On this day (March 24) in the year 1851, the following appeared in the "Daily Republican" (Springfield, Mass.) page 1: - - - - - - - - A HARD KNOT.--Mr Hirst, Daguerrian Artist, of this village, showed us a few days since, a steel rat-trap, which had been sprung by pressing a stick some five inches long upon the pan, the stick remaining between the jaws of the trap.--It seems that a gentleman rat has very uncermoniosly visited his rooms quite frequently of late, but had eluded every attempt to be decoyed into the "tub of meal." The trap has been set for him several nights in succession, but each morning finds the trap sprung with some stick or other hard substance fastened in it, and his Ratship as free as ever. Mr. H. says the trap is set in the room where no person enters during the night, and in such a position that the rat must pass through it to enter the room.-- Pittsfield Culturist. -------------------------------------------------------------- 03-24-99