The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-07-14
Devices for Trapping Inssets Rats.
and Thieves.

which have been granted for trapping in
sects, rodents and thieves:
Contrivances for catching insects are
more numerous than any others. One of
them is = furnace for slaughtering potato
bugs. To begin with, deep and wide
furrow is to be plowed all around Az in
tested field; through the trench q smooth
log fs dragged to make the surface hard
and smooth. The bugs in migrating to
other grounds are unable to scale the
trench, and the furnace, which IL cylin-
der of iron filed with fuel, il drawn
along the furrow and destroys them.
Other odd devices are cartridges intended
to be inserted in the mouths of ant holes
and to be fired, thus communicating
sitting vapors to the subterranean cham
bers, also many kinds Of lamps for at
tracting. and burning up the moths OF
various worms in cotton fields. There is
toy pistol for ineects, which sucks them
in when the trigger is pulled.
An ingenious Westerner has invented
trap for catching the horn fly, which is
such an enemy to cattle in some parts of
the country. It consists most important
ly of q great frame to which brush is at.
tached In such q manner that when the
beasts walk through, eager as they al
ways are to scratch themselves, the flies
will be scraped from their bodies by the
branches. Finally the frame is closed up
by means of doors and the captured IN
sects are destroyed. Nearly rybody
has heard of the gold tapeworm trap,
which the patient swallows. Bedbug
traps are of several varieties, all of them
being intended to afford attractive hiding
places for those blood suckers and to be
burned or scalded out af1erward.
Much ingenuity has been expended in
rat traps. Some of them are so elaborate
that no full witted rodent would 20 near
them. One requires Mr.. Rat to come in
through door which drops behind him
and makes him q prisoner. Seeing a
bright light above, he ascends flight OF
little steps and trots across small plank
that Is so nicely adjusted as to balance
that his weight causes it to tip and throw
him into tank of water. Another con
trivance Consists of double chamber.
. One chamber has a glass end through
which Mr.. Rat sees two or three imitation
rats having nice time with bit OF
cheese. Wishing to join them, he runs
around the box, gets into the other cham
Der and is caught.
There are number of devices which
employ mirrors for the purpose of Turing
Mr.. Rat to his fate. He mounts on top
Of barrel and secs toothsome bit of
cheese. As he approaches it he beholds
another rodent-in reality his own refec
ton in a piece Of looking glass-coming
for the cheese from the opposite direction.
He makes dash to get there FIRST, and q
pivoted board drops him into the cask.
which Is half full of water. Rats will
swim for long time, so one humanitarian
has patented water trap with little
shelves around the edge and just above
the surface. On the shelves are placed
small lead weights with fish hooks hang
ing from them. The captured rat in try.
ing to escape grasps one Of the hooks,
gets it fastened in his mouth, dislodges
the piece of lead and is carried to the
bottom by the latter.
Of greater interest are contrivances for
catching thieves. One of them Is designed
to discourage bank sneaks. The sneak
puts his hand in through tho teller's win
dow, and Internationally actuates mech
anism which causes q slide with spikes to
close suddenly upon his paw and impale
it. A trap of somewhat similar char
acter il steel shutter for house win.
dow, so disguised with covering and
fringe - to look like IN ordinary cur
tain. If burgular tries to enter ut night,
it shuts down upon him, the spikes hid
den by the fringe helping to hold him
fast.
Good Manners.
" -
Behavior is comprehensive little word