Evening star., 1937-05-29

raw carrots like bell-wether sheep
or butting goat.
Moral: One Sc metal sponge will
save you Is per cent Of your monthly
investment in the potato bin. At
least, that is the estimate of our cook!
If you have a nickel, try it out
instead of wasting your money on in
digestible sheep-food!"
X X
RED PEPPER FOR RATS AND
ROACHES.
"0NE year ago I got three Groom,
ground-hoor, bachelor apart
ment at half-price for rent. I soon
learned why the fiat had been empty
for year, and why got three-room
apartment on the usual rental charge
for one room on the third floor up.
That place was the nightly habitat
OF three families of rats of sundry
and numerous ages, and - said my
statistician-13 families Of cock
reaches. saw cockroaches by day
and heard the musical trombone of
gnawing rats by night. until 1 longed
again for that lonesome narrow one
room fiat on the third floor
Il invested in three rat traps and
in the first week got six rats just out
side my back door. But the nightly
trombone went on as ever with the
support of new troupe of the rodent
unemployed. used cockroach poison
until the atmosphere of the kitchen
turned me sick.
Then got the happy inspiration
red pepper for rats and reaches At
midnight, when my ground floor began
to rumble with the gnawing rodent
orchestra in full swing-in the back
hall and under the kitchen floor-I
noted the spot where the chief from
bone player was ripping into his third
encore with reckless abandon. had
armed myself with a 25-cent can of
cayenne pepper imported from the
tropic zone An aperture in the
kitchen floor was breaking through
from the ground below. Barefoot
and clad only in my male unmention-
ables, I watched that spot until
finally I had poured into it a table
spoonful of the red condiment Of
Central America.
THE gnawing sound went on with
feverish vigor for minutes. Then
there was a painful hiatus. The
musician had lost his music, perhaps.
He was off key-forgot the tune He
choked, he shifted, he tried again
and got out one note. Ipoked into the
hole a second dose-silence. Three
nights in succession the same thing
happened. A 5minute concert
probably by other members of the
rodent orchestra. And that was the
end of the rats. They had apparently
whispered the terrible news, that here
was haunted house to be Stunned
by the whole rodent population of
the District of Columbia.
For one year, I have listened in
vain for the music of that gnawing
trombone There are rats in the
next block, hear. But not rat
seems to have crossed the street now
for IL months-where once their
music Wed with the radio in making
the night hideous, until the rent fell
so per cent ad valorem, and slumber
was scarce luxury.
For the cockroaches-1 simply
dropped a few spoonfuls Of cayenne
into the sink drain and garbage pail,
and sprinkled the runways around
the kitchen floor. Three days we're
enough for the bugs. Their jury
seemed to come to a prompt verdict
guilty of murder in first degree-and
then they went home, to other homes
than mine, and have never come back
in now the twelfth month Of the red
pepper prohibition era.
Thereby, for Is cents I have rid
a Groom fiat of the former chief
tenants, day and night, and saved
$500 in rent-but don't tell my land
lord! Sneak over to the corner groc-
cry, get your pepper, save your rent
and keep mum.
"F. N S. HOUSEKEEPER, NON
SIT-DOWN, THOUGH MALE"