The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-09-18

men Inc 1rOggery IS conducted, says the
Chicago Tribune, by an intelligent Ger
man named Grossman and his wife and
twelve children. Which is the head Of the
concern, Grossman or his wife, is uncer-
tain. He is the head frog-catcher, and 1t is
probable that Mrs. Grossman attends to the
purely commercial branch OF the business,
as reporter who visited the place observed
that she was custodian Of the pocket-book.
Among the twelve children there Is more or
less Of balance as regards sex. and they
range in age from about twenty-four down
to five or six years, and perhaps younger,
and every one of, them assists in some de-
partment Of the frog business.
When Grossman bought the patch Of
ground, about two town lots In extent, on
which he lives and makes living, no doubt
he built fence around it, for there are as
many as twenty fence-posts about the place
and the remnant Of gate hangs by one
hinge at the corner Of the house, but Of
fence boards there are no traces. Yet for
all that the froggery, with its neat and sub.
stantial cottage, its patch of garden and
numerous shade trees, including noble
clump OF Willows at the back of the lot, Is a
prosperous and Comfortable looking place.
A fence is no sort Of barrier to hedge about
a frog, and, therefore, the fence, left to its
own devices, gradually faded away. Ac-
cess to the front door beng barred by
board placed across the railing Of the steps,
the reporter entered the yard by the super
fluous gate and found the senior frog
side OF the :, house. To civil inquiry
whether this was Cheeseman's frog farm
the visitor received reply that it was not,
properly speaking, frog farm, but it was
the home Of Grossman, the frog-catcher.
That's what he calls himself, and that same
afternoon had paid directory canvasser
one dollar to put it in the directory in cap
ital letters. ~ 4eef
Grossman said he had been in the bust
ness of propagating frogs, and quite likely
would go into it again, as frogs were be-
coming scarce, but he declined to give any
information as to the manner of rearing
them. l-4
sit would only injure my business" he
said. "If the papers printed the way 10
raise frogs it wouldn't be any time before
half dozen fellows would start frog farms,
and I'm just as well pleased not to have
any opposition. Any thing else you want
to know about the business will be glad to
tell you." i
Being as good as his word Grossman con-
Quoted his avisitor over the place, explaining
matters as they went along, first taking
him into the basement of the house. Here
were a number OF barrels and boxes, the
tops being covered by boards, and sunk into
the ground was an oblong pit about four
feet deep and lined with boards, which
came foot or 80 above the level of the
floor, or, more correctly, the ground, as the
basement was not floored. This was frog
pit, but there were no frogs IN it at the
time Of the visit. Lifting the top of bar
rel, however, Mr.. Grossman showed the re-
porter hundreds Of lively little animals in
the bottom Of 1t, every one of which made a
tremendous leap to escape as soon as the
light struck in. One did clear the chime of
the barrel, but was deity caught before
reaching the ground.
''How do you catch 'eml" asked the re.
porter; with net or hook baited with
red tiannel"
/ "No; catch them with my hand. See
the difference between those two handsF
said Grossman, holding them out for inspec
ton. The left hand was as soft, though by
no means so small, as woman's, while the
palm of the right was rough and callous
'sThat's the hand I catch them with" he