The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-08-13
THE WONDERFUL FLEA.
Most Powerful Thing For Its Size
That Grows.

ln0t GFOWS.
Charles Rothschild has for years
been the worlds greatest flea collect
or, a strange fad for prince Of
wealth. Rothschild was the first to
obtain and describe the oriental rat
flea. which comes from the Nile. This
Is the true carrier to man Of the
black death. which has murdered
millions. untold millions, Of people.
The disease occurs in rats, and one
oriental flea can cary it from a rat
to kill man.
Egyptian or rat feas have been
spread all over the warm countries
OF the world by the rats which they
worry and ride. 1t has been proved
that man fleas and cat fieas can car
ry plague, but not so strong or dead
ly as the rat flea's plague. One fiea's
stomach and gizzard hold 5000
plague germs. where germs can fur
ther grow and keep alive for fifteen
days, but after fifteen days white
blood cells in that rats or fea's blood
kill the plague germs Fleas suck
the rats blood, and so get white cells
from the rats. Both rats and feas
become co charged that the plague
stops, owing to immunity.
Charles Rothschild years ago start
led the wrold by paying $1,000 for a
pair Of rare, almost unknown, Arctic
fleas.
All human fieas originated in north
Europe. and were originally on the
badger before they learned to like to
live on man. Fleas are collected and
preserved in small tubes of alcohol,
ana no man could have believed that
Rothschilds flea fad could have ever
borne such valuable wisdom as to
prove that the Nile flea is the dead
lest of all things the world ever saw,
for one flea bite will give a man the
plague. If anybody can find an entire
ly new breed of flea Tip promises that
Mr.. Rothschild stands ready to re-
ceive the goods and pay the highest
market price the world affords.
The Egyptian flea does not thrive in
cold climates, for the plague weak
ems under a temperature Of 80 degrees
Fahrenheit.
The despised and detested flea is a
fine circus and theatrical performer,
but 1t will be best to admit right off
the bat that the performing power
lies entirely in the struggle to breal,
bond and escape. A performing flea
Is easily broken of his habit of jump
ing the fence or flying the coop. He
Is fastened up in a pill box with glass
sides. This Is made to whirl around
like lottery box or a Chink prayer
wheel, until the flea student Is gradu-
ated by learning it is foolish, tire
some and useless to jump since the
more he jumps the less he goes. But
most good performers are not trusted.
One single fibre of raw silk is tied
around the flea's waist and knotted at
the back, miniature sash, as it were.
The other end of the fairy cable IS
glued to post or ball and chain IT
some such holding flea-fasten-
er. Fleas may pull a carriage by
being harnessed in Queen Mays fairy
coach with shafts made of finest
boar bristle.
The flea is the most powerful thing
for it's size that grows, barring some
bacteria that can hit a red corpuscle
so hard they can send it spinning
through the blood like a football. So,
when old Dobbin flea Is hitched to
his one-fea shay and set on a sheet
Of blotting paper where he can pick
strong claw holds with the hooks AMI
the equipage rolls off with all the
brilliancy speed and finery Of one of
Alfred Vanderbilt's English turnouts
The life of the performing flea is
by no manner of means as short and
ileeting as most might guess, for they
usually live to be eight months old
Some Methuselah fleas act for year
Flea outfits and instructions in Paris
sell as high as a hundred dollars
Some one-night stands make their
owners well-to-do flea showmen.-
New York Press