The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-10
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY Z. HOUSE
CFrom Philadelphia Public Ledgerl

From Philadelphia Public LedsefJ
The Hon Babe" Ruth's facility as
a Iitterateur has come in for a certain
amount OF aniInadversion in the
column. In a way we have "panned"
the Babes" contributions to the
sporting pages. But, as compared
with his knowledge OF natural history.
the Babes random reflections on
the national pastime and its hero APP
proximate something approaching
brilliancy.
Touching his present indisposition,
the Babe" writes: Last week the
chiggers nipped me on the left arm
while I was out doing some motion
picture acting. The spot swelled up
so badly it had to be lanced, and now
I am out Of the game for ten days
We have seldom been permitted to
witness the act of slowing an equal
amount of misinformation in the
limited space Of six lines. The.
Babes ignorance of the ehigger and
its habits is abysmaL Since we have
built up a clientele which depends
upon us for the elucidation of the un-
important, it seems pertinent and fit
ting that we refute the errors the-
Babe" has established in the minds
of his readers.
The chigger does not nip. 1t bur-
rows. 1t does not set up or establish
an infection or an Inflammation. II
rears a red welt which endures for the
course Of its natural life and which
subsidies when, as is its custom, it dies
| on the premises If the chfgger were
clad in sober robes it would be in
visible to the naked eye; but mas
much Is it wears a jaunty coat of
! carmine, It is occasionally discernible
to those whose vision is preternatur-
ally sharp. The chfgger moves in and
establishes its rendezvous. or home
stead entry. stealthily and without
warning The first intimation to the
victim that he has been staked out ana
| allotted is when the homesteader be-
! gins to dig his subterranean passage.
The agony lasls for several days. II is
a form of annoyance compared with
which hives become a pleasurable and
| titillating sensation. The annoyance
| ends and the welt subsidies with the
i death from senility of the intrenched.
Nine million chiggers have been
counted an the underside- of a leaf
/ from a blackberry vine. The popula-
ton of a robust ragweed is estimated
at seventeen billions
However,, if the Hon. Babe" is stav-
ing out of the crucial games in which
his team is participating on account OF
| a ehigger bite, he is less a hero than
he has been painted.
We imagine, however. that If It
were necessary to raise a campaign
| fund of fifteen millions OF dollars to
| defeat the Democratic candidate Mr..
Hays would be able to do it, The peo-
PIE seem determined that the hunili-
ating and incredible mistake of 1918
shall not be repeafed
Christy Mathewsen, whs~ was an
ornament to the game for nearly
| twenty years, and whose only known
indiscretion was that of managing the
cincinnati Reds, got three lines at the
bottom of a column yesterday But
| lnasmuch as Mr.. Mathewson has com
mitted no crime, expressed no asinine
or ridiculous opinion and INDUCED in
| no public exhibitions of cheap vul-
garity. three lines is all he was worth
to the news.
Amt Nature Wonderful? -
Reading, Pa, Sept. 3.-Due to the
fact that the grasshopper crop is verS
| short in this section of Pennsylvania
the number of turkeys grown will be
far below the usual average. The
| spring hatchings were numerous but
! deprived of their customary food, most
o. the young birds have sickened and
LeLoup. Kan, Sept. s.-simeon
Heckle, farmer living between Le-
Loup and Ottawa, raised a bed OF
| horseradish this year which trotted an
| exhibition mile in 2:14 on the half
mile track at the Franklin county
lair grounds today. Mr.. Heekle plans
to plant forty arces of horsera dish
next year. and, if the plants mature
in time, will enter it on the grand
| circuit
Danville, KY. Sept. 3.-Unfortuitous
circumstance recently deprived a Berk-
shire SOW belonging to Abraham Din
gus. a stockman living near Danville,
of a litter of pigs. For several days
the sew was inconsolable. While time
wrote the epic of her grief. a pair of
turtle doves nesting on a fence post
nearby Matched the customary brood
| of young. The sow drove the turtle
doves, from their nest and adopted the
two fledglings The young birds have
become very fond OF their foster