The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-12-30
MISSED HIS CALLING.
He Couldn't Explain the Difference Be
tween Rat-Traps and Potatoes.

A woman sat by the open basement
window of house on West Thirty
fifth street when a man came along
with seven rat-traps and eight mouse
traps slung over his shoulder on a
cord, says the n. Y. EUe1sing World.
He leaned on the fence. wiped his
perspiring brow with crippled
handkerchief, and said:
Madam, no lengthy explanation is
demanded. l am selling mouse and
rat traps. My stock is right here.
Sell you trap warranted to catch the
cutest old rat in New York city for a
quarter. These mouse traps, war;
ranted to entice the most bashful
mouse in the state to his destruction.
two 35 cents to you"
The woman was darning hole in
the heel of a long-handled black stock
ing. She darned and looked up, and
darned and looked down, but she made
no reply.
.Of course" said the man, as he de-
tached one of the traps from the cord
and held it out, IF you have no rats
here you want no traps; but take it
you have rats. We all have 'em.
That's where the rich can get no ad-
vantage over the poor. l don't say
that it isn't cheaper to lay for rat
with sledstake, but as a matter of
convenience the trap is cheap. Savey,
ma'am?"
She looked up again, turned the
stocking wrong side out and back, and
said nothing.
"A person not in the rat-and-mouse
business gives little or no thought to
Statistics" continued the man as he
rested one foot on the fence. "Have
you any idea of the appalling increase
of the rodent population? Probably
not. 1 have met poets. editors, finan-
ciers. and statesmen who had given it
no thought. AS a matter of fact,
ma'am. one pair of rats will multiply
themselves 1000 times in two years.
One thousand rats will consume an
average of SIS, 900 worth of provisions
per year. One of my traps will catch
g. 900 rats every 365 days. 1t is. there
fore, question whether you will in
vest 25 cents or lose $5. 600. Could
anything be palmer, ma'amP"
By this time she had got through
with the hole in the heel and found
one in the toe of the stocking. She
looked up at him as she threaded the
darning-ne again. but was silent.
mind you. "said the man, after look
ing up and down the street, II don't
say that the rat shouldn't have a show.
He was created for purpose, the same
: as man, and simply because we hap
pen to have the most intelligence we
. have no right to wipe him of existence.
!. What do contend, however, is thai
he must be kept within certain limits.
n Whenever, owing to number and rapa
q ciousness, he becomes a menace tC
/ mems welfare he must go to the wall
: 1t is with that end in view that rat
traps were invented, and that l come
down from Yonkers to offer these trap;
= at the low price of 25 cents each.
trust have defined my position clear
ly. ma'am."
She bit off the yarn close to the stock
lag, turned it right side out, and pass
ed her fingers over the spot, but hel
o eyes were not even raised to his.
81 think l see how it is" he said. a
: he refastened the trap to the cord ant
prepared to move on. II think do
You have not made finance and do
mestic economy a study. You lool
e much capital invested in a uon-divi
e dend paying investment. You do no
IS igger"-
,s "Dont want any! We never bu.
n potatoes of peddlers. anyhow.
ID He stood up and looked at her
" minute with mouth wide open, an
to then, as the sash went down the cul
le tain was drawn. he turned away with
Ie 'rn never make living at it in tn
world My line is windmills or sew
ing machines, or something that run
with a drive-wheel and does its ow
talking!"