Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1910 — Mosquito Gets Credit for a Runaway [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mosquito Gets Credit for a Runaway

NEW YORK.—A mosquito which apparently was a cross of the famous or notorious families of Jersey weUborers and Staten Island rock-drillers, saw George Jordon’s nose, buzzed a little song about “Oh, for a pasture new!” and swept down upon the nose. The nose and George' were at that moment behind a horse that. George was driving. Now, Gordon had had all he could do to manage that skittish steed before the advent of the insect. . When he felt the first jab of the Skeeter’s surgical scissors George started to knock the squatter off his nasal territory. But he restrained his hand, for in that Instant he remembered that he needed both hands to handle the fractious horse. And there was George in a dilemma equal to that ancient one that concerned a devil and a deep sea. If he didn’t knock that mosquito off his nose he’d lose his life blood, but if he took a hand from the reins to deliver

that knookout swing away would go his bad-tempered horse! Gordon shook his head violently and blew his breath toward the mosquito to dislodge it, but all to no purpose. The insect held on and just bored and bored. Gordon gritted his teeth and remembered the story he had read in school about the Spartan. But what was a mere fox gnawing at a boy’s vitals to a real, war-size Jersey mosquito sinking an artesian well in a man’s nose! George could stand it no longer. Up went one hand in a savage sweep. It missed the mosquito. Forgetting all except his desire for vengeance, Gebrge swung with the other hand. And as the skeeter buzzed ‘Ha, ha!” the horse, freed from control, bolted. Perhaps the wind created by the speed blew the mosquito off Gordon’s nose. At any rate the pest vanished. Just as Gordon grabbed the reins and started to saw on the bit a wheel struck a stone and out he shot He landed bruised and stunned at the side of the road. Dr. Frederick T. Witte, who was passing in his auto, got out revived Gordon and took him home in his machine. When they arrived at the Gordon domicile, lo! there was the runaway horse standing quietly at the stable door.