The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-12-27
WHITE MICE HIS PLAGUE.
The multiplication OF "A Pair Is Driv-
ina Their Owners Father
10 Insanity.
Two men met on La salIe street.

Two men met on La Sale street.
'Hellol" calculated one OF them, "beer
III, Tom?" The other man shook his
head.
"No, not i'll; not physically i'll, Jack
lists white MICE"
Great heavens" gaSped his friend,
"why, i didn't know you ever drank
+ enough for-for that!"
"It wasn't drink, Jack; it wasn't
drink. But come with me. Let me tell
you ALL"
When they were seated at opposite
sides of small table the afflicted man
continued:
'Yes, Jack, it's white mice. My boy,
Thomas, Jr., got it into his head that he
ought to have pet. He wanted dog,
but the house is small, and the cook is
nervous, and so we told him no, not a
dog; most anything but a dog, and we
finally compromised on pair of white
mice. | brought them home in nice,
roomy wire cage, and Thomas, Jr., was
delighted. That was two months ago."
The speaker paused and sighed feel
ingly.
We'll, all went finely until about
three weeks afterward. Then, one
morning, the boy came bursting into
my room to inform me that the 'mices
had got some lovely little mices.' And
so they had; five of them. Luckily, the
cage was large enough for the growing
family. But-well, in four weeks we
had AZ mice, in six weeks 100. We gave
up trying to accommodate them all in
one cage, and so cigar boxes, work bas-
kets, cracker tins, and even the bath
tub were brought into requisition.
Naturally two or three escaped
every day and lived at large, feasting in
the pantry at night and begging by our
chairs at meal time. They took such
liking to the cook that they got to max
ing her room a sort of meeting place.
The result could have been foreseen.
My wife has been doing the cooking
now for several weeks. have got SO
that shake my boots from force of
habit before putting them on. One
morning I found two in my shaving
mug. And we have them served up to US
at table and in the cracker jar, the sugar
bowl and the cheese dish"
But why didn't you get cats ?" asked
his friend.
Cats? Great heavensl We've had
20 Of them. We can't keep them about.
They stay three or four days, get SO
lat that they can't walk and then crawl
lejectedly to the door, accompanied by
. frisking contingent of white mice.
We've tried cats, Jack"
"Well, then, rat poison; have you
ried that?"
"Oh, yes; quite early in the game.
he mice seemed to thrive on that poi
on. We tried traps, too; they caught a
ew; just drop in the bucket. And all
he time they keep right on increasing.
We haven't taken a census for nearly
hree weeks now, but moderate esti-
late would place the number at about
W. just now, when | met you, was
n the way to see a man who has fer
cts; shall try to get few dozen good,
ealthy ones. If they don't help
hats that?" he shrieked.
Whats what?" asked his friend.
That? Why, just a piece of white pa,
er."
oh, Fl thought-Well, must get
|. l don't suppose you'd care to buy
lat house, would you? No? Well,
'od-by."
And the man afflicted with white
ice crept dejectedly around the cor -
r. looking nervously at every piece
torn paper that fluttered in the
eeze.-Chicago Inter Ocean. =