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5, ’ G THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., DECEMBER 24, 1896. ! CAPTURING RODENTS. ms RAT CATCHING AS A CRAFT HAS UN DERGONE CHANGES. Mow » St. lA>uHai> Captarc-8 Uie IJoniMtlc Pouts at Flvo Cent, a tletul—His Trade a Proftfable One—Somo of tho Old Method* •f Oettir.z Rid of tfco Teghy Varmint*. Tkrro aro few St Louisans who know If art rat catching ia au established besi- Met* in this city. And fewer know that rfonsiderablo ingenuity enters into an •dept practice of tho craft Venerable Iboaewivca recall how, a generation S ID, there were somo queer characters bo contnvcte<l to rid places of the ro- 4<&nt pests by all manner of meana. from erdinary legerdemain to the ext 0 rdi- aary method of the Pied Piper of liame- Ma. There were others, too, who hired ••t intellig<uit ferrets to exterminate Bn4s. But tho advance of civilization has ka<l its effect on tho science of rat oftchiug, and even in that branch of in- 4u«try mechanical contrivances have •opplantcd manual work. C. P. Johnson ia probably tho leading *tt catcher of Hk Louis. His traps aro not cheap trifles, and there are many jminns who hire him to set the con trivances in their places, paying 5 cents Ibr each of the little pests that is cap- •rrrd. Tho largest restaurants afford Jbhnscn considerable work. But tho hotekv, which would naturally he ex pected to offer a favorable field for JMinson’s work, do cot figure as among hk good patroiw. Ho says that tho rat k one of the most cautious of animals, and that tho meddlesomeness of hostelry attaches prevents successful trap setting in hotels. One big down town establish ment was rid of 5.3 rats in one night. Both Johnson and Henry Hein attend to the former’s traps. They make daily rounds, setting tho contrivances or dis posing of tho captives. When a land lord wishes his place rid of rats, he in forms Johnson of that portion of the house where the little animals do most of their foraging. For tho first night or two tho trap is set there in such a manner that the rats can nibble tho bait and afterward es cape. On tho day that Johnson finds all the cheese and crackers in tho boxliko contrivance have boon devoured during tlm night ho attaches an auxiliary trap, into which the captive rats are to bo forced out of tho view of prospective prisoners. Thus fully 100 rats can bo sought in ouo trap in one night. Johnson says that ho doesn’t contract to entirely rid a place of rata. lie thinks lt« “knows ns much about the business im any ore else” and says that when the rodents have firmly established themselves in a house it is almost im possible to drive them out. A ferret, he asiys, might destroy tho nest and tho trap catch all the rats in tho house, but if the locality is particularly favorable for rodent light neighboring pests aro most likely to move into tho place. “Times aro changed,” said an old timer. “I remember when a man had to work a sight harder than ho docs now before he’d get several pieces of sil ver for 24 hours’ rat catching. In those days these newfangled traps weren’t known. “There used to lie a fellow living down on the levee that knew me,re about rats than a jockey knows about race horses. Ho had a partner, and both of them worked .all kinds of schemes on tho little creatures. Those two men had a way of spreading bait on a cellar floor and then sneaking in on rubber boots. One cf them carried a sack and a queer pair of tongs. Tiio other had a bulls- cyo lantern with a sliding panel. “They’d sit in the dark as quiet m a graveyard until tho rats commenced fighting mid quarreling or until tiny knew the place was full of the varmints. “Then tho lantern would be turned o* suddenly, and tho rats, who are us afraid of light as I am of ghosts, would staixl stock still. Tho man with tho tongs—and ho was quicker than greased lightning—would pick up tho pests and Are them into the sack before tho little things knew what was up. Sometimes they’d bag us many as 40 at a crack, but at other times the rats would be come accustomed to tho light and scam per away before 20 of their comrades had been nabbed.” Bnt tho science of rut catching has fewer exponents than has tho art of rat killing. Housekeepers are not generally anxious to have tho little animals about them, and hence they pay more attention to tho ways of exorcising