The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-03-25
A Terrible Combat With Rats,

4
boro', living near Booser's mill, was late
ly very much annoyed by rats, which
carried off his eggs and made sad worl
with his corn in his crib and then in
vaded his granary and commenced de
stroying a bin of Wheat. Mr.. L., on ex
animation, found there was but on,
place where they got in. He thereupo1
resolved to kill the rats by an artifict
well worthy of the cause. He strewec
corn meal literally on the floor of the
granary, and about one hour later he
nailed the hole shut; he then called his
dog Ia Spanish terrier) and, armed with q
club, went forth to battle.
Now the door to the granary is fastened
with long wooden latch extending full
across the door, and can only be opened
from the outside, and Mr.. L., on entering
the granary, Grew the door shut and
heard the latch fall. He then thought
that the enemy was his, but this was an
error, for ehe rats were more numerous
that he expected, and, finding no way oi
escape. attacked both Mr.. L. and his dog
with great fury. Mr.. L. laid on his blows
hard and fast, and one blow, aimed at a
rat, unfortunately hit the dog on the
he Adj and killed him.
MIR. L., being thus deprived of his faith.
full ally, would have fled but could not.
He then commenced calling for help, the
rats meanwhile kept skirmisbing around
his legs, ral up his body, bit his hands,
and one bolder than the rest bit his nose
1t is impossible to say what the result of
this unequal contest would have been
had not passing neighbor, attracted by
the noise and cries, gone to the relief Of
MIR. L., who presented a shocking spec
tacie, his face and hands bloody and his
clothes torn into shreds.
Mr.. L., being washed and rehahilitated,
sat down to reflect, when he luckily hit
upon bette plan Of warfare. He went
and borrowed twelve cats, which with
his own made fifteen; these he in the
evening shut up in his granary with the
rats, and the next morning he found, on
examination, ten dead cats, one blind
one and two with one eye apiece. The
remaining two were unhurt, and by
actual count he found 119 dead rats; of
the dead dog there was nothing left but
the bones and hair, the rats doubtless
having eaten him while Mr.. L. was hunt
ing cats.-Carlisle (Pa.) Herald.
-Girard College, which was opened in
1847 with $50 orphans, now has $50, its
full capacity. The income in 1847 of the
estate was 100000; expenses Of the col
lege 100000, leaving 100000 surplus.
The income is largely on the increase,
ana it is not easy to say whe.e it will
stop. Twelve coal mines, unproductive
at Mr.. Girard's death, have been opened
and yield large revenue. The estate
has $50 acres Of land in the southern
part Of Philadelphia, which will soon
produce an immense income. There is
sufficient land on Passyunk road to put
up from 10000 to Il, 600 houses, and they
would yield to the estate at least 81, ,5OO,-
600 per year. Every year the trust could
expend 5000, 900 in building, which would
yield 10 per cent. on the outlay. The
taxes paid by the estate to the city last
year were $4,000.
THE lactometer, which is used in test
ing milk, is short glass tube somewhat
like thermometer without the frame,
marked inside with graduated scale
from zero to ITO, and having at one end
long, empty bulb terminating with a
smaller, round bulb loaded with shot.
This simple instrument is plunged into
the milk and indicates the density of the
latter by sinking to the particular figure
marked on the scale. Thus, if the lac
tometer should 60 down to 0, your milk
will be all water; if to fifty, it win be
half lf-and-half; if to 100, pure milk with
the cream; and if to 10, skinned milk,
which is heavier than cream and milk.
A lactometer costs fifty cents.
The winter of 1741 was famous
througho0New England as much colder
than any which preceded It. The snow,
which covered the whole country o.
early as the 18th Of November, was
still above the fences on the following
April.
I'm few years two rats become 646,-
608, and yet the druggists look with sus-
picion on man who asks for . dime
worth Of strychnine.- D1n6u,y NAcs
France has 198,000 manufacturing
establishments, using stesm-powsr of
50O, 900 horses power and giving employ
M4ent 70 abQut 81, 900 hands.