St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-11-07
SOME QUEER INDUSTRIES

some QUEER INDUSTRIES.
The st. Louis Republic has COM
piled from the latest census the fol-
lowing odd ways OF making liv-
ing:
Occupations open to the thrifty
individuals Of both sexes have
g:eatly increased during the last
two decades, or even since the talk
ing of the last decennial census, in
1890.
The extraordinary progress OF
science during the time specified
and the application Of its principle
10 the practical problems Of human
life have not only had the effect OF
greatly increasing the capacity for
production in the trades already
firmly established, but have opened
hundreds of queer side alleys which
lead direct to the avenues Of trade.
There are, OF. course, dozens Of
these new and remarkable occupa-
tons with which science does not
deal even in the rem0test sense.
In this class We fin0 the rat catcher,
the skunk farmer, the man who
makes bis living by picking up lost
things in depots, theaters, hotels,
etc., and returning them to their
owners with the expectation of
being rewarded; the clock winder,
the man who collects orange and
lemon peels, and the Lake Aichi-
gan syndicate. which Is now en-
gagged In raising black cats for their
fur. They are not raising these
cats on water, as might be inferred
from the title, but have leased N
island in the great lake, which is
now beautifully stocked with both
sexes Of screechiug felines.
There are still others in the n0n-
scientific category Of queer occupa-
| tions, but it will only be necessary
to mention . few. One is .
"rattlesnake farmer" who lives IN
the Ozark Mountains, and makes
the products Of his farm" bring
money from three different direc-
tons. The oil he disposes Of "a
druggists, who have regular custo-
mers that believe it to be panaces
for . hundred different ills; the
skins he sells to would-be cowboys,
who use them Is hat bands, and
the skeletons are always . ready
sale, the purchasers beng the cura'
tors Of the natural history depart.
ments Of the different college and
society museums. The man who
wakes people up in the morning
the old cork collectors, and the dog
catchers are well known characters
in every large city.
The individuals who gain . liyeIi'
hood in pursuits that are strictly
scientific are equally as numerou'
Is those who follow the more hum
bic callings. In the list Of occupa
tons that are strictly scientific i
the manufacture OF artificial eggs
artificial coffee, and false diamonds
Also the iudustrysef making but
tons, combs, penhoIders and othe
articles of . similar nature from
blood collected at the slauGhte
houses. The man who makes
billiard balls, buttons and ring
from potatoes which have bee'
treated to . solution Of nitric ant
sui phuric acids is also the proprie
tor Of an ''industry" wherein th
fundamental principles are strict.
scientific.
i But the queerest Of oil is carrie'
on by two young Pennsylvanians
who are making = regular bushes
of extracting the poison from hone
bees. According to the accounts
thay have two different ways 9
collecting their crops Of vensu
In the 81 the bees are caught an
held with their ABIDE mems in sma
glass tubes until the poison sac
have been emptied. In the secon
; they are placed in . bottle on vii
netting and enraged until the tin
drops Of venom fall into the alcoht
which fills the lower third OF til
bottle. This venom is said to be
sovereign remedy for cancer, rhe'
matism, snake bite, and hundre