The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-01-15

the traps that had been In use were
laid aside to rust and be Of no fur
Their use. Five manufacturers in
single state made all the traps sold
In five states. Six months after the
epidemic started the five manufac-
turers had either gone into bank
ruptcy or had shut down to walt for
new crop of rats.
1t was predicted by various natural
lists and doctors that the epidemic
would run for five years, and all this
and much more was In the papers and
had been read by Miss Eunice Rath-
bone As che read she saw f1nan-
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 1t.
The third was to be ready to rush
the market as soon rs 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 scof
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. A week later he was making his
lease Of the first of the five factories
and within a month he had them all.
The owners felt that providence had
sent them fool and they fastened to
close with him on his own terms.
No one seemed to doubt that the
epidemic would last the full five years,
as predicted by the wise memo one
but the young lady who was taking
risk that no men would take.
Why should it last that long," she
asked of her lover. mo epidemic
among humanity lasts beyond sea-
son, and at the rate the rats are dying
Off the disease will soon have nothing
to feed on"
But If 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 as
ever. Keep few hands at work in
each factory. Keep stock boxed up
and ready for shipment"
That epidemic appeared in a night
and disappeared as suddenly. 1t 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 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-wooden
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 offers
to have the leases Cancelled, and Miss
Eunice could say to her lover:
I'VE have made $4,000 clear profit
from rats, and l think we are enti.
tied to call ourselves flnanciers."
AS the young man did not answer
she queried: Are you not satisfied"
81 was wondering about something.
Do you think good financier makes
a good husband?"
The best sort, believe!"
And they were wed a month later.
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)