Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-23

elephant pit there is no form of trap of
which the small boy does not read with in
terest and with desire to practically test its
efficiency. Especially is he fond of those
| traps which. catch their game alive and
which are not limited, as are mouse-t traps or
TRAPS, to the capture of one particular
class of animals. The large "fgure trap
which, when properly made, catches so many
different kinds of beasts, is immensely popu-
lar in juvenile circles, and there is scarcely
boy living outside of crowded cities who has
not made traps of this particular pattern,
! and set them with more or less success.
One of the leading boys of our country in
this line of industry is Master Samuel Sloane,
of Clinton, Ill. He has made traps without
number, and has caught specimens of every
kind of small game to be found in the neigh
borhood of Clinton, including three babies
under two years of age and small pigs and
dogs without number. SO great is his fond
ness for traps that he neglects his studies
the COWS With anything like regularity.
It was with the view of leading his mind
away from the excessive contemplation of
traps that Master Sloane's father recently
gave him book of travels in Central Africa,
and directed him to read it carefully. The
boy did SO, but unfortunately the book
treated quite extensively of the Central
African methods of trapping game. Master
Sloane thus learned that when a native
king wishes to capture a young lion or
good-sized antelope he constructs Slip
moose of thongs and attaches it to the top of
a stout stapling, which is bent down and
temporarily fastened to the ground. When
the antelope, or other animal to that effect,
tangles his foot in the moose the sapling is
released, and springing back 10 its original
position, jerks the game into the air, and
keeps it hanging there until the native king
comes along, chops down the sapling, and
knocks the game on the head. Yhis de-
scription was read by Master Sloane with
great admiration. In fact it was the only
part of the book which he did read. When
he told his father that the book was ssjust
bully" the pleased but deceived parent
fancied that his sons dormant taste for read
ing was at last awakened, and congratulated
him thereupon. A few Weeks later he had
reason to wish that he had never heard of
Central Africa and that the native kings,
! with their diabolical inventions, had never
been born.
VI course, Master olOane determined to
try the Central Africa trap without delay.
There was beautiful, shady road near the
village, which was bordered with any guam
tity Of stout saplings. It was just the place
for Central Africa trap, and Master Sloane
had high hopes that he would succeed in
catching COW or horse, although, of
course, he could not expect anything SO COM
pletely satisfactory as lion, tiger, or ante
| lope. Late one afternoon he borrowed a
hosting tackle from the nearest grocer,
under the pretext that his father needed it
for some intricate and unintelligible pur-
pose, and succeeded with it's aid in bending
down sapling of great strength and elas-
ITCHY. It was very simple matter to ar
range the moose and set the trap, after which
the ingenious boy went home to dream of
finding a pair of horses and carriage
swinging in the air on the following morn
ing.
Master Sloane had sister, young lady
of great worth and of very decided character.
Other girls, who were envious of her beauty,
said she was an ill-tempered, red-haired
thing, but this was probably more calumny.
At all events, so thought the young minis
ter who was settled over the Seventeenth
Congregational church, and who was gener-