The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-03
MIcE IN G1DDY wHIRL.
japanese Spinning Rodents in a
Chicago Drug store.
From The Chicago Chronicle.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
\ South Clark street drug store has
adopted a new scheme for selling a head
ache cure. The store has a cage full of
little mice from Japan in the window. All
afternoon and all night the tiny animals
are ensaged IN what appears to be an all
most continuous effort to make DinwheelS
out of themselves. If a customer chances
to cast his eye IN the direction of the cage
he IS lost There is a queer facina tion
about the eccentric movements of the mice
which is sure to hold any man, woman or
child. If it fastens the attention long
enough it can almost be guaranteed that a
queer feeling in the head will follow. A
sign hanging over the roof of the cage di-
reefs those who get the headache from
watching The mice TO use a certain brand
of headache cure TO secure instant relief.
The mice are most remarkable creatures
When awake they dart about the little
rooms Of the case as if they We're search
ing for something that couldn't be found
Every few seconds they stop in their mad
rush about the cage and apparently go
crazy over the subject Of catching their
tails. Sometimes two or three of the mice
win be attacked by the mania at the same
time, and each one VIII spin Itself around
and around like top until it seems strange
that it does not drop to the bottom of The
cage from vertigo.
The mice were imported from Japan and
bear little resemblance to the mice OF this
country, except in size. Each mouse g
white and black with the white slightly
rredomnatng. The little things are 50
nervous that they are scarcely ever siiD
except when asleep. Even while eating
which they do every few seconds, they are
bobbng about over their crusts of bread
or box of hemp seed.
The mice go to sleep about o'clock in
the morning and do not awaken until noon
or later. AT midday or little after they
wake up, and as their day advances they
get liveler and livelier BY IL or u O'Clock
at night they are flying about as if moved
by electricity They spin around so fast
that ii is actually impossible 10 tell when
Is the nose and which is the tail of
mouse while It is turning. The animal does
not cut circle as II turns but spins about
on the spot like a top. In the middle Of
the afternoon the spell that generally
lasts but a few seconds, but as it grows
later the spells lasts longer, until at mid
night each mouse whirl about for several
minutes at a time. After the midnight
hour the little creatures gradually become
less active, until at O'Clock in the MORN
ing they drop off to sleep. While sleeping
they appear almost as lifeless as if they
were dead They can be picked up and
handled for any length of time without be-
ing awakened.
The mice arc fed with rye bread and
hemp seed. They have very odd and or
iginal way of eating the bread. A hole Just
about as large around as the mouse is
eaten through the middle of loaf from
one end to the Other. The mice take turns
going through this hole one after the
other, eating as they 80. Seemingly they
have no regular time for eating but stop
every minute or two in their mad rusl,
about the cage to dash over to the box OF
hemp seed or TO a crust of bread for a hur-
ried nibble.
The rodents have attracted great atten-
ton from passers by on the street and
customers in the store. For some time
they were exhibited at Randolph street
store and they drew such crowds in front
of the window that the sidewalk was fire.
quenty blockaded. The superintendent OF
the building finally was compelled 20 order
the store 10 send the animals away. which
was done At their new residence the
mice are attracting almost as great
crowds. People stand at the window or
in the store and gaze at the tiny freaks
as If they We're the greatest curiosites m
the world