Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-08-16

You Would Call Most Of the Inventions Alb
surdities. and Yet They Are UsefuI-De-
vices For Poisoning Pests-Rattraps of
Many Kinds.
American invention has given birth
to no end Of freaks, which have been
embalmed at the patent Office in order
that they may not perish Some Of the
queerest Of them are devices for entrap-
ping beasts. bugs, fishes and even human
beings.
What for example, could be funnier
that the notion of using imitation flow
ers with poisoned honey to attract nox-
ious insects? The artificial blossoms,
each containing small quantity of sug-
ary liquid properly prepared, are to be
fastened to twigs. Months of destruct-
i've species sip the deadly nectar and
die. A more elaborate device Of a simi-
lar description is intended for the pro-
lection of apple trees 1t is a tin can COW
cred as to its upper half with luminous
paint On the outside Of the lower half
apple blossoms are represented with the
same sort of paint Inside Of the recep-
tacle is small quantity of cider. The
can is to be hung on branch Of an ap-
pie tree at night Insects, attracted by
the pictured flowers, light upon the can.
The smell of the cider induces them to
enter through holes provided for that
rarpose. They then drop down into the
cider and are drowned
Yet it is not always easy to distin-
guish between crank idea and use
full discovery. The poisoned counterfeits
of flowers above described are said to
work very well. Many years ago man
got q patent for a method Of killing
bugs on trees by inclosing the whole
tree in sort of balloon of canvas, into
which an asphyxiating gas was to be
poured for the purpose Of suffocating
the insects. Everybody thought he was
lunatic. But now that his patent has
run out the merits of the plan have
suddenly obtained appreciation, and its
adoption is alleged to have saved the
orange growing industry in California.
Several kinds of luminous bats for fish
have been patented. One Of these is
minnow of hollow glass coated on the
inside partly with solution of gold or
silver, and partly with luminous paint
The result is very brilliant object in
the water, calculated to attract any pre-
dacious creature with fins. Another in
teresting contrivance is for making frog
bait more seductive. The jerking of the
line equipped with this device causes
the frogs legs to move as if he were
swimming.
Contrivances for catching insects are
more numerous than any others. One Of
them is q furnace for slaughtering po-
tato bugs. To begin with, deep and
wide furrow is to be plowed all around
an infested field Through this trench
a smooth log is 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 is o cylinder of iron filed with
fuel, is drawn along the furrow and
destroys them. Other odd devices are
cartridges intended to be enserted in the
mouths Of ant holes and to be fired,
thus communicating sitting vapors to
the subterranean chambers, also many
kinds of lamps for attracting and burn
ing up the moths Of various worms in
cotton fields. There is toy pistol for
insects which sucks them in when he
trigger is pulled.
An ingenious westerner has invented
trap for catching the hornfy which
is such an enemy to cattle in some parts
of the country. Tt consists most impor-
family Of great frame to which brush
is attached in such manner that when
the beasts walk through, eager as they
always 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 insects are destroyed Nearly
everybody has heard Of the gold tape
worm trap, which the patient swallows.
Bedbug traps are of several varieties,
all of them being intended to afford at
tractive hiding places for these blood
suckers and to be burned or scalded out
!; afterward.
Much ingenuity has been expended
in rattraps. Some Of them are so elab.
} crate that no full witted rodent would
. go near them. One requires Mr.. Rat to
i. come in through door, which drops
behind and makes him prisoner. See'
, ing bright light above, he ascends q
fight of little steps and trots across 0
small plank that is SO nicely adjusted as
| to balance that his weight causes it tc
} tip and throw him into tank ot
water. Another contrivance consists Of
: q double chamber. One chamber has {
: glass end, through which Mr.. Rat sees
: two or three imitation rats having E
, nice time with bit Of cheese. Wish
, ing to join them, he runs around the
box, gets into the other chamber anC
l is caught
There are q number Of devices which
8 employ mirrors for the purpose Of lur
, ing the rat to his fate He mounts OF
. top of o barrel and sees O toothsom'
r piece of cheese. AS he approaches it h
: beholds another rodent-in reality hi
own reflection in piece of lookin;
glass-coming for the cheese from th'
r opposite direction. He makes dash t.
+ get there first, and pivoted boar'
4 drops him into the cask, which is hal
d full of water. Rats will swim for
long time, so one humanitarian ha
d patented water trap with little shelve
J around the edge and just above the sur
. face. On the shelves are placed small lea
a weights, with fishhooks hanging fror
8 them. The captured rat in trying t
Q escape grasps one of the hooks, gets
/ fastened in his mouth, dislodges th
o piece Of lead and is carried to the bot
tom by the latter.
l. Sparrow traps are Of many differen