The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-03
THE TAN or A MOI SE.
An Indiana Drummer sesklag Redress
fOg q ahoek &C Q moeel.

INDIANAPoIIs. July 2-Georgs VIII
iams. an Indiana travelling man, ha'
asked the State Board % Health 10 in
vestiGAte the circumstances attending
the placing of the tail OF q mouse In hi'
breakfast cakes at q country hotel. II
seems from Mr.. williams's letter that he
has had some difiiculty In Interesting
tho local health authorities In his case
and IL is for that reason that he wishes
the State authorities to intervene.
whsn Mr.. williams produced the tail
Of the mouse and demanded 10 know how
Il got into his cake the loeAl health author
lties admitted that the hotel keeper might
be prosecuted under the sanitary laws Of
the State IL MIR Williams would pro-
ducs q tailless mouse they might have q
good case against the landlord. for they
could then tell whether the amputation
had been properly performed and II the
tail had been kept too long before botne
cooked. They said there were two
chances % getting AZ the landlord. one
for cruelty To animals in case the tail had
not been amputated after administering
an ans-s,hetic and another for serving
meat that had been kept too long
Mr. Williams replied that the local
authorities seemed To have missed the
point entirely. 80 far a. he was concerned.
What he wanted TO know was whether u
was permissible al all 10 serve the tail
Of a mo,Iss in wheat cakes At breakfast.
and IL So whether the charge should be
for the cakes or for the tall IL for the
cakes he was willing TO pay, but " Tor the
tail he would protest the III.
The local health authorities Informed
Mr. Williams that they were not engaged
in helping landlords collect bills OF IN
assisting guests 20 escape payment. They
did not see how Mr. Williams could main
tain a cause at law unlsas u was based
on a charge of cruelty 20 animals IN
separating tho tail from the body and
In that event IL would have 70 be shown
that the mouse was alive when the ampu-
tatlon occurred
Mr. Williams was further informed
that much would dep-nd upon whether
the tail VI the mouse got into the latter
by accident OF design. for. they said, u
the landlord served the tails Of mice regi-
larry in tho breakfast cakes then the
guests would bs assumed TO have notice
OF this custom. but were IL an accident he
would have 20 prove actual damages
I,@for~ he could recover. for the Indiana
Law Dos not psrInit vindictlvs damages
in the absence Of evidence OF malice
The obstacles thus thrown in his way
iaIns determined 10 appeal TO the state
Board Of Health and ask that an inVesti-
RAtion lie undertaken. He believes that
prejudice against travelling men and local
bias ia favor 81 the hotel keeper are stand
ing in the way 81 an honest and thorough
ia vest gaiiCn 10y the ,Ooal authorities aud
he hopes 10 get g. side Of the pale of these
innurnCes 6y placing the matter in the
hands Of the state board
That Mr. Williams thinks there IL some
thing sinister IN the circumstances at
tending the placing 81 the tail Of the
mouse ia his wheat cakes 10 lntiinated In
his letter ~ the State BOARD Of Health
He wants to know, for instance. II the
Payne-A klrich tarln has anything 10 do
with mixing tails 81 mice with batter.
He says that he noticed that rettAil flee
are taxed under the new tarin and he
wants To know II the schedule has been
construed 20 cover the tails OF mice a.
well ~. says he has heard great deal
aissIt the cost Of living in the smaller
Indiana towns and citise and he would
like To know II Il il possible 90 20 amend
the tariff law as to make the duty ON all
kinds Of tails prohibitivs and 10 place
mice under the protection Of the Internal
Revenue Department