Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
ABOUT CORNCOBs.
Chapter on the Many Uses to Which
They Can BE Put.

- SAAnpeeE on suc Many Uses TO W h1ch
They Can BE Put.
From the Minneapolis Housekeeper
Corncobs are useful to make pines for the
men, as shoppers to bottles that have mis-
laid their corks, to crowd into the bung-
hole of the cider barrel, to throw at the
hens when they scratch the young onions,
TO curl hair on, to hold up windows to fer
rule the children with, to grease the grid
die in place Of the time-honored half OF a
turnip, to wind basting Rawlings for future
use. to stop up any kind of a chink, to
drive away red ants and to found a for
tune. The last two statements may seem
to challenge remark. but they can bear the
light of the best tallow ever run in a can
die mould. One steps on corncobs when
entering the pantry, and joggles the cream
into the pickle dish. On inquiry one finds
that red ants don't like corncobs
/ don't wonder. AS for the fortune a
man who once lived not ten miles from
Springfield laid the foundations for a for
tune SO large that. though ne died twelve
years ago, the lawyers have not yet done
fighting over his viii. solely by carrying
loads Of corncobs hither and yon and sell
ing them for fabulous prices. The children
find both fun and sorrow in corncobs They
make pretty dolls. to be sure. but II the
masters OF the 1nQuisition could have been
provided corncobs sufficient to allow one
for the mouth of each prisoner they would
have abandoned all other methods Of tor
ter "deestrict' school and see a row of
little culprits standing behind the stove a
corncob In each mouth, and the silent tears
OF agony rolling down the chubby cheeks.
A corncob smudge is said to give ham and
bacon a most perfect and dslicate flavor.
A corncob put on a pole, saturated with
kerosene and set blazing, will destroy any
worms nest into which il is thrust during
the early morning Of June's rare days. A
corncob slightly creased and set In a can
dlestick has been known to burn half an
hour, and to save bringing in the lantern
from the barn in order to light the children
to bed. Without the grease IL would, II
very dry, burn slowly and perfume the
air in a way that showed itself an excel
lent substitute for joss sticks. The an
cient nurse In the rural districts uses them
to purify the atmosphere in the sick room
ana considers that, together with wooden
rags, they are far ahead of any disinfectant
favored by the medical fraternity.
The country damsel preparing for the So
cial fray has been known to blacken her
eyebrows with a burnt cob. When children
object too strenuously to having their teeth
secured with SCOT from the teakettle an
induigent parent may, make a compromise
on the black powder from q burnt cob In
many places the Jetty stun is supposed even
to have medicinal power, and Miranda
swallows a quantity in order to have q
sweet breath-ah, telltale plan-when Fer.
dinand comes a-wooing. You can black
boots with corncobs. You can shell corn by
rubbing cob on grain. a corncob makes an
excellent scrubbing brush. A woman with q
soul for ingenuity once hung out a large
wash with clothes pins manufactured from
cleft corncobs.