the pests than they do to means of capturing them. In addition to the time worn scheme of poisoned bait, there arc a number of uuiquo plans that aro ojierated from time to time by landlords who have lost patience with the domestic marauders. An ingenious individual some time ago devised a plan of painting a captive rat with a phosphorescent preparation and then turning it loose. Tho released rat would return to its nest, and there its effulgent coat would frighten the other rats out of all their instincts save that of fear. There would be a pellmell fight, and os rats go in droves tho painted rodent would run in their midst, increasing their fright and hastening their flight, ttoruo one suggested that the little ani- main would either run themselves to death or continue their chase until dawn, when, in the sunlight, tho phos phorus would loso its brilliance, liven In the latt«r event tho little animals would have left their previous haunts. it is known that rats despise tho odor •f turpentine, homo housewives, wbui bothered by tho domestic pests, catch one in n trap, and, aft* r bathing it in •nrponliiie, release it. This pkui is said to tiave almost u* efllcneious uu effect ns the phosphorescent paint Tliero aro somo persons wlx> claim An* Is Ding a rat will drive its com rades from their u<>st. Asa usual tiling, however, tho liell becomes detached from the pest to v.hioh it win tied be fore the desir; d « nd is attained. Bnt a strong wire is expe< ted to circumvent sneli a contingency.—St. Louis Globe- lA lateral. LIFE LiNES ON THE FOOT. Secret* They rteveul to the Student of Character. There ia a man in Philadelphia who claims that it is much easier to read one’s character and past and future from the maps on the soles of one’s feet than it is from the palms of the hands. He calls it “pedalogy.” The pedologist, while refusing to tell tho names of tiro owners of the feet in most cases, showed a number of dia grams the other day and explained to a reporter how Iro read tho fortunes of the soles. “Maxine Elliott,” ho said, “is a pub lic character, and I do not mind men tioning her name. Hero is her story. Look at it. It’s worth studying, for she is not only ouo of the most beautiful women on the American stage, but it is remarkable in other ways. Her foot is so beautifully arched that little of her sole touched the paper when she placed iier foot upon it. Tho intellectual and artistic lines aro very clearly defined on her foot, and ouo need but see and hear Miss Elliott speak for a few moments to realize that her artistic and mental capabilities arc of a high order. The hues of intuition and imagination arc both remarkably long. Tho cross be tween tho line of love and the head line indicates that in n love affair Miss Elli ott would be governed largtdy by rea son. She has strong affections, accord ing to the long heart line.” A contrast to Miss Elliott's foot was that of a factory girl from Kensington. This was a lot common to people of little education. There was scarce ly any instep to the foot. The lines of imagi nation, mental capacities and intuition were very short, and tho artistic line was entirely lacking. Tho heart and love linos were well defined and long. Tho lines also indicated firmness and great ambition, with a decided fondness for pleasure, so the pedalogi.st explained. Still another foot was that of a r eic- ty girl. Hero again was tho high arch. It showed, among other things, that sho did not have to stand on hor feet, as did tho poor factory girl. Tho lin-'s told cf her having less heart and loss ambition than the factory girl too. There were selfishness and vanity in tho impression. It seemed well that silk sfrx'kings and dainty shoos usually kept it from the sight of those who would road its own er’s character in tho soles of that foot. There was tho fort cf the preacher and tho policeman and tho lawyer, and each seemed to tell a story in keeping with its owner’s vocation and habits. Last of all came the print cf the man about town. There was no arch there. It had come down “flat footed.” It looked as if it was used mostly in walk ing up and down a fashionable stro* t and standing about tho rlub. It had good nature and self satisfaction, sono generosity and some brains in it, but little ambition.