FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



door-keeper, went up to Mr. Trenholm's desk and laid before 

 him a card on which was printed the deaf-mute alphabet. The 

 high official looked up, greatly irritated. He realized that he 

 could not say anything that would be understood, so he called 

 to the door watchman, "John, convey to this mendicant the idea 

 that he cannot vend his wares here." Taking in the situation, 

 John resorted to the sign-language. He patted the man on the 

 shoulder, pointed to the door, and kicked violently with his foot. 

 The beggar understood and left. 



And so time went on for the better part of two years, and 

 then came a Presidential election. The Republicans won, and 

 on the fourth of March James R. Garfield was sworn in as 

 President. He appointed a new Cabinet, and a new Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture was not 

 then represented in the Cabinet. It was a so-called independent 

 department. The new commissioner's name was George B. 

 Loring of Massachusetts, and he was immediately overwhelmed 

 by a mass of demands from all over the country that C. V. 

 Riley be reappointed U. S. Entomologist. Although Comstock 

 was a good man and had done very good work, the political 

 pressure was too strong and Riley was reappointed, Comstock 

 going back to Ithaca with a sop of one thousand dollars, given 

 to him for the completion of his work on scale-insects. 



I have told the story of this period rather fully in my "History 

 of Applied Entomology." It is only necessary to say here that 

 although I fully expected to be discharged and to go to New 

 York for my medical studies, I was retained and was soon 

 designated as first assistant. 



But before Riley had fully made up his mind about me I 

 was sent on three field trips. The first was to Illinois, Indiana 

 and Wisconsin, to investigate serious outbreaks of the army 

 worm. I started from the old Pennsylvania Railroad Station at 



[38] 



