Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-10-19
4 MOUSE.CATCHING BABY.
of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
ERIE, September 30.

now creating sensation few miles
south of the city, in the shape Of a
mouse-catching infant, surprising in
expertness the agility or the best ca
nine or feline mouser in the country.
The report of this singular freak OF
nature reached me so we'll authenti-
Gated that concluded to crafty my
curiosity, and possibly be sold, as l
have often been. But to my surprise
the facts turned out more remark
able. than the report presented, and
the most astonishingly natural Won
der I ever witnessed. The little girl
in question is trifle over year old,
and can but just begin to walk about
the house and yard. The moment
she wakes and gets out of her crib
she goes to the old kitchen fireplace,
which is infested with a species of
small house mice, and sits down by a
hole in the corner, very much like a
eat, with. her eyes intently fixed on
the burrow.- She, sometimes occu-
pies this position for an hour without
moving, till mouse makes its ap-
pearance, when by a sudden start, ap-
parently without any effort, she
seizes her victim by the neck. As
soon as her prize is secured she seems
to be electrified with joy, and trem-
bles from head to foot, uttering a
kind of wild murmur or growl re-
sembling the half-snarl of wildcat.
On arriving at the house, and making
known the object of my visit, the
mother expressed her willingness to
give me an exhibition of the strange
peculiarly of the baby, provided l
would promise not to make their
names public, as she seems to dread
the notoriety already given to the
affair. 1, of course, made the re-
quired promise, and had the privi-
lege of witnessing with my own eyes
a performance SO wonderful and
novel that l never can forget the i'm
preston it made. The babe was
asleep when l arrived, and on awak-
ing she started at once on her strange
mission. She is a beautiful little
blonde of delicate features and
bright blue eyes, and her hair lies all
over her head in exquisitely-formed
golden curls, about the circle of a
dime. There is nothing unusual
about the countenance of the child,
or different from that of any pretty
featured baby, except when stalking
her game. Then her eyes become
glistening and fixed, sparkling like
gems, and her face and hands turn
pale as wax, while she appears to
hear or notice nothing going on
about her, but keeps her eyes steadily
conferred on the burrow whence she
expected her game to sally forth.
The mother, and elder sistr of the
child and myself sat in semi-circle
around her, silent as if in spiritual
"seance " waiting for the signal OF
departed spirits. Had no mouse
made its appearance, the sight was
one never to be forgotten-the
deathly pale face of that motionless
child, and the riveted, sparkling eyes
concentrated for thirty minutes on
that mouse hole in the brick hearth
During that half hour we neither
moved nor spoke above whisper
when suddenly, like the springing OF
q trap, the little things head went
down on the hearth, followed by the
fine squeak of the mouse, and that
singular tremor of the body of the
child! As usual, she held the mouse
by the neck in her right hand, while
it squirmed desperately to get away
She then pressed it up against hel
bosom, and felt of it. softly ant
gently with her other hand; ther
would dsxtrously change hands
carefully keeping her grip on thu
neck to avoid its bite, though he
mother told me she had been FIRE
quently bitten; and while sensitive t.
pain, and crying at the least ordi
nary hurt, she never was seen tt
vince or show the least pain from
the bite of aemouse. l examined
her fingers and found them SCARED
in many places where she had beef
bitten. I tried to realize how tn,
feat bad been accomplished, but i
was done so suddenly there was NJ
time to analyxe it. Yet l was as
sured by the family, who had takel
frequent observation, that the nous
when once out of his hole seemed t
become charmed or magnetized ant
has no power, or at least shows NJ
disposition to escape till caught
when it is too late. If any one ap
proaches the child to take the nous