The Washington herald., 1907-10-27

Problem for the President
We beg to call the attention of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the coterie of other
eminent naturallsts which has sided with
him in his magazine-conducted contro-
versy with Or. Long 10 an alleged hap
penlng, or series Of happenings, in Louis
vile. Ky In performing this service we
merely repeat information which comes
to US through the Courier-Journal of that
city, a newspaper as reliable as its dis
tinguished editor is brilliant-which is
saying much. Briefly. the Courier-Jour-
nals story is to the effect that Mr. John
J. TelfOrd, secretary Of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association of the
Kentucky metropolis, has for months
been puzzled by the rapid disappearance
Of ink from his Office. Every day the
various inkwers would be filled. Every
morning. on the arrival of the clerical
force. they would be half empty For a
while only the red ink vanished in this
mysterious manner. but for weeks only
the black has proved so evanescent. Mr..
Telford. as well as his clerks, naturally
were much wrought up, as all efforts to
discover what became of the writing fluid
proved futile.
But now the mystery has been solved,
according 20 the Courier-JournaL One
day last week, that paper tells Us, Mr..
Telford's stenographer was alone in the
Office, waiting for him TO come in and
dictate some late letters. While looking
idly out Of the window. she heard an
odd little squeak and turning. caught
the ink thief red-handed. or black paved,
rather, inasmuch as the said thief was
gray mouse. which was eagerly lap
ping the contents OF an ink bottle" and
as We have already said, the red ink had
not been disturbed for some time Evil
IDENTIFY, says the C0urier-Journal-and
this seems 10 Us TO be a reasonable as
sumption-the little animal. accustomed
to fIching its tipple in the dark hours
Of the night, with all sources Of danger
absent, became thirsty earlier than usual,
and with that reckless disregard for CON
sequences which frequently is manifested
by human beings possessed Of a thirst
braved the presence OF the stenographer,
and, trembling like any inebriate anxious
to obtain some Of the hair of the dog
that bit him." set about the task Of
pouring fiery drink-er, Ink. rather-down
its parched and suffering throat
Obviously, the case is one that demands
the best thought of the President and the
others who know all there is to know
about birds and animals: and we may
say IN passing that this Louisville mouse
is certainly a bird, II the Courier-JournaI
story is true That, Of course, is the first
thing Mr.. Roosevelt should tell Us, SO
that we may know at once whether Marse
Henry and his staff are hereafter TO be
classed as nature takers And II not,
think what a mine of detail the ink
bibbing rodent opens TO a real natu-
ralist, Think what a fine subject for a
magazine article it VIII make,
We possess our soul with what patience
We may pending the production Of fur
ther data. We burn 70 know why the
mouse ceased 10 consume red ink. Was
It because that. even to its drink-befud-
died brain. there penetrated the injunc-
ton come down through the ages, Look
not on the ink when il is red in the weI?'
And is there any possible connection be-
tween the case of the mouse and the Incl
dent Of the Fairbanks cocktails, or the
drink President Roosevelt had at St
Louis? Finally may not the Courier
Journals veracioUs chronicle satisfy that
maddenlng query, never heretofore an
swered. why IS a mouse when It spins?"
We trust that the President VIII be too
considerate TO keep US long in suspense.
Nevertheless. even though the furry is
well in hand and practically over, many
man will use it as an excuse for cut
ting down his Wife's Christmas appro-
pTiation-