i6o 



The cuttings of steep banks and sides, the eHmination of wild 

 grasses and weeds by constant use, probably workqd against the 

 Anopheles mosquitoes while it permitted the multiplication of 

 the common but harmless nuisances, the household mosquito of 

 civilization. If the town had grown up around the basin the 

 menace to health by Anopheles would probably have been elimi- 

 nated, but matters never went that far, however. On the out- 

 skirts of the little settlement the dump heaps from excavation 

 and the building of embankments formed pools and marshes 

 and dammed up waters, on the edges of which grass and weeds 

 overhung the bank, and here Anopheles probably held its own. 

 At any rate, we hear of malaria in the region which had its ups 

 and downs, rising at times to the strength of epidemics, of some 

 of which the older inhabitants of the town have a distinct recol- 

 lection. At one time it was so bad that the people of Princeton 

 seriously considered moving all houses and permanent residents 

 from the basin. The college authorities were much worried at 

 times over the matter. 



A time came finally, about fifty years ago, when for many 

 reasons the "Basin" became neglected and fell into disuse. The 

 railroad was moved to a better grade and roadbed nearly two 

 miles south, and the branch built to connect it with Princeton 

 came up to the town and did not connect with the basin. Also 

 the railroad bought the canal, and nearly all the freight and 

 coal that had been carried on the canal was now brought directly 

 to the town on the cars. As a result the ''Basin" lost many of 

 its inhabitants, and the various buildings fell into disrepair and 

 most of them into ruin. Banks caved in, drains were obstructed, 

 trees grew and flourished around the basins, and, worst of all, 

 grass and weeds overhung the banks to form the quiet natural 

 retreats so favorable to the malarial pest. 



"The study of the situation was carried on by the following 

 measures : First, a survey by experts representing the State 

 Board of Health, the State Agricultural Experiment Station and 

 the local entomologists, to determine where the mosquitoes bred. 

 All breeding mosquitoes were located by their larvae being pres- 

 ent in the waters examined, but the dangerous Anopheles quad- 

 rimaculattis Say. was found only in outlying streams and pools. 



