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Show he Inventions, of Irad Biglow B1GLZTIE TRI lPado from bark is s old as ifcfIrcan"ly observed Irad Big-HB?9usin- Eclj?ar. impatiently IS1 1 1, -loin llis trunk in fnrt taKe UP "is journey to hfpocman's, whore "both knew ifclto would be scanty and tho Pdjbarkinc up the wrong tree," 5tf?fprmca Edgar. "No more 8cnemefi for me." vCrc you grow tho bark as W,ve ,,,t; Racine in silky 'ttf " t drooping boughs, y.iUCK and wear, vou ,vo made considerable progress." earnestly continued con-tinued Irad. "I've rend of poor, miserable natives mashing bark till they could wear it for cloth." sneered Edgar. "But wo ain't living iu the dark ages. Want an' help with that old trunk of your'n?" "Dark ages, ha! ha! " criod Irad. "I guess if you could see one of my nock-tie nock-tie trees in full bloom you'd say it was a fairy age, It all depends ou how you bruise tho seed, you see," ho rapidly rambled on. as Edgar's impa-tionce impa-tionce took on a sullen tempo. "Tsatur' does tho mashing nnd bruising, nnd you have, ready to wear, a product that the. sharps pxpert can't; tell from the finest and nicest Silk. Wlieu the tree gits up six root, or so. tho bark, becanso it's already bruised and woven by natur-' into silky fibers, naturally nat-urally droops from tho branches and hangs in festoons like Spanish moss; only ouch strip is well knit tr.gothor. In other words, you cau reach up nnd snip off a four-in-hand tie and put it on right under tho tree, and folks will swear you give a quarter for it at Tibbets' store, A orchard of them trees will revolutionize tho neckwear of every civilized country. " "Say, what in sin do yon mean?" demanded Edgar, in high exasperation. "Tho idea of neckties growing on trees! " "Why, Lawn biess you, Edgar. It's simple as one, two. three. If tho bark is softened and made silky while growing, grow-ing, you can't toll it from the best silk and satin; only it wenrs bettor. Take small bushes and the bark on them would be baby ribbon and would sell for such. By careful pruning and grafting I can force tho bark to grow short and nlubbv. just right, for bow-ties bow-ties anil hair ribbons. "Say, there's S5.000.000 people in this country that wear clothes. It ain't unreasonable, reckoning five to a family, fam-ily, to say there's 17,000.000. families with 301110 member in eacli hankering for a Irad Biglow hand-grown, indc-structable indc-structable silky fiber tie Now say it'll average two in a family, that'll buy nt a quarter por, and you havo 3-J,000) 000 ties sold nt 25 cents each. Iveop the price down is mv motto, and let the poor profit by tho scheme. Of course, we'd enrrv a.cxtry fine line of choice trees, shedding ties for tho genteel gen-teel trade, for which we'd git, 50 cunts up to n dollar per. But reckoning the general run of trade, which is too low as there'll bo women and children that must havo ribbons, bows and such truck and we have 34.000,000 quarters. quar-ters. To make easy figgering. call it 35.000.000 quarters, cr $7,000,000. And there you be." And Irad slapped his knee enthusiastically. enthu-siastically. "Ding .bust it!" cried Edgar. "They'd certainly bo wnth a quarter. H5 cents of aiiy one's mono- O Lawd!" "Think it over, and when we mocf. again I'll show 'you somo more figures," fig-ures," said Irad. "I ain't considcrod Europe yet. Now, for that trunk of mine." "Guess the trunk will havo to wait." mumbled Edgar pressing a hand against his throat to still tho choking sensation. "You stay hore and go fishing with me at sundown. Now them bark ties " "Plant tho trees fivo feet apart and gather tho crops any time during the year. Ruin or snow or sun can't hurt cm. Say a order for 2000 dozen comes in assorted lies for Canada. Pick out. tho giddy colors and ship 'em. 'A tree blows down, sayr romovo I ho bark and sell it by the vard to tho big factories. I'd liggcr that in babv ribbons, assorted colors, I'd make a million a year. But that's simply a bv product. T don't hanker to fuss with it. Look after the big things and the little things will " "Yes, but when can wo plant the trees?" "Tomorrow." promptly assured Irad. "And how long will it take a tree to grow?" suddenly romembercd Edgar to iuquirc. "I'll admit tho tree is a slow grower," grow-er," confessed Irad, baekiug away. "How long?" demanded Edgar, his brows contracting. I "We're hampered in not: being down south," slowly explained Irad. "Now, in 1 liis soil I should say threo and a half ! to four years for tho parent tree " ! "I don't think the fish will bo biting tonight," hoarscb' observed Edgar. (Copyright by W. G. Chapman.) |
