McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-06-26
THE BOYS AND GIRLS.
A SPIDERS TASTE FOR Music.

Z y
of state, who was allowed to cheer the
solitude of his dungeon by playing on
his flute, discovered after while that,
every time he played, great number
of spiders gathered about him. Since
then, the liking of spiders for music has
been proved. myself had often
wished to play for spider audience,
but was not well enough acquainted
with any musical instrument to coax a
tune out of it.
A scientific gentleman of Europe gave
me valuable hint by an experiment of
his own. He used tuning fork. Now
l can play tuning-fork as well as any
body. 1 procured a tuning-fork, and
then sought out a spider. 1 found a
handsome, brand-new web, and though
L did not see Mistress Epeira, 1 knew
she must be at home. Epeira diadema
is her full name, though most persons
call her garden spider. 1t is she who
makes those beautiful, wheel-like webs
which festoon the rose bushes and the
trees.
As l have said, Madame Spider was
not visible. knew, however, she must
be in her gossamer parlor, which is at
tached to her web.
Here was good chance to try tun-
ingfork music. 1 raped the fork on a
stone, and in a moment a soft, melodi-
GUS hum filled the air. [ touched one
of the spokes of the web with the fork.
On the instant, Madame few out of her
parlor in great haste, hesitated mo-
ment at the outer edge of the web, and
then, instead of going straight to the
tuningfork, ran to the very center of
the web.
When there, she quickly caught hold
of each of the spokes one after the
other, and gave it little tug, as a boy
does his fshing-line to see if a fish is
hooked. Each was passed by until she
came to the spoke upon which the hum
ming fork rested. There she stopped,
and it was easy to see she was excited.
She gave the whole web a shake; then
tugged at the spoke again. ssHum-m-
m" still sang the fork, rather family
now, however.
Madame was satisfied. Her mind was
made up. Down she darted and caught
the end of the fork in her arms. She
tried to bite into the ha1d metal, and at
the same time she spun web of silk
around and around the two prongs,
which by this time had ceased vibrat-
ing.
Ipulled the fork away, and Madame
Epeira retired in disappointment to the
center of the web. But if she was dis
appointed, so was 1, for 1 was satisfied
that it was not the music of the fork
that attracted her. Unfortunately, it
was altogether too probable that she
mistook the hum of the fork for the
buzz of a fy,-a sort of music no doubt
very sweet to her.
Time after time l repeated the ex-
pertinent with the fork, touching in
turn each sY5ke of the web, and each
time Madame Spider was deluded into
trying to capture the tuning fork. 1t
was odd that she did not learn wisdom
by repeated disappointment.
GOOD DEAL ABOUT SALT.
Master Fred Fenton was out with his
uncle on botanical excursion, not that
he took particular interest in the sci
ence of botany, but on account of the
exercise, the novelty and the varied
scenery connected with jaunt.
One afternoon found them under the
trees, discussing their lunch. A broad
boulder served them for table, and a
spring which gurgled from under it
supplied them with fresh water.
On rock ledge rested botanic hoe,
a tin box filled with specimens, a field
glass, small rifle, and few other ar
ticles which they had considered it
necessary to take with them.
Master Fred had just shelled hard
boiled egg, and was sprinkling salt
upon it. He had an inquiring mind,
which his uncle encouraged, and graft
fed when he was able to do so.
eUncle, we couldn't do without salt,
could we?' he asked.
"Not very WE'LL" replied his uncle.
<sNot at all, should have said. 1t is
absolutely necessary to the life of hui
man beings and higher order of ami
mails. It is said that in China they
punish criminals by depriving them of
salt. They languish and finally die of
great agony"
81 suppose we eat a great deal of salt
during q year." Fred said.
about fourteen pounds of salt are con.
sumed annually by each individual, in
England twenty, and in America six
teen"
ssThe amount used in England would
almost average an ounce day for each
individual. It hardly seems true, uncle,
I know I don't eat half an ounce a
day" .
a.aNot in the shape of table salt, 1 adj
NIT rejolned his uncle. sBut you
must not forget that there is more or
less saline matter in almost everything
that we eat.''
els salt mineral, uncle?''
eyes"
els it quarriedP"
ayes; there are mammoth.,mines.of it
stored in the bowels of the earth, prob
ably left, after the evaporation of salt
lakes, in an early period OF the worlds
t. :, nnorriod IN Snain and