—Philadelphia Press. Pop© g« a Trickster. Mr. Leslie Stephen writes strongly, but not too strongly, when ho says in reference to the correspondence of’Pope, “It is painful to track tho strange de ceptions of a man of genius ns a detect ive unravels tho misdeeds cf au accom plished swindler. ” Pope was a confirm ed liar, r.nd he lied very hard indeed about the publication of his letters. Having by means of a trick secured their publication by a notorious pirat ical bookseller, he at once declared that the letters were forgeries. Yet while ho was calling out for their suppression lie was really anxious for their sale. Tho detailsof all his trickery and lying need not bo gone into here. Pope, full cf vanity and longing to publish his correspondence, had pur posely employed a notorious bookseller to issue an edition ia order that ho might then bo able to nay that tho ver sion was a piratical ouo, and that in self defenso ho must publish the genu ine text. Tho odd thing is that, though the whole affair was exposed at tho time, it does not seem to have do no Popo any harm. Dr. Johnson, indeed, says that it did him good, and that tho nation was full of praise for tho admira ble qualities of candor, benevolence and fidelity which the letters revealed. Hero is some comfort for any living literary geniuu who has not yet published his private correspondence. — Longman’:) Magazine. A Itap ui the Men. If a woman cannot throw a stone or catch a mouse, men ought to cease plaguing her about her disal.lity. As a rule, men do things which they can not—writing up toilets, for instance. A man once told me that a bride wore “white corduroy, cut on the bias and trinjmed with crinoline.” Anything more awful than that I haven’t encoun tered until today, when I read of anoth er bride “arrayed ia cream organdie silk and muslin, trimmed with chi gnon. ” Fancy tho honey turned to gall in reading descriptions like these after tho wedding. Oh, yes, tho rural correspondent is abroad in tho land. Last week one of him sent the following note to his week ly newspaper: “Mr. Mlick celebrated tho semiannual of his first wife’s death Ly getting mar ried again. ’’—Polly in Chicago Times- LGrald. HU Mate*. Executor—Pray, sir, what do you charge for a funeral service? Tho Kcv. Mr. Canter—I always charge, my dear brother, in proportion bo llie property left behind. Couple of ptiintan for a poor man, 5 guineas foi £10,000, and so on. ffxeoGtcr—Well, my friend him Jefi 1100,000, tw that would be br.t it seems a |^e«l deal. j The Jh v. Mr Canter—But. iny deal l rother, think of the strain cn my ton- science.—Ally Sloper. Itomu, liwout Uoiu*. Little < liil —L Cm play wo’ra muiric .1 and koi pin hnuse. Little Boy—Let’s don’t. My toucher rays it is wrong to fight.—Pearson’s I Weekly. Pt^oons Outwit a Hawk. Tho Southern S] ortsman told recently about a flock of pigeons that measured brains with a hawk and camo out on top in the contest, II. S. Edwards owned a flock of pigeons which cun flay were cut off from their tote by a large hawk. The pigeons knew that if the hawk onco got above them one at least of their number would go to make the hawk a meal, and so up tin y flew in circles, perhaps hoping to go higher than tho hawk. In the rising game they were no match for tho hawk. The latter kept under tho pigeons and leisurely follow ed their laborious movements. Then came a curious and unexpected sight to Mr. Edwards. Every pigeon closed its win®*, when they appeared to be tho size of sparrows and down they eszuo past the hawk at a terrific rate. That astonished tho hawk. It actually dodged the dropping birds and miseed half a dozen wing strokes before it got in full cliaeo of them. When it got down to the barnyard, not a pigeon was in sight—some were in tho cote, somo iu tho porch, two in the wcllhcnso, and one was in tho kitchen. The hawk had been outwitted completely. It is a ques tion how the pigeons managed to chick their fall, as they did not elncken up till they wire about 1G or 20 feet above tho ground, when they scattered in all directions to escape tho hawk. A Peculiar Cough. At a r?ccnt meeting of one of the French societies a paper was read on what was diagnosed asatonsilar cough. This cough is described as violent, spas modic and painful. It was frequently accompanied by reflexes in the neighbor ing region, and particularly by a pro fuse watering of tho ryes. All remedies ordinarily applied produced no effect