The weekly ledger. (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1894-1896, December 24, 1896, Image 6
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.)