The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-03-13

| elevated slide, attracted by the corn, and
finding their access to it INSTRUCTED by
cord, would gnaw it in twain, causing the
slide to fall and making them prisoners.
1t was with great satisfaction that O'Neil
exhibited this trap and gave us its history.
"The MICE" he said, "were the trouble of
my life; they ate my corn and hominy and
other provisions, besides making prodig-
ious noise during the night, by stamping
up and down. Although l own cat, yet
many of the older and more sagacious of
the little torments would escape her vigi
lance, and increased rapidly until the house
was filled with them. They even troubled
me during the night by running over my
bed until Thomas (the cat slept with me,
when they ceased. One night, when they
were almost raising the roof with their
noise, the idea occurred to me that l would
devise some means for their destruction.
All night long | racked my brain studying
and perfecting trap. Rising hastily, lest
it should escape me, l went to work with
will, and this is the result
We were very much impressed with the
genius displayed in the construction of this
trap, and have carefully recorded it's his
tory and plan for the benefit of posperity.
It's durability and size are noticeable. 1t
will serve equally we'll to catch mice or
bears. We particularly call the attention
of all inventive Yankees to the cord.
(which, as we neglected to remark, has to
be renewed with every mouse caught); it
is decidedly Irish, and reminds us striking
ly of a well known popularity of that ma
ton. In fact, the habit of making prdcti-
ca! bulls seemed to be a mania with our
. worthy host. The following instances will
serve as illustrations:
I The deer were particularly numerous in
this locality, and, attracted by O'Neil's
! garden produce, frequently came into the
Enclosure about the house during the night.
He was very fond of venison, and, as he
owned an old double barreled gun, his fin
| gers itched to have shot at them. The
! idea of watching and shooting them from
his window on moonlight nights, as he
might have done, never occurred to him.
He, however, thought of another plan,
which, at the time, he considered superior
to all others. He constructed a rude lad
der, and one night when the full moon
| shone brightly down, converting night into
day, assembled into one of the live oaks at
the front of the house, gun in hand. He
seated himself carefully OH large limb,
about fifteen feet from the ground, with
his feet dangling down, and his gun resting
across his knees. The novelty of the stu
alton, and the certainty Of obtaining game,
for time kept him wide awake. But as
no deer came, and being accustomed to re-
firing at dark, he began to get drowsy. and
was soon doing, with his head bent for
ward, as if listening intently. Soon after,
a large buck, which was in the habit of
| visiting the place, entered at the front gate
and began grazing upon the little lawn in
the brilliant moonlight. He then walked
| forward to the potato patch and began to
nibble the young shoots. Soon a weird,
dismal noise, not unlike the hooting of an
! owl, sounded out of the tree above him.
He raised his head and listened. The noise
was repeated, but louder and more trumpet
like. The amazed deer snuffs the air and