whatever, and as there was no expecto ration tho origin of tho cough has seem ed obscure. Tiic trouble, however, is ex plained by familiarity with tho struc- tmo cf the tonsils. Several sets of nerves center and blend at and near the outer surface of tho tonsils, whore they form w hat is described under tho name of tonsilar plexus. The tonsils arc conncet- od by muscles with the apparatus of the larynx, a fact which makes treatment of tho tonsils complicated and difficult. It in a common practice to cut off the tonsils, but this has been attended with very grave results. The hearing is some times affected by this arrangement and the larynx is necessarily involved. The test surgeons are at present very careful how they perform any surgical opera tion on tho throat or tongue, as it is r. fact past question that very few such operations arc successful in the long run. Tin ro may be temporary relief, but it is almost invariably shor', lived.—Nov/ York Ledger. CJ.1B Tilo*. By means of r.n ingenious process in vented by Marco Cheapponi the manu facture cf slag tiles from blast furnace slag i:i said to be successfully carried on at the smelting worksef Concha i Toro, about ten milesfrom Santiago do Chile. The li mit obtained evidently realizes an important desideratum in this line. The slag and matte, according to this plan, are tapped from the blast furnace into a slag pot, and, after fettling a few moments, the slag is poured from ladles into molds. These are placed on a hearth which lias a movable cover, and, the mold?: being filled with slag, a cover is placid on them as well as on tho hearth. A v: ry slight heat is kept up, so that the f«l..g is very r,lowly cooled, and when it appears black tho molds are lilted from tin.* hearth, and the slag tiles arc dumped into cold water. Made in this manner, the slag t-iles are light and portal le, and, when laid, tough and durable. The slug carrying a considera ble amount of iron is preferred. It is well known that under ordinary cireum- it is impossible to produce tiles 'f this class of suitable dimensions without extraordinary means for tough ening.—New’ York turn. Mail Catchers. “Tbut man is a mail entchev,” re mark* d a clerk at tho city post office, “and one cf a class who are iu such a hurry for their letters that they cannot wait for them to be delivered in the regular way. They stand in line as ev ery mail is being opened and want their letters immediately. As a rule they arc a second rate kind of agents who have no office, and they aro anxious about their letters for the reason that they ex- p< ct fi; s or remittances in them. They come as regularly and no frequently ns do the mails, never say a word and de part ns scon iih the mails are opened, and they find that there is or is not sonu thing for them, only to come again at Up’next mail arrival. ’’—Washington Star. Our First Coin*. Tho first coins really deserving the ui’.nie of United Ktatcs coinage were struck otf as “pattern pieces” by Ben jamin Dudley at the instigation of Rob ert Morris and w ere laid before congress in 1733 as specimens of what tho coin age should Lo. Tlaywero a “mark” and a “quint” and thus described: Tho “mark”—obverse; an eye, tho renter if a glory, 13 points cross equidistant a circle of as many stars. Tim “quint” is similar in design, tho value on ro- v* n;e being m ted. Weurln* Ayruy ».f Coin*. Copp r money wears away rapidly. In !0'i years $600 worth of peuco would be worth only about $260, while tho Hiin.c amount of sovereigns would lose only 3K, js r cent of their original value and A'00 worth of shilliugH, on tlie other hand, would be worn to the c»- t*nt < f m•mo $135. Tho leas thw raloe of coin, i f course. Us* great*r it* wear m <! t .x A i* nay rimilatvs at h mit >i:> fine, a: lupuily us a sovereign. tilnuigcr ou tlui road)—How would you go to g; i to Mr. Hill’s n sidem e? “i d follow my i:<snapped tho woman with a bit of u pug. “Oh! It’ii up that way, is it?’’— Yonkir'.t hitatesmuu. TURNING GRAY AND THREATEKED WITH BALDIIE The Danger Averted by Using 'Ei’S HAIR “Nearly forty years ago, after some weeks of sickness, my hair turned gray ami began falling out so rapidly that I was threatened with immediate baldness. Hearing Ayer’s Hair Vigor highly spoken of, I commenced using this pn paia- wvifc: ■a.