The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-12-26
RUN BY MOUSE POWEh.
a Thrifty Scotchmnn's Scheme FOR
Operating His Thread Mills.

Operating HIS Thread Mills.
Thrift is generally acknowledged Il
be n Of the leading characteristics Of
the native of Fifeshire. and it never
was more forcibly eXemplitied than il
the person Of David Hutton. a native
of Dunfermline, who actually proved
that ever mice, those acknowledged
pests Of mankind, could be made not
only to earn their own living, but also
to yield a respectable income to their
owners.
About the year 1920 this gentleman
actually erected a small mill at Dun
fermline for the manufacture of thread
"a mill worked entirely by mice. Il
was while visiting Perth prison IL,
1912 that Mr.. Hutton first conceived
this remarkable idea of utilizing mouse
power. In an old pamphlet of the
time. 1.-THE Curiosity Coffee Room" 'ic
gave an account Of the way in Which
the idea dawncd on him. "ln the Sllil
mpr of the year 1872" he wrote. II
bad occasion to be in Perth, and when
inspecting the toys and trinlietS tia,
were manufactured by the French pri>.
oners in the depot there my attention
was i~nvoluntarily attracted by a little
toy house. with Il wheel in the gable
Of it that was running rapidly round.
impellcd by the insignificant gravity of
q common house mouse. For | shil.
ling l purchased house. mouse and
wheel. Inclosing ii in a handkerchief,
on my journey homeward l was COM
PEELED to contemplate its favorite
amusement. But how to apply half
ounce power, which is the weight of q
house to u useful purpose was the
difficulty. At length the manufacture
ing Of sewing thread seemed the most
practicable"
Mr.. Hutton had one mouse that ran
the amazing distance Of eighteen miles
q day. but he proved that an ordinary
nous could run ten and u half miles
on an average. A halfpenny's worth
Of oatmeal was sufficient for its sup
port for thirty-five days, during which
it ran 1876 half miles. He had actually
two mice constantly employed in the
making of sewing thread for more than
q year. The mouse thread mill was
90 constructed that the common house
mouse was enabled to make atonement
to society for past offenses by twist
ing. twining and Keeling from 100 to
120 threads n day. Sundays not except
ed. 10 perform this task the little
pedestrian had to run ten and a half
miles. and this journey it performed
with ease every day. A halfpenny's
worth Of oatmeal served II of these
thread mill culprits for the long period
Of five weeks. In that time it made
$3.50 threads of twenty-five inches. and
as q penny was paid to women for ev-
cry hank made in the ordinary way
the mouse at that rate earned nine
pence every six weeks. just n far
thing a day, or Is. Cd. a year.
Taking sixpence off for board and
allowing l shilling for machinery. there
was a clear yearly profit from each
house Of 6 shillings. Mr.. Hutton firm
ly intended to apply for the loan of the
empty cathedral in Dunfermline. which
would have held, he calculated, 10000
mouse mills. sufficient room being left
for keepers and some hundreds of
spectators. Death, however, overlook
the inventor before this marvellous
project could be carried out.-Edin.
burgh Scotsman.