The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-12-30
RUN BY MOUSE POWER.
& Thrifty Scotchmau's Scheme For
Operating His Thread Mills.

a Thrifty Scotchman's Scheme For
Operating His Thread Mills.
Thrift is generally acknowledged to
be one Of the leading characteristics Of
the native Of Fifeshire, and it never
was more forcibly excmplified than IN
the person Of David Hutton, native
Of Dunfermline, who actually proved
that even mice, those acknowledged
pests Of mankind, could pc 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 small mill at Dun
fermlinc for the manufacture Of thread
"A mill worked entirely by mice. 1t
was while visiting Perth prison IN
1912 that Mr.. Hutton first conceived
this remarkable idea Of utilizing mouse
power. In an old pamphlet Of the
time, ''The Curiosity Coffee ROOM" he
gave an account Of the way in which
the idea dawned on him. "In the sum
mer Of the year 1872" he wrote, Il
had occasion to be in Perth, and when
inspecting the toys and trinkets that
were manufactured by the French pris-
oners in the depot there my attention
was 1nvoluntarily attracted by little
toy house, with wheel in the gable
of it that was running rapidly round,
impelled by the Insignificant gravity Of
a common house mouse. For stii-
ling purchased house, mouse and
wheel. Inclosing it in handkerchief,
on my journey homeward I was COM
PEELED to contemplate its faVorite
amusement. But how 10 apply half
ounce power, which is the weight Of a
mouse, to q useful purpose was the
difficulty. At length the manufactur-
ing Of sewing thread seemed the most
practicable"
Nr. Hutton had one mouse that ran
the amazing distance Of eighteen miles
a day, but be proved that an ordinary
mouse could run ten and half miles
on an average. 4 halfpennys worth
Of oatmeal was sufficient for its sup
port for thirty-fye days, during which
it ran 73G half miles. He had actually
two mice constantly employed in the
making Of sewing thread for more than
a year. The mouse thread mill was
so constructed that the common house
mouse was enabled to make atonement
to society for past offenses by twist
ing, twining and reeling from 100 to
12O threads day, Sundays not except
ed. TO perform this task the little
pedestrian had to run ten and half
miles, and this journey 1t performed
with case every day. A halfpenny's
worth Of oatmeal served one 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 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 one far
thing a day, or IS. Cd. year.
Taking sixpence off for board and
allowing / shilling for machinery there
was q clear yearly profit from each
mouse Of 6 shillings. Mr.. Hutton firm
" 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.