Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1883 — Mississippi ’Skeeters. [ARTICLE]

Mississippi ’Skeeters.

The railroad station at Mil sissippi City is located among the vines, and the way the mosquitos were biting there, even in April, was enough to keep e mule moving. After awhile we got to talking about the insects, and I asked a native of the eountry: "Are they thicker than this in the summer?” “Thicker! Why, in July there's a mil* lion to one t n “And larger?” “Larger! Why, sir, one of the regular ’skeeters of this section could carry twenty of these on his back and still fly highr I thought I'd down him at once, and so continued: “Now, sir, answer me truthfully. Do you believe that six of your biggest mosquitos could kill a mule if he was tied up out here?” Je looked at me in amazement fer a ate, and then went to the door and beckoned in the man sittingon a box and watching the horses. When the man came in, the native said: “William, yon remember that air roan mole cf yours?” “I reckon.” “In perfect health, wasn’t he?” “He was." “Could ran like a deer, and kick like a saw-log?” “Heoonldr “And he was all alone in a ten-acre lot, William?" * “He wae.” . “And two of them mud swamp ’skeeters got sorter him one morning, and, run him down and killed him, and devoured both hams and sucked. drop of blood in hit body? William, speak up!" v “Stranger, if they didn’t then I hope to he chewed to lags!’,’ said William, and he said it exactly like e man who wouldn't have allowed there were two ’skeeters if he hadn’t been earnestly oonvfnced of the fact. He walked out doors , and a deep silence fell upon us two, broken only after a long interval by the native saying: "Fve alius kinder suspected ihafc them skeeters had assistance from a hosa-flv. but I can’t prove it. I kinder think the hoee-flv held him down till the murder was committed OuadT v