Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1912 — TOO STRENUOUS A JOB [ARTICLE]

TOO STRENUOUS A JOB

MOSQUITO EXTERMINATOR HAS HAD ENOUGH. \ t Recently Went Through Experteno* That It Must Be Admitted Wae Calculated to Discourage Almost Any One. Charles F. Staedler, marshal of Verona, N. J., is also chief mosquito exterminator of that city. It is his duty to -hunt out the breeding places of the winged rapiers that made New Jersey famous and deluge their larvae with kerosone oil. The life of the chief mosquito exterminator has been a tranquil one.> But recently the foe of Jersey’s curse met with an experience that confines him to his bed under the care of a physician. The chief exterminator and his able assistant, Thomas Brennan, set out to visit some marshy laud at the head of Verona lake. As the chief exterminator stood upon a bog pouring oil upon the hatchery of a flock of mosquitoes hi* foot slipped and into the mire went the marshaL Before Brennan could grasp him the chief exterminator bad sunk to his armpits., Brennan labored hard to pull hie colleague from the bog, and. with ft frantic yank at his chief’s coat collar, be, too, slipped and joined hla companion. The two struggled in the bog as did Bunyan, but to no avaiL Then, almost engulfed, they raised their voices and roared for aid. Little Hughie Ervine heard the wild callft from the bog and saw two heads protruding above the mirel. Hughie tore several boards from a nearby fence and built a walk to the spot where the mosquito terrors lustily struggled tqr freedom. But Hughie conld do nothing more, and the moments were precious, for each convulsive effort only settled the mosquito catchers deeper In their miry prison. Hughie was dispatched for instant aid. He qualified for the Olympic team In bis sprint up the road to David Slayback’s place. David set forth in bis motor car with a long rope. Slayback, with Hughie’s aid, dragged Brennan from the bog. For almost two hours they labored, and Staedler was almost ready to close his eyes and murmur, “Farewell, proqd world,” when Slayback was struck with a brilliant idea. He fastened one end of the rope under the chief exterminator’s arms. The other end was tossed over the branch pf a nearby oak and then tied to the rear of the motor, car. Slayback took his seat in the car and grasped the starting lever. Brennan raised his hand and Slayback put on full power ahead. It was a hard pull. The chief exterminator almost was pulled apart, hut up into the air he finally diet and. dangled twixt box and blue sky, dripping ooze and word* of anguish. As far as the chief exterminator is concerned, all the mosquitoes in Jersey can go to blazes. He said so him- ' self, only bis verbiage was more strenuous.