The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1903-07-29
BowsEK's DISCOVERY.
Makes Great Addition 20 Nat
uraI History.
CCleyeland Plain Dealer.l


Cleveland Plain Dealer.)
Mr.. Bowser had been homo for a
couple of hours and eaten his din
ner and smoked his cigaf without
bringing forward anything to start
lie Mrs. Bowser, when the base
ment bell rang and the cook
brought up covered basket left
by little boy.
"You surely haven't been getting
another cat or rabbitP" queried
Mrs. Bowser as she turned shade
paIer.
Not hardly" he replied. "Be-
fore showing you the contents of
this basket / wish to talk with you
a minute. You know I belong to
natural history club"
Yes. / know. and you went out
into the country once to see if COWS
slept standing up"
WhatP What's thatP never did
such thing aud you know itr'
Then it was to see if 'possums
went to sleep with their tails curl
ed over limb 1 know you were
gone all night and came home all
tired out.
''Never, woman-never. Do you
take-m for born foolP I was
going to tell you what 1 had in the
basket and explain an experiment
was going to make in behalf of
natural history, but now I'll be
hanged if 1 dol If 1 had your dis
position I'd go out and hang my
self.
Mrs. Bowser apologized. 1t must
have been some other man who
went out to see about COWS and
possums-some Yale or Harvard
Professor. She didn't mean to be
sarcastic or impertinent, and if he
would forgive her and go ahead he
should have no further cause to
complain. 1t took several minutes
for the red to die out of his face
and his feelings to become placid
and then he opened the basket and
pointed to a large live lobster. 1t
had been procured from fish mar
ket and was resting on bed of wet
seaweed.
Isis it for breakfastP" she
asked. "Of course not. It is to
experiment on. and shall write
paper to be read before the club.
1 hope to settle much disputed
question within the next nour.
Several years ago a French natu-
alist announced that the lobster
was susceptible to music and that
he had attracted them to the shore
in large numbers by playing on
the month organ. He was at once
ridicuIed and hooted at but 1 have
been appointed committee of
one by my own club to investigate
and report. I have here lobster.
also have mouth organ"
"And you will play the mouth
organ while the lobster danoesT
Mr.. Bowser's ears twitched and
neck Redeemed up, but he swal-
lowed the lump in his throat and
replied: II shall play the mouth
organ and observe what effect it
has on the specimen before us.
You and the blamed old cat will
please keep quiet for minute.
will begin with something sad
at first"
He lifted up the little musical
instrument and began the air of
the "Old Oaken Bucket" As he
reached the refrain the lobster
moved one claw. but whether from
grief OF Joy could not be told.
The air was then changed 10 the
"Swanee River" and the lobster
reached out the other claw and
ratified it against the basket.
"By Jove, but that Frenchman
was right" exclaimed Mr. Bowser.
ms he cut the music short. "You
saw the lobster move both claws,
diden't you? He's got soul for
music and don't yov forget it.
I'll try him with something in
the jig line"
Hs struck up the air of Buffalo
Gals" and patted time with his
foot, and in half minute the lob
ster not only clawed out but
bumped his back and gritted his
teeth. With smile of triumph
on his face Mr.. Bowser changed
off to BLACK Eyed Susan" and
thence to "Come Along Moses"