The Red Cloud chief., 1881-02-17
A Hundred and Twenty-Five Rats In
, One Trap.

UNCLE AARON lived near Hartford.
and was a matter-of- fact man. His
barn and cut-houscs fairly swarmed
with rats, and Uncle Aaron was telling
q friend from another town who WAS
visiting nj his house how he was troub-
led by rats and how he had seen a
hundred al least n, q time. The friend
laughingiy told him a hundred was n
good many rats, and begged him TO
take of 4 few.
Uncle Aaron replied 10 the eFec, that
he was fixing a trap. and if his friend
would wait a few DAYS he would con-
vince him he was mo-; lying.
"All right" answered his friend: iii
You viii catch anywhere near 4 hun
dfed. just let me know"
Uncle Aaron. too, saidf "Ail fight"
adding: IN lo, sou know"
Wien his friend started for home the
last thing he said VA: BE sure ssa
let me know how many rats you catch.
A hundred is a good many"
The trap Uncle Aaron was Al work
on was a sort of platform almost as
large "a a big barn door. and the plan
was 20 Weight it with heavy rocks. raise
n end about three feet from the floor.
and have il >" rigeei that the pull Of q
! striag would spring it and let Il fall to
the floor, making IL decidedly Lncom-
Portable for any E-.ng thing that might
harrer % he under it. After arrang-
ing it TO his mind he began TO bait il.
He threw meal all around and under
the trap. and went 10 n place convent
entity near and watched things. He did
not have 10 wait long befoxe he counted
at least twenty rats busily& sestiaafsn4
tina. meal. But they did not 20 nider
the platform. This was kept up for
several days. and after a while the
patient watcher. who spent an hour or
two every day Id seeing them ma
peuver. had the satisfaction Of seeing
several of the rats venture under
the trap. Then he knew his plan
would be a success. He could
pull the string almost any time.
of day. and catch a dozen or twenty,
but he WIS ''laying low" for a bigger
haul. The appraised platform was no
longer a terrier ~ The animals. They
took .tJ bait from under it as readily
as could be desired. Finally Uncle
Aaron thought the time was ripe to pull
the string. He had not baited IL the
night before, so the rodents would have
u keen appetite when he sprinkled the
cheese-erumbs and meal that morning.
After doing this he took up his position
and waited. First one rat-a sort Of
p~ioneer-came gliding cut and began
20 partake Of the feast. Next a pair
came out; then three or four. then a
dozen. They came from all directions.
Uncle Aaron was actually trembling
with excitement. He could hardly
keep his hand from pulling the string.
But he waited until the space under the
platform seemed fairly alive. with the
creatures; and then-he pulled. Down
went the heavy platform with o crash.
A number of the rate were seen scam
pering 6f; but Uncle Aaron felt conf
dent he had nailed some of EN-. As
he came up he saw heads and tails pro-
truding. and he thought he would give
them all a good square chance to die
before no raised the trap. He waited
till night, and then he lifted it. He
counted enc hundred and twenty-five
dead rats. He put them in a box anI
expressed them to his friend. accom-
panied by a note which read as follows:
Il take this method of letting you
know how that barn-tioor trap worked.
Count 'em and see for yourself. TIN
going TO bait the trap again tomorrow.
Would y6n like t3 have me let you know
how many l catch next time? A hun
dred is a good many, but a hundred
and twenty-five rather beats il. "-Hdrt- |
ford Coma Tunes.