Evening star., 1922-09-10
Heard and Seen
Well, that was a big rain.

day morning a week ago, but we of the
younger generation find 1t hard to do 80
Up in one section of the city the rain
| washed the sparrows out Of the trees.
The birds became so water-soaked
| forced to content themselves with wet
walks until feathers dried out.
| One who lives out that way was tell
ing about it.
"Yes, sir he said, those sparrows
were 80 water-logged they fell out OF
the trees. The ground was covered with
them
Must have been fine for the cats"
| replied. Pictures Of stealthy cats
prowling out after the helpless birds
filled my mind. 1t was easy enough
| to see a cat with a sparrow in each
paw. and another in its mouth. taking
| his prey to a place of safety, then re-
turning for more.
I saw grinning cats ambling among
| the water-logged birds, pushing the
| birds to one side in order that they
might seize particularly fat speci-
| mems Surely such thing had not
! been known before in the history of
| catdom.
| I'll bet the cats had a great time"
was my innocent remark.
He replied, dryIy enough.
The cats weren't out in it." he said
| Others have sung the praises of fair
women and horses; some one ought to
place in fair print the abilities of the
| roach.
1t is true that this creature COM
J monty gets detestation. and 1t is prob
! ably entirely true that it richly de-
serves it all. Nevertheless. it is one
of the most intelligent of bugs. Since
brains command attention in this day
and age. the ordinary roach should
| come in for his share.
For the roach has brains. What is
more. he uses them. or it, in whatever
| shape his brains come. Part of its
| ability is derived from the fact that.
| like all creatures of his class. he is
nothing but an oxygen motor. He has
| no lungs. but imbibeS air through all
his joints-in fact. through almost
every section of himself. so that at all
times he is filled with this very es-
sence of life.
If man could take in as much oxygen
| of being forced to extract il from the
air through means of the devious
| lungs route. where moisture is an
| essential. he could jump over the
| Washington Monument as mere
pastime.
If man could run as fast as the
roach in proportion he could make
| 120 miles an hour as easy as rolling
off a log, and cover the transconti-
mental route in few hours.
So do not make the mistake of
sneering at the roach He is nasty,
: hut Ea n in
| stance. A gentleman who is keeping
house for himself. while his wife is
| away for the summer, discovered a
roach as large as cake of soap, in
, the bathroom.
This man has no use for the pesky
critters. So he got after it hot-foot.
as the saying is. The roach streaked
! il underneath the lavatory. Now. he
didn't go in the usual aimless fashion
customary with bugs" He knew
| where he was bound for, and he got
there by the short route-the straight
| line.
Now notice the cunning of this ami
NAL
The biped threw various articles at
the multiped. but the latter did not
stir. He knew nothing could touch
him there. The man then threw
glasses of water at the concealed
| roach. but the bug was wise. He
| knew the water was only a bluff.
! The man waited. So did the roach.
! At last an umbrella was brought
! into play. The instrument. had a
! sharp end. and the roach saw that it
meant business. The time had come
| for action.
Here 1 go, boys" shrieked the
| roach, as he sped out from behind the
pipes and headed straight for the
! bath tub. Beneath its hospitable bot
| tom he felt that all would be well.
; No mere man could ever crawl un-
derneath bath tub. 1t takes 4 roach
| to do that.
AS straight as an arrow. at speed
of at least sixty miles an hour. the
roach made for the territory beneath
the tub. Umbrella descending. large
feet impending, did not deter him.
All. ha.
| He was safe at last. The bath tub
bottom swallowed him UP. Where he
| went to. or where he is now. the man
, never found out. He just disap-
peared, that was all And the man
! had to confess to himself that. in an
| elemental struggle, he had been out
/, witted by cockroach.
*4
| One of Fostma ster Chances carriers
recently got into trouble and landed
in Jail.
Now it happened that this same iran
already was under charges, being
given a certain time. according to
civil service rules AMI regulations, to
, make his answer to the postmaster.
| He had not completed his written
reply when this other matter came
;up. So he wrote a letter to Chance.
| please give me some more time 10
answer the charges" he wrote. 1t Is
! not convenient for me to answer
| now
/ CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.