Hazard A Guess: Week of May 10, 2001

Hello from Hazard.

We sure have it easy with modern conveniences. This morning, I stuck a can of pineapple under my electric can opener, zipped it open and spooned some pineapple into a container for my lunch.

Now, before there were many canned goods, you had to fend for yourself. And if you wanted pineapple, you had to peel and core and slice and dice the darn thing. That’s where Item No. 618 came in handy. In case you missed last week’s column, we unveiled the gadget as a pineapple eye remover. This week, we know its official name, thanks to Roy Yauman of Petersburg, Ohio. Roy sent an illustration of the item from a book. This particular kitchen tool is a pineapple eye clip, patented by a Robert Patterson of Patterson & Co., Rochester, N.Y., on April 19, 1904.

We’ll show Item No. 619 again this week. It measures about 6 inches high, with a diameter of about 1 inch. You’d find it in the kitchen, too.

Have a guess? Send it to Hazard a Guess, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460; or via e-mail to: editorial@farmanddairy.com.

If you have an item that you’re sure will befuddle our readers, send a clear photograph (no Polaroids, please), detailed description including dimensions, and explain how it’s used. You can use the address listed above. You would think after 101/2 years of Hazard items, we’d have depleted all mystery items, but I’m sure there’s more out there!