* 7 V' tion, and was so well satisfied with the result that 1 have never tried any other kind of dressing. It stop ped the hair from falling out, stimu lated a new growth ef hair, and kept the scalp free from dandruff. Cidy an occasional application ia new’ needed to keep my hair of peed, natural color. I never hesitate to recommend any of Ayer’s medicines to my friends.”—Mrs. II. M. Haight, Avoea, Neb. 'r Viger FRF CAR ED IIY DR J- C. AVER & CO., LOWELL, MASS., 0. S. K Ayer's Suma partita lie mures Pimples, i RipansTabules. Rlpans Tabules are com pounded from a prescription widely used by the best medi cal authorities and are pre sented in a form that is be coming the fashion every where. / • : Ripsns Tabules act gently but promptly upon the liver, stomach and intestines; cure dyspepsia, habitual constipa- lion, offensive breath and head ache. One tabule taken at the first symptom of indigestion, biliousness, dizziness, distress after eating, or depression of spirits, will surely and quickly remove the whole difficulty. Price, 50 cents a box. RipansTabules may be ob tained of nearest druggist; or by mail on receipt of price. Sample vial, to cents. RIPANS CHEMICAL CO., lO Spruca Street, ^ NEW YORK. I .Ji Monumental Works. Granite Monuments a specialty. Agent for IRON FENCES. No. 235, W. Trade St., Charlotte, N. C. wi Caveat*, and Tnnlc-Mark* obtained and alt Pot ent bimncu conducted for moderate Fee*. Ovs Orrice is Opposite U. 3. PatentOffice and we taiisacure patent m less tunc thua thoac remote from Washington. Send model, drawing or photo., with descrip tion. W.- advise, if patentable or not, free of ^charife. Our fee not due till patent is aerured. j A Pamphlet, “ How to Obtain Patents,’’ with'; 'cost <>l same in ti}3 u. S. foreign countries; sent free. Address, C.A.SN0W&GO. Or*. Patefit Office, Washington. D. C. fcWWVW'VW'S'W.' • '**■*'%*/»• “There should be no Alps.” Wo say, “.‘hero shall be no successful competitors.” Here c a short chapter about a modern store that’s worth your reading : iiness Are so closely akin that well-fitting clothes arc classed with Holiday gilts, and just here, there’s a bit of good fortune— isolation Sale. 't our choice ol the most lasionablo stock of Suits and Over coats at actual wholesale prices. Needn’t trv to do as well elsewhere by spending more money. These goods go for cost onlv. ■J The Hustlers’ Big Iron Store. i. Out at Cost With a view to making a change in our business after JANUARY 1st, 1897, we now offer our entire stock Everybody come and get bargains while they last. Respectfull, SARRATT & Sins. Dkikmueu 1st, 181)0. 7r % 3 is the time to buy warm clothing and J. N. LIPLCOMB is tlie man to buy it from. 1 will sell you a suit from $3.50 to ;* 15.00. Overcoats and Mackintoshes from $3.50 to $15.00. SHOES—1 have the host stock of Shoes in town—Men’s, Wo men’s and Children's—at prices to suit all buyers. GROCERIES.—When it comes to Groceries I am the “World- Heater. ’ ’ 1 have 1000 barrels of Flour on hand and in tran sit that I bought before the rise and will sell accordingly. Don’t fail to see me before you buy if you want to savo money. 1 have 10 bags of that good old 71b Coffee on hand and a few barrels of 201b Sugar to sweeten it with. HARDWARE.—I have a complete line of Staple Hardware, such as Docket and Table Cutlery, Nails, Plows, Wash Pols, Stoves, Guns, Pistols and Cartridges which I will sell its low as tlie lowest. Will give you Barbed Wire at 2ic. “Boy Dixie” Turn Plows at $1.25. Iain selling the best Jelllco Lump Coal at $4.50 per ton, delivered. Respectfully, . N. Lipscomb. P. S.—Ladies wanting a nice dress made will find Mrs. Parker in my house who will be glad to serve them. Hurrah for the New County I Don’t Forget! S am stiSS a Candidate^ Tor Traill', snliji-cl to filling hungry pi-opli*. ('all next door to Iloe Hive and be convinced. I^.oeeIvocl, A Fresh Lot of Lowucy's Chocolato Candles, also a nice assortment of Cake* and this year’s Nuts Just in. Every dtiy in the week at Ti and ■l-’) cents per uuart. Telephone orders re ceive prompt and careful attention. Kin* up Telephone No. fl. Chas. G. Ervin. We now have on hand a complete assort ment of Steam Pipe, Ells, Tees, Bushings, Nipples, Unions, etc., etc. Also all kinds of Fittings for Saw Mills and Cotton Gins, together with the tools for doing all work in this line, and will be glad to serve you at any time. Prices always reasonable. J. Q. Galloway & Son.)