The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-30 00:00:00

JUVENILE RAT CATCHERS.

- ------ -
Our readers, perhaps, are not aware that in Glas-
gow, at the present time, there is, and has been for a
considerable period by passed, .a large class of little
ragged urchins, from the ages of ten to twelve years;
who carry on a regular trade in catching rats, and
disposing of them alive to parties, who reward them
for their labour at rates averaging three half-
pence to twopence a head, according to size
and the number in the market. By this pro-
fession these daring boys earn a livelihood, and
some of them, who are well up to their busi-
ness, make as much as ten shillings a week. The
process of catching the vermin is exceedingly simple,
and generally pretty successful. Having discavered
a hole, in a stable, cellar, or back building, where
rats are plentiful, the snarer takes a piece of cord of
some length, upon the end of which he makes a
noose equal to the size of the hole over which he has
resolved to watch, and after putting down meal or
bread to attract his intended prey, he stations himself
with the cord in his hand, watching like a patient
angler until his victim pops out his head or part
of his body, when by a sudden jerk he hooks
him in the noose, and then with the aid of his
bonnet, or some other thick cloth, seizes the living
prize as if it was a canary or a mavis. Having de-
posited the rat in a cage, or other place of safety, he
returns to his work, and in this way proceeds to rid the
tenement r where he carries on operations, of hordes
of useless and destructive vermin. It is quite sur-
prising to witness the fearlessness with which these
poor children handle their four-footed friends ; they
will take them in their bare hands and hold them by
the body until they are disposed of, and such is their
disappointment, in some instances, when a rat that
they have watched for hours makes his escape, that
they have been known to shed tears. The other
day in passing an entry where one of these boys was
on the watch with a line in his band, a correspondent
said he was requested with a move of the hand and a
" hush " not to disturb the operation. On inquiring
what he was after, the boy exclaimed, in an angry
tone, " Ah ! hang it man, you've made me lose him.
" Lose him, lose who ?" said the inquirer. " Why
man a rat, and the biggest ane I have seen the day.
The vermin, we understand, are purchased by indi-
viduals who keep rat pits for exercising dogs in,, and
for trying pups that are intended for rat-killing. We
need scarcely say, that we look upon this as by no
means a useless or unworthy occupation.—Glasgow
Saturday Post.

THE VERNON GALLERY.—The trustees of the
National Gallery have made their selection from the
gallery of Robert Vernon, Esq., and have accepted for
the nation one hundred and sixty pictures. The deed
gift upon the British people
chason febrereinn
gexthecisutemdag; neeainfidinttnow only remains for the na-
tion to erect a structure fitted to receive the collection.
Until this is done we believe the pictures will not be
removed from the house of the donor, in Pall-mall.
Among the one hundred and sixty pictures, are four of
the finest works of Turner; of examples of Etty, there
are six; of Eastlake, two; of Maclise, two; of Mulready,
three, of Uwins, two; of Landseer, six; of Briggs, two;
of Stanfield, four; of Collins, three; of Chalon, one; of
Leslie, three; of Webster, two; of Callcott, seven; of
Wilkie, three; of Jones, two; of Lance, three; of E. M.
Ward, three; of Sydney Cooper, two; of F. Goodall,
two; of Sir Joshua, one; of Gainsborough, two. It is
unnecessary to state, that these are not only examples of
the best masters of our school; they are, with scarcely
an exception, the best productions of the several artists
—the works of their best time—selected with the nicest
judgment and the keenest appreciation of excellence.
The trustees were empowered by Mr. Vernon to take
the whole collection, or to reject such as they pleased;
they rejected but few, and these were chiefly small
and subordinate works or sketches.—Art- Union Journal.
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.—The following papers
were issued yesterday, pursuant to order of the douse of
Commons :—Raja of Sattara : Copies of documents re-
ferred to by Major Carpenter, in his letter of the 2d of
July, 1846, to the Secretary of the Governor-General.
Copies of all orders, &c., by the Court of Directors of the
East India Company to the Governments of India, relat-
ing to the transmission of memorials, &c. Copy of a
treaty between the East India Company and the Raja
of Slttara, dated 25th of September, 1819 ; also, copies
of correspondence between Rungee Bapojee, the India
Board, and the Court of Directors of the East India
Company. Account of the number of quarters of foreign
wheat and other foreign grain imported into the United
Kingdom since the passing of the Act 9 and 10 Vic.,
cap. 22, to sth November, 1847. An account showing
the sales of Bank Stock, effected on account of the trus-
tees of savings' banks, from 16th June, 1847, to 9th De-
cember, 1847, both inclusive.
and
embarkt
His Excellency the Duke de Broglie left the French
eramilbwaassityoeFstcolrkdeasytofnoer,enwohoenre he was for Paris,a s t
o proceeded
by by
e
three u'clock.boat for Boulogne, and there pass the night,
and resume his journey to the French capital this morn-
ing. The Noble Duke was accompanied by the Mar uis
d'Harcourt, who had been staying
on private business. We have
to a few days in Loncidon
reason
etoonbnetrliyevebetfehraet
his Excellency will not return
April next.
RECRUITING. Recruiting has latterly fallen off
most considerably in the country districts,
doubt, in a great measure to the rise in the standard of
height by half an inch. Parties requiring but twenty
men find some difficulty in making up their numbers.
owing, no
It is expected that the intended increase in the military
force will give rise to a variety of changes in the
system.