Evening star., 1903-09-19

IT'S about time that some of those fell
lows who tell so much about wild animals
they have known out on the prairies took a
look at some of the things that are to be
found right here in Washington" said Col.
L. s. Brown of the Southern railway yes
terday. HE could get plenty Of material
II he wanted some of the rats we have too
plentifully here. They az smart as any
of the coyotes or other things of which you
see mention in the story books now and
then. | know for I've had experience IN
this city. and one of the biggest problems
We had TO keep down The population OF
rats.
1--WE have had pest Of them once In our
kitchen which in the basement
They'd run up and down the pipes, ana
sometimes when they got ravenous they q
steal food right out from under the nose OF
the cook in he Kitchen OF course, as soon
as they touched anything that had to go to
waste. Well we tried traps and We tried
poison, and we had the rat-catcher man
around. and We put in cats and dogs and
weasels. but the population kept increasing
and there didn't seem to be anyway OF get
ting rid of them.
Then thought I'd go hunting. 1 got a
small rifle, and il the early morning I'd lay
and watch for them for an hour or two at a
time. 1t was great sport The first two or
three nights | bagged three dozen. Then
the number got less. Finally. all 1 could
get shot at was the tip of nose or tail,
two bright eyes, that would disappear
as soon as raised the gun.
Il gave that up at last. because it'was no
use. Then hit on another idea l swung
a lid on barrel with swivel filed the
barrel half full of water and put lump OF
cheese in the center of the lid. OF course,
as soon as rat would alight either
side of the lid he would go into the barrel.
That worked famousy. We bagged them
by the dozen for a while.
| ha1d niI
Suddenly the number of victims got small.
Sometimes there would be two or three in
the barrel but no more. / watched and
saw they were trying 10 figure out how they
could get the cheese. Two rats would get
on the barrel opposite each other. and bal
ance out the lid they went up. They
generally got SO greedy. however. that both
would go over.
Then some old rat figured the game all
out He must have found that when he
stood in the center over the swivel he was
safe. Several nights the cheese disappear
ed. and there was TO rat there in the morn
ing to show for it. l caught him one night.
He dropped from some of the pipes right on
the center of the lid balanced himself for
a moment and then went after the cheese.
Another rat dropped on the other side.
don't know wh 1T the rest did, but those two
gobbled up that cheese and then carefully
moved off along the swivel and dropped to
the floor.
THAT was the point where 1 gave it up
Inere are some Other people hgurlng 1t
now. but I'll back the common house va
riety of rat against the best of them
X
Like some other distinguished men who
do great deal of writing Secretary Moody
is not very careful about his penmanship
and his signature is sometimes almost illeg-
ible. This explains why a letter written
MIN In response to one of his own was re-
ceived at the Navy Department the other
ha 11
Woods Instead of the name "WiIIiam II
MOODY The writer is interested in the
appointment of a constituent to a place in
the naval establishment, and the uuestiop
has arisen is to whether the mistake he
made in the name of the Sc e>retary of the
Navy viii prejudice his chances of success
Those acquainted with the broad minded
nature of Secretary Moody are confident
however. that it will not affect the case at
ALL
X = X *
1T is within very recent date that exper-
imenting scientists, including the most rep
utable of physicians. have learned that
perfumes really medicines given in an
other form-througn the nostrils." said DR..
John Moran to a Star reporter the other
Gay.
"One might go further back and find
that medicinal perfumes are only redis-
covered now. for they were really discov-
cred centuries ago, when incense and
myrrh were used to cure ills as well as for
worship.
understanding balmS were carried to
the sick and the doctors of that day healed
the body and the spirit through heavy
odors. 1t is well known that the fakIrs of
India and the medicine men of the wild
tribes of all countries work by means of
perfumes and herbs. Every woman knows
that a bottle of ammonia held to the nos
trils will help a headache. Our grand
mothers used the camphor bottle and this
restorative is still used as the home medi-
cine. The vinaigrette and the little smell
ing bottles of all kinds aTe filled with salts
or powder of sweet smelling odor ba sed