Trough of Roofing Paper
A quickly made and sanitary drinking trough for chickens is formed of a piece of ordinary two or three-ply roofing paper. The paper is laid out as shown, and the edges are cemented with asphaltum and then tacked to the side of a fence or shed.
Ordinary Pen Used as a Fountain Pen
Fountain Attachment
It is a very simple matter to make a good fountain pen out of an ordinary pen and holder. The device is in the form of an attachment readily connected to or removed from any ordinary pen and holder, although the chances are that when once used it will not be detached until a new pen is needed.
Take the butt end of a quill, A, from a chicken, goose or turkey feather—the latter preferred as it will hold more ink—and clean out the membrane in it thoroughly with a wire or hatpin. Then make a hole in the tapered end of the quill just large enough to pull through a piece of cotton string. Tie a knot in one end of this string, B, and pull it through the small end of the quill until the knot chokes within, then cut off the string so that only 1/4 in. projects. Shave out a small stopper from a bottle cork for the large end of the quill. This completes the ink reservoir.
Place the quill on top of the penholder C, so that its small end rests against the pen immediately above its eye. Pull the string through this eye. Securely bind the quill to the pen and holder with a thread, as shown, first placing under it a wedge-shaped support of cork or wood, D, hollowed on both sides to fit the curved surfaces of the quill and holder. The illustration shows the detail clearly.
To fill the reservoir place the pen upright on its point and dip a small camel's-hair brush or cloth-bound toothpick into the ink bottle and "scrape" off the ink it will hold on the inner edge of the quill. Cork tightly, and the device is ready for use. When not in use place the holder at an angle with the pen uppermost.