Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-05-13
Something to
Think Ab0ut
IrARD-WORKING MOUSE
By F. II. WALKER

TN A SOMEWHAT aimless after-din-
attracted to a crowd which had gath
cred In front of the window of a deal
Pr in house pets.
AS the crowd next to the window
satisfied its curiosity and moved on
l grad 'lly came to see that fifteen or
twenty human beings of which ! was
about to become one, had been watch
Ing the activities of small white
mouse which was the temporary resi-
dent Of new and shiny cage.
At the top of the cage was sort of
nest attached to the wires and filed
with bits of cotton. Below in the floor
Of the cage was feeding box and in
front Of that a fiat tin disk, some six
inches in diameter, so tilted upon
pivot axle that If you placed any
weight upon any part of it that part
which bore the weight would immedi-
ately turn so that 1t would be the low
est part Of the disk. In other words
If living object attempted to climb
up the disk 1t would turn as fast as
the object assembled and the object It,
self would always be travelling uphill
and getting nowhere
The white mouse pursued program
about after this plan: He would rest
for a few minutes in his nest. Then
he would climb down the side of the
cage to the food box, nibble for min
ute and then running around to the
front Of the floor Of the cage he would
jump down upon the disk and as he
did so the disk would begin to reyolve.
The faster he ran. in his attempt to
climb, the faster the disk would re-
volve. with the mouse always at the
bottom.
For three or four minutes at time
the mouse would run as fast as he
could. human being running as
fast as that mouse, in proportion to
his size and weight, would have gone
ten or twelve miles at a marvellous
rate Of speed.
After his period Of running the
mouse would suddenly stop, the disk
would cease to revolve. he would 90 to
the feed box. nibble for a minute and
then climb to his nest for a short rest.
only to repeat the whole performance
over again.
The mouse during the time that he
was running appeared to be putting
forth every physical effort of which
he was possessed. He was doing
everything that he could SO far as
running was concerned. BUT he
WAS GETTING NOWHERE.
He landed right where he began al
the bottom Of the disk.
He had burned out his mouse
energy, exhausted his mouse condition
and the result was NOTHING.
/ wondered as l stood there now
many Of the men and women who had
stopped to watch him had learned apy
lesson from that Gagged mouse and his
fruitless endeavors.
wondered how many of them were
running around on disk, striving
struggling. exhausting themselves with
efforts which would end by leaving
them right where they started.
Inc mouse ueInOnstrateu good les.
son. He taught those who watched
him--if they thought Mt all about the
thing they were looking at-that every
man and woman ought every little
while take a look around and see II
they are going ahead, II they are ad
vancing, II they are adding something
however little. to what life and Its If.
forts should accumulate In wealth, ex
perience and wisdom.
The merchant who never takes &C
count Of stock, who keeps no books
who has no way of checking his bust