The Red Cloud chief., 1913-12-18

/ ~ AsfvSxcu ous tno -sass rva 1uss. A.
was fatal In cities. town and among
the farmers. II was sort of cholera
that took rate or within ten hours
after he was attacked, and during
one single night in the city of Chi.
cago sixty thousand OF the long tailed
went to their doom unwept. Farmers
who had been bothered for years
suddenly found their barns and corn
cribs free OF the pest. and there was
great rejoicing.
The rat-trap manufacturers and the
makers Of death on rats" found
themselves without customers. and
the traps that had been In use were
laid aside to rust and be Of no fur.
ther use. Five manufacturers in a
single state made all the traps sold
In five states Six months after the
epidemic started the Eve manufac.
turers had either gone into bank.
ruptcy or had shut down to wait for
a new crop Of rats
II was predicted by various natural
lists and doctors that the epidemic
would run for Ave years. and all this
and much more was IN the papers and
had been read by Miss Eunice Rath.
bone. As she read she saw a flnan-
cial opening ahead OF her.
The first thing to be done was to
get long lease OF those trap fac.
tories.
The second was TO buy all the stock
on hand and add to II.
The third was to be ready to rush
the market as soon as the epidemic
was thing OF the past.
These things she told her lover in
their talk that evening. and there
wasn't point that he did not scoff
at. They quarreled and made up
again three or four times over, and at
last 1t was settled that he should be-
come her agent instead OF her part.
ner. week later he was making his
lease OF the first OF the FIVE factories
and within month he had them all
The owners felt that providence had
sent them fool and they hastened to
close with him on his own terms
No one seemed to doubt that the
epidemic would last the full Ave years,
as predicted by the wise men--no one
but the young lady who was taking o
risk that no men would take.
why should II last that long?" she
asked of her lover. mo epidemic
among humanity lasts beyond a sea
son. and at the rate the rats are dying
on the disease will soon have nothing
to feed on"
But II they are all gone OF what
use Will your traps be?" was asked.
Some will escape the epidemic, as
human beings do. and In a year or
less there will be as many rats a.
ever Keep few hands at work in
each factory. Keep stock boxed up
and ready for shipment"
That epidemic appeared I'm q night
and disappeared as suddenly. It last.
ed less than seven months. though It
was estimated that several million
rats fell by the wayside. For a month
what rodents were left over were
very modest about showing them.
selves In public, and then from every
point OF the compass q fresh crop
came pouring In.
They came singly and in droves.
They came by the highways and by
train. They came by land and lake
and sea. There were old rats and
young rats. There were rats from
New York city. and rats from Frisco.
They came down from Duluth, and
they came up from New Orleans.
They filled the warehouses OF the cit.
les and the barns OF the farmers, and
they were more voracious than the
other lot.
And cry went up from five states |
for rat traps-wire traps-wooder
traps--any old sort of trap to catch
a rat. And the five factories worked
day and night and sent out traps BY
the thousand. and there came a day
when the owners made liberal offer.
to have the leases Cancelled, and Mis-.
Eunice could say to her lover:
I'VE have made $4,000 clear profit
from rats, and I think we are enti |
tied to call ourselves financiers."
AS the young man did not answer
she queried: Are you not satisfied"
Il was wondering about something
Do you think good flnancier make,
n good husband?"
The best sort. believe!"
And they were wed a month later