're big bodied glutton-
Gus ants who swelled themselves on
sugar eaten in secret, and-woe was
me-there were whole empires of white
ants, who f1ourshed their tunnels and
traceries Of red mud in every direc-
ton. These were omnivorous and ON
nipresent.
We could hang no pictures, for they
ate them. They ate my only waterproof
and throve upon II. In my ignorance
of their powers l put up dado of ma
tive bark 10th to hide the marks OF
| their industry in my sitting room, and
while / was down with fever they ate
| the dado. In spite of incessant watch
| fulness and daily tappings of the walls
they defeated us continually, and to
| this day l can think of no more detes-
table sound than the dry rafting made
| by them If disturbed in their crimes.
When the interesting collections OF
| insect life indoors were held to have
| exceeded the average, the remedy Of
| the country was extremely simple.
Every stick of our belongings was car
ried forth and recklessy dumped in
the compound. Then came the chain
gang laden with baskets of Cowdung,
and shooting this substance broadcast
| into our rooms they proceeded to plast-
er the floors with IL. Camped into the
| compound well to windward of our
home. l wore out the long hours OF
eviction in no patient spirit. for not
being a Hindu l found it difficult to
regard this process as one Of sacred
publication, although something of the
| kind was certainly intended. BY even
ing the work was done, and the house
having been thus newly decorated was
hurriedly refurnished, so that we were
able to eat what dinner we could amid
| a SAVIOR of so concentrated cowyards
Presumably the insects periShed;
know that / very nearly did.