The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-09-07

Ralph Bergengren in Boston Transcript
Several days ago atmospheric condi-
tions that were of somewhat unusual
nature and prolongation treated New
York to a plague that nearly reached
serious proportions New Jersey has
long been conducting a pattern cam
paign against the mosquito, by draining
her swamps and meadows Staten
Island had been declared cleared of the
pest. Yet recently New York was in
undated with swarms of mosquitoes.
They made night impossible; by day
they stopped busy New Workers, in
curiosity at the remarkable numerous
ness of their swarms. Their presence
was everywhere a serious embarrass-
ment, but the embarrassment became
alarming at their invasion of the hos
pitals
The wise ones promptly proclaimed
them of the harmless variety, so far
as concerned their capacity to bring
and spread disease In the end annoy
ance was all they brought. Yet be-
tween slaps and scratches New York
wondered whence they came. Was it
by way of the new North River tun-
nels, from New Jersey? asked the
humorist. But a strong and a long
southeast wind brought them from the
salt marshes of Long Island, the neg
lected spot in the metropolitan fight
against the insect!
The incident ended in a passing joke, |
yet it might have had calamitous
side, and it was productive of several |
soldering consideration. VIII the ex-
termination of the mosquito ever be |
accomplished The outlook is not the |
cheer from the surprising past of the !
1t would probably astonish
most people to learn that that record
is best set forth in the files of the
patent Office. The Pilgrims themselves
must have begun the battle, but it does
well enough to begin with the patent |
annals. And they make an amusing
on the absurd, the frantic
and the diseouragingly futile efforts of
mankind to be rid of these persistent
insect pests.
Since the beginning of the century
invention although still alive is visibly
losing interest. Mosquito inventions,
as recorded in the somewhat stiff and
unpicturesque phraseology of the Pat
emit Office, divide themselves into two
kinds, passive and aggressive. One
may elect to hide from the mosquito,
10 shut one IS self away from her in
he doubtful security of the screened
'oom or mosquito Melted bedstead or
me may advance to the combat like
Goliath against David but without Co
hath s comforting sense of prestige
Ind self-importance. Even from the
beginning the inventors have evidently
doubted the ability of the average man
o kill the average mosquito with any
Weapon whatever, and as we all know,
tapping at a mosquito is usually taken
S kind of applause and encourages
he creature to further effort. Among
ii the mosquito inventions of the last
entury hardly more than a half dozen
ttempts to kill the mosquito, and only
ne, so far as moderately careful search
an discover, insults its intelligence by
rying to take it in a trap. Even the
L
urpose has been sadly neglected What
, even more curious, the aggressive :
nd deadly inventions are contributions
f the female intellect. 1t has taken
n Ida Or an Elizabeth to attack the y
losquito as a burglar attacks the I'M :
householder, and it is the =
lind of woman that conceived the :
avengeful notion of capturing them =
live and drowning them afterward. lei
But what wonders these inventors 9.
in nets and bars! They q
ave evolved MEETINGS that hang from "
ne ceilings, that project from the !,
alls. that are part of the bed. that n
ely the mosquito by night and sup !,
Drt the pillow sham by day. that can h
2 put over the bed like a dish cover, n
: that revolve rapidly through the still s.
ours, round and round the sleeper I'M i
even the mosquito gets dizzy and
YES up trying to penetrate the mirac- -