The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-12

And Tells Some of the Strange Things
He Encounters in His Trade.
From the Nelo Yorl; Orapi

-HSCo4SCi . Ah @~A0 AA~AC'
From the Ne,o York Graphic.
Look out for that rat" was ex.
clamation of piano tuner Of this city to a
reporter a few DAYS ago, as he stood watch
ing him take piano TO pie ees. The words
had barely been said when large, lean rat
jumped out OF the instrument and scam
pered across the room and out of an open
door. While he was dexterously removing
the rats nest from inside the piano, the re-
porter asked If rats were usually part and
and parcel Of pianos. The tuner remarked
that while probably two-thirds of the in
struments in residences were free from th e
rodents, the other third were infested
with them, at least that had been his
experience during twenty years Of his life
Those in tho country, especially in well-to-
do farmers houses woro generally in
habitcd by rats. anu in dozons 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 SO bad but rats very frequently
did the instrument much damage. Rats
play havoc with the felts In this action, and
he had repaired pianos where the felts had
all been eaten away. Occasionally q hungry
rat is discovered that shows fight, and the
welding OF broomstck, with the accom-
| panying screaming by the women folk. is
necessary to get rid OF the animal.
Children oftentimes cause pianos to get
out Of order, but while the trouble caused
by them is usually quickly repaired there
are times when they do more damage thar
rats. Left alone in the room with an open
instrument the spirit of mischief ines oven
them and a cane or a book is poked III under
or among the strings. Tho owner returns
| TO play on the piano. and then finds IL at
| skies and sevens. As everything was all
| right a few minutes before, the cause OF tho
| trouble cannot be understood, and then
there is buster about the house. Should
the piano be 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 naste1s 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 to it's
fate.
Picking up scent piece lying on the
action, the tuner said Here is something,
work OF children. To be sure money is not
found frequently especially in any consid-
cradle amount, tut the finding of two fat
pocketbooks and $40 gold piece l will
never forget. Tho gold had been placed in
the piano for safe keeping by young lady,
and its hiding place forgotten, and my find
ing it, of course. made the owner happy.
The bringing to light of one of the pocket
books made me $50 richer, that being a
present from its loser. 1t had been mis-. ing
for year, and contained $500. Detectives
had been hunting for thieves who, it was
| supposed, had stolen the money. The dis
covery of the pocketbook brought back the
recollection that it had been laid on the top
lid OF an upright piano, and that it had
no doubt fallen in the inside, where had
found it,
Instead of getting reward, | came
| near being arrested and perhaps sentenced
to term of imprisonment for finding the
other purse. Its contents were over $500,
and like the other one, having been care
lessly left on top of the Instrument, it fell
| inside. Being missed while l was In the
house, and The owner Of the money,
| country justice. remembering where he
had laid it, suspicion rested on me as the
one who had taken it. When l remarked
the mysterious actions OF the justice, his
wife and two daughters, he told me Of his
loss and what he suspected, and threatened
my arrest unless the money was immedi-
| ately produced. 1t was bad predicament
to be in, and what to do puzzled ME. The
| finding of the other pocketbook flashed
across my mind. l suggested search in
the interior of the piano, and there it was
found, to my joy. The old man took it
without as much as saying thank you, and
to this day / think he holds the opinion
that hid it away in the piano"