THE IRON COUNTY REGISTER — SEPTEMBER 19, 1889
A Cool Story Told In All Seriousness by a Rochester (N. Y.) Lady.
“It seems as if every year adds to the list of pests which are sent for some reason to torment poor suffering humanity.” said a lady to a reporter. She evidently had something on her mind besides potato bugs, cabbage worms, grubs and thousands of destructive insects which prey upon vegetation generally and on “every thing green” except white geese and college freshmen. “I have been bothered by carpet worms, moth millers, red and black ants, roaches and Croton bugs, but they are nothing compared to the latest pest.
“What is this plague?” said the reporter.
“Is it possible that you never heard of the ice-worm?” said the lady with astonishment depicted on every feature of her countenance. “Why, I recollect that the ice crop along the Hudson was ruined by this pest several years ago, or, at least, the newspapers said it was. The worm moved West, according to report, and at least two years ago it was stated that the ice dealers inclosed their store-houses with fine-wire netting to keep the worms from getting at the congealed water. It would seem that this precaution was unavailing, and scientists now say that the worm is left in the water in the shape of an egg, frozen up in the ice and hatched out in the spring.”
“How does it affect the ice?” asked the reporter.
“Its ravages are not apparent until the cakes of ice are broken up for use,” was the reply. “If the men who deliver
