The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-16
A PIANO TUNER TALKS.
a,ME OF THE STRANGE THINGS EN-
couNTeREp IN HIS TRADE.

Rats Play Havoc with the Felts-Chiidrcn
Poke Canes Under the sfrinGs-Finding
"A Lost Pocketbook-Iesults Of a Mans
Carcicssness-
Look out for that rat" was the excla-
nation of piano tuner TO a reporter, a
few DAYS ago, as he stood watching him
take piano to pieces The words had
/ barely been said whcn q large. lean rat
jumped out Of the instrument and scam
/ pered across the room and out of an open
/ door. While he was dexterously remov-
ing the rats nest from inside the piano
the reporter asked if rats were usually
part and parcel Of pianos. The tuner re-
marked that while probably two-thirds Of
/ the instruments in residences were free
from the rodents, the other third were in
tested with them, at least that had been
his experience during twenty years OF his
life. Those in the country, especially in
well 10 do farmers houses, were gener-
ally inhabited by rats, and in dozens Of
cases fully half bushel Of small scraps
OF paper that had been carried there by
the pests had been discovered. The paper
and the nests were not 50 bad, but rats
very frequently did the instrument much
damage Rats play havoc with tho felts
In the action, and he bad repaired pianos
where the felts had all been eaten away
Occasionally a hungry rat is discovered
that shows fight. and the welding of
broomstick, with the accompanying
screaming By the women folk, is neces
sary 10 get rid Of the animal
Children oftentimes cause pianos to get
ont Of order, but while the trouble caused
by them is usually quickly repaired there
ara times when they do more damage than
rats Left alone in the room with an open
instrument the spirit Of mischief comes
over them, and a cane or q book is poked
in under or among the strings The
owner returns TO play on the piano, and
then finds it at skies and sevens. As
everything was all right bat few min
utes before the cause Of the trouble can
not DO understood, and then there Is
buster about the house. Should the
piano be q new one the maker IS blamed,
the instrument is condemned, and sharp
letter is forwarded to the seller. The re-
pairer with fear and trembling hastens TO
the scene. the trouble is found, and after
apologies. the whipping of the small boy
who did the mischief, and the payment Of
the bill for repairs, the piano is left 70 its
fate.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Picking up FIVE cent piece lying on the
action. the tuner said: Here is something,
too. find as well as rats nests and the
work Of children. To be sure money IS
not found frequently, especially in any
considerable amount, but the finding Of
two fat pocketboOks and ten dollar gold
piece will never forget. The gold had
been placed in the piano for safe keeping
by young lady, and its hiding place for
gotten. and my finding IL, Of course,
made the owner happy. The bringing TO
light Of one Of the pocketbooks made me
$50 richer, that being present from its
loser. 1t had been missing for year,
and contained $500 Detectives had been /
limiting for thieves who. 10 was supposed, |
had stolen the money. The discovery Of /
the pocketbook brought back the recol- /
lection that it had been laid on the top I
lid Of an upright piano, and that IL had I
no doubt fallen in the inside, where | Lad /
found II.
Instead Of getting a reward / came /
near being arrested, and perhaps sen /
fenced TO q term # Imprisonment for /
finding the purse. Its contents were over F.
$500. and like the other one having been /
carclcssly left on top of the instrument, |
It fell inside Being missed whilc was /
in the house, and theowucr Of the money /
@ country justice, remembering where he
had laid IT, suspicion rested on me as the I
one who had taken IT, When / remarked
the mysterious actions of the justice, bis
wife and two daughters, be told me OF his
loss and what lie suspected and threatened
my arrest unless the money was immcoi-
atcly produced II was bad predicament
to be IN, and what to DO puzzled me. Tie
finding Of the other p.ckctbcok flashed
across my mind. suggested a search in
the interior Of the piano and there it was
found to nay JOY The old man took 1t
without as much as saying Thank YOU,
and 10 this day ! think Ae holds the
opinion that hid it away in tie piano.
Chicago Journal