The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-03
MECHANICAL FREAKS.
Queer Things That Are Sent to the
Patent Office.
Contrivances for Corrailing Beasts and
Bugs Many Inventors After the
Frisky Rodent Odd Musical
INSTRUMENTS.

Frisky Rodent Odd Musical
Instruments
American invention has given birth
to no end of freaks. which have been
embalmed at the patent office. in
Washington, in order that they NAV
not perish. Some of the queerest of
them are devices for entrappinr
beasts, bugs, fishes and even human
beings.
What, for example, could be funnier
than the notion of using imitation
flowers with poisoned honey to attract
noNious insects? The artificial bios
SONS. each containing a small quanti-
ty of sugary liquid properly prepared,
are to be fastened to twigs. Moths of
destructive species sip the deadly
nectar and die. a more elaborate de
vice of a similar description is intended
for the protection of apple trees 1t is
tin can covered 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 receptacle is a
small quantity of cider. The can is to
be hung on a branch of apple 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
purpose; they drop into the cider and
are drowned.
1t is not always easy to distinguish
between a crank idea and a useful dis
covery. The poisoned counterfeits of
flowers above described are said to
work very well. Many years ago a
man got patent for method of kill
ing bugs on trees by incIosing the
whole tree in a sort of balloon of can
vas, into which an asphyxiating gas was
to be poured for the purpose of Suffo-
eating the insects. Every body thought
he was a lunatic; but now that his
patent has run out the merits of the
plan have suddenly obtained apprccia-
ton. and its adoption is alleged to
have saved the orange growing indus
try 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 a solution of
gold or silver and partly with luminous
paint. The result is very brilliant
object in the water, calculated To- at
tract any predacious creature with
fins Another interesting 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 i a furnace for slaurhter-
ing potato bugs To begin with. a
deep and wide furrow is to be plowed
all ound an infested field. Through
this trench Il 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 cylinder of
iron filled with fuel, is 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
chambers; also many kinds of lamps
for attracting and burning up the
moths Of various worms in cotton
fields. There is toy pistol for in
sects, which sucks them in when the
trigger is pulled.
An ingenious westerner has invented
a trap for catching the horn fly, which
is such an enemy to cattle in some
parts of the country. 1t consists most
brush is attached in such a manner
that when the beasts walk through.
eager ds they always are to scratch
themselves. the flies will be scraped
from their bodies 10y the branches
Finally the frame is closed up by
means of doors and the captured in
Sects are destroyed.
Nearly everybody has heard of the
t-,n tran he
swallows. I;edbug traps are of several
varieties, all of them being intended
to afford attractive hiding places for
those bloodSucIiers and to be burned or
scaldcd out afterward.
Much ingenuity has been expended
in rat traps. Some of them are so
elaborate that no full-witted rodent
would go near them One requires Mr..
Rat to come in through door. which
drops behind him and makes him "A
prisoner Seeing a bright light above
he ascends n flight of little steps and
trots across a small plank that is SO
nicely djuSted as to balance that his
weight causes it to tip and throw him
into tank of water. Another con
trivance consists of a double chamber.
One chamber has a glass end. through
which Mr.. Rat sees two or three imi-
tation rats having Il nice time with a
bit of cheese. Wishing to join them,
he runs around the box, gets into the
other chamber and is caught.
There are a number of devices which
employ mirrors for the purpose of
| Turing Mr.. Rat to his fate. He mounts
on top of a barrel and sees a toothSome
| piece of cheese. As he approaches 1t
! he beholdS another rodent-in reality
| his own reflection in piece of look
! ing glass-coming for the cheese from
| the o. posite direction. He makes
| dash to get there first. and a pivoted
| board drops him into the cask, which
! is half full of water. Rats will swim
| for long time, SO one humanitarian
has patented a water trap with little
! shelves around the edge and just above
| the surface. On the shelves are placed
small lead weights with fish hooks
hanging from them. The captured rat
in trying to escape grasps one OF the
| hooks gets it fastened in his mouth,
| dislodecS the piece of lead and Is car
ri d to the bottom 10y the latter
Sparrow traps ale of many different
| kinds. Most of them invite the birds
to walk in through a door, which drops
behind them, making them prisoners
| When next seen in the restaurants
they are recdbrds on toast. OF Hr
| int.r,.L are contrivances for catching
| thieves One of them is designed To
discourage bank snealls. The sneak