Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-10-31
THE NICE.
How Mr.. Fosters Place Was Rid Of
Them-The Best Method Yet Known.

Since the TINES Office tried to
effect the extermination of the army
of mice which have heretofore poached
on the paste pots in the editorial sane
tum, great interest has been felt in
the entire community toward the ex-
tinction of the local rodents. The
TIMES office theory of inviting the
mice to jump confdingly into YES
sci partly filled with water did not
work successfully. The mouse-trap
was an utter failure, in spite of toasted
cheese, and even Limburger had no
attraction for them. One mouse only
was caught on the tip balance and
plunged into the trap, but second
mouse immediately came out Of the
hole and held the outer end of the
balance up until the prisoner walked
half way on, when it was tipped down
and the two fled into the hole together.
The prize cat sent to the Office is a
success, but has been SO lonesome in
not finding any mice to visit her
abode, that sportive deg will be
secured for companionship.
Mr.. Foster is more successful in
trap. He has tried to secure a cat,
but the article was SO scarce he
couldn't get one for money. There
was apparently corner in the market
on cats--a puss-in- the-corner sort Of
game. He tried to buy kitten from
a celebrated mouser which friend
owned, and was asked 500 for it be-
fore it had its eyes open. So trap
was necessity. He sent for one by
express. With it he asserts that in
the past ten months he has caught $50
mice, by actual count. Each one
caught was killed and tailed on a
copy Of the DAILY TIMES, and yet
they increased daily in numbers and
got so courageous that he ceased bait
ing his trap, as they went into it with
. out. He caught more in the trap
without batting it than before, as the
. mice, womanlike, seemed to 60 more
where they thought they were no,
wanted. But this did not last long
and finally nothing could make then
, go near the trap.
They increased SO rapidly in mum
, bers tha. it seemed as if there mus
a be thousands of them. They eat tn
@ carpets and the paper off from tn
a walls, besides considerable quantit
). of groceries. Frequently, as he sa
in his reading room, the mice woul,
!. come from all directions and pla
t about the room, jump on the chair
:. and table, and make such noise a
e night that the family believed burg
r lars were around.
v Lately large skunk came unde
e the house and took up its abode there
# Mr.. Foster noticed the intrusion, bu
e preferred keeping the peace to fright
o ening the intruder, as he well kne,
It the result of such thoughtless inter
J. ference. Just as he was devising
q plan to spificate the varmint, his al
v tention was called to sudden thumr
o ing against the sitting-room floor, an
$. the neighbors wore clothes-pins i
" their noses the next 4e hours. Dul
ing that time every rodent LEFT tn
is place and not one could be foune
# Milk pans, covered with cream, suga
K rice, cakes, cheese-nothing was di.
J. turbed, even if left all night on tn
d kitchen floor, and it was resolved tn;
n. the skunk was a benefactor and shout
s. henceforth be made pet, fed an
ID kindly cared for. The dogs mac
r. friends with it, and sported with
Y. All the skunk seems to want is to /
re let alone, and the mice have undoub
lie cdly agreed to stay away from it ain
er go where the air don't smell SO powe
of fully so. 4 few nights ago polite
ne candidate unguardedly stamped upe
v, the floor, during his argument, ar
De aroused the anger Of the skunk, whie
responded W 18th the well-known thr,
raps, and instantly the candidate fle
choking for breath. Pains will
OF taken to prevent angering the pet al
!" Mr.. Foster says that If this is done
II will insure any premises against r
he ,,;oa -. ,,a.as - &c tho