Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-04-03
FEATs OF RATS.

FEATS OF RATS.
A man who was graduated from
Yale, in 1884, is now bachelor. He
lives in a very old house on upper
Broadway; New York. The few atten,
lions his house receives cone from
charwoman of great age and little
activity. Hence there are rats on
the premises.
They are remarkable rats, and when
you are told OF their achievements by
their landlord you are inclined to be
incredulous. Yet you can't deny the
evidences of their intelligence.
In the kitchen is large cupboard.
On Its broad shelf rests rather
heavy tin breadbox. Generally 1t CON
tains bread.
For long time the tin cover kept
the rats out. Then the rats held a
council of war, appointed a committee
on ways and means and lived on po-
tato peelings until the report came
In.
The committee did its work we'll
1t decided that as rats were poorly
equipped to cope with tin breadboxes
In an upright position it behooved
them to proceed against the box, push
1t OF the cupboard and allow the we'll
known laws of gravitation to do the
rest.
The plan was success. Morning
after morning when the owner of the
bread box came into his kitchen no
found the box on the floor in confu.
sion. The bread was gone to the last
crumb.
Successive falls denied the poor old
box out of shape, and while the owner
is mild-mannered person he can't
afford new bread boxes every week.
So he drove two large staples into
his cupboard, fastening them against
the box. Since then the rats have
had no bread.
Another feat the rodents accomp-
lish handily is even more remarkable.
The owner Of the house keeps his
-four in a large cylindrical can. The
top fastens on snugly.
The industrious rats have succeed.
ed In removing the top from the can
on a dozen different occasions. The
opened can is tipped over, and the
-four is consumed, presumably with
great rejoicing.
1t requires quite bit OF strength
to remove this cover with the fingers,
and how the rats succeed, using their
tough little noses and paws, is be-
yond any explaining. But the evil
dences were there, and the Yale bach.
elor is an honest man.
LITTLE BOYS AND LITTLE SHEEP.
Joe came home with his clothes,
and even his little curls. all wringing
wet. Just knew the ice wasn't
strong 'nough!" he grumbled.
Then why did you slider" asked
Aunty.
"Cause all the other boys did," said
Joe; so l had to, or they'd laugh"
His aunt gave him dry clothes. set
him down by the fire. and made him
drink hot ginger tea. Then she told
him story.
when was little girl, Joe, my
father had great flock of sheep.
They were queer things; where one
went. all the rest followed. One day
the big ram found gap in the fence,
and he thought 1t would be fun to
see what was in the other field. So
in he jumped, without looking where
he was going, and down he tumbled
to the bottom of an old dry well where
father used to throw stones and rub
bish. The next. sheep never stopped
to see what had become of him, but
jumped right after, and the next, and
the next, although father tried to
drive them back, and Watch, the old
sheep dog, barked his loudest. But
they Just kept on jumping and jump.
ing, till the well was full. Then
father had to pull them out as best
he could, and the sheep at the bottom
of the well We're almost smothered
to death"
"My! what silly fellows" exclaim-
ed Joe.
Then he looked up at his aunt and
laughed. London s. S. Times.
PAPER.
Hundreds Of years ago there was
no paper! We couldn't get on with
out it in these days, could we? We
are always wanting ito write upon,
to wrap things up in; and, last, but
not least. to print our books and news.
papers on.
1t was a clever little Japanese gen.
tleman who first invented 1t. This lit
tie man was a merchant, and as he
had ever so many parcels to send out
from his shop every week, he found
the silk in which he always wrapped
them rather expensive item.
He was always thinking and puz-
cling his brains to try to invent some
thing that would be cheaper.
One day while he was walking in
his garden he came across a wasps'
nest, and he noticed how wonderfully
1t was made-how the clever wasps
had used some kind of wood, softened
1t into a thin paste with their jaws,
and. after carefully shaping it. had left
1t to dry.
If wasps can do thing like that"
thought the little gentleman to him
sell. why can't 1? II could get some
kind of wood. form 1t into pulp by
means Of river water. wouldn't the re-
suit be something like the fabric of
the wasps' nest? I'll try, anyway, and
see what I can do. 1t would save my.
self and other people quite lot of
money. If my experiment succeeded"
The little Japanese gentleman tried
and succeeded. too, in putting into
practice the lesson that the wasps had
taught him.
So that's the way paper was invent
ed-years and years ago out in far
Ipnpn Maui uouan D--t.&o.