Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-29
MISSED HIS CALLING
He Couida't Explain the Difference Be-
tween Rat-Traps and Potatoes.

y woman sat by the open basement
window Of Il house on West Thirty
| NTH street when man came along
with seven rat-traps and eight mouse
traps Slung over his shoulder on a
| cord, says the n. Y. EUcning H0rld
He leaned on the fence wiped his
perSpiring brow with crippled
handkerchief, and said:
Madam. no lengthy explanation is
demanded. | am selling mouse and
rat traps. Ny stock is right here.
Sell you trap warranted to catch the
cuieSt 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,
are only Is cents. Might make the
two 30 cents to you"
The woman was darning a hole in
the heel of a long-handled black stock
ing. She darned and looked up, and
darned and looked down, bat 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 adj
vantage over the poor. | don't say
that 1t isn't cheaper to lay for a rat
with a sledstake, but as a matter of
convenience the trap is cheap. Savey
ma'am?p
Sac 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. | have met poets editors, finan-
ciers and statesmen who had given it
no thought. As a matter of fact,
ma'am, enc pair of rats will multiply
themselves 1000 times in two wears.
One thousand rats will consume an
average of So 900 worth of provisions
per year. One of my traps will catch
6, 900 rats every sos days. 1t is, there
fore, a question whether you will in
vest % cents or lose S. 900. Could
anything be palmer, ma'ampn
By this time she had got through
with the hole in the heel and found
one III the toe of the stocking. She
looked up at him as she threaded the
darnIng-needle again. but was silent
Mind you, said the man, after look
ing up and down the street Il don't
say that the rat shouldn't have show.
He was created for purpose, the same
as man, and simply because we hap
pen to have the most intelligence we
bnx Z IL.
What | do contend, however, is that
he must be kept within certain limits.
Whenever, owing to number aud rapa-
ciousness, he becomes a menace to
mems welfare he must 90 to the wall
it is with that end in view that rat
traps were invented, and that | come
down from 1onkers to offer these traps
at the low price of % cents each. |
trust | have defined my position clear
~. 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 her
eyes were not even raised to his.
Il think | see how it is" he said. as
he refastened the trap to the cord and
prepared to move on. Il think | do.
You nave not made finance and do
mestic economy study. You look
at % cents paid out for rat-trap as so
much capital invested in "A non-divi-
dend paying investment. You do not
tigger''-
Don't want any! We never buy
potatoes of peddlers, anyhow
He stood up and looked at her
minute with moush wide open, and
then, as the sash went down the cur
tain was drawn. he turned away with:
III never make living at it in the
world! Ny line is wndmilIs or sew
ing machines, or something that runs
with Il drive-wheel and does it's own
talking!"