Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-20
EELS AND RATS.

Some OF the sewers of the city afford
subterranean tenementS which are a.
densely populated as the human sbodes
above them. The eels and the rats there
contend with each other for the waste of
the scullery, and various substances wash
ed down the culvcrts. With the rise of
the tide, which sets into the sewers, the
rats retreat, and the eels take possession,
and riee rersd. Yesterday, one of the
latter, who was rashly curious, peuetra.
ted into one of the vaults beneath our
Office, and as he was of large size, made
furious splashing until silenced by a
blow. The rats avail themselves of this
subterranean highway and provision
store-house, as a means Of access to the
down town eating.houses, hotels, &C..
where their incur sions are said to be yery
destructive. A tempting dish of viands
left exposed, is sure to disappear before
daylight. We are informed by a we'll
known restaurateur, that his placa is
nightly visited by scores of them, who
traverse the drain. An house
down town is in course of removal. and
the sudden disappearance Of things edible
has thrown the rats into confusion worse
confounded. 1t was during their ne.
searches for supplies last Saturday night.
that stray dog, who was traversing the
streets contrary to law, found his way
among them, unbidden, and DESTROYED
about thirty of them. The Paris glove.
makers are said to derive a handsome
profit from the use of rat-leather, taken
in the Paris sewers. 1t is suggested that
they found branch establishment in this
city, where the raw material for manu-
facture may be obtained in abundance,
and it is presumed, from the venerable
aspect of the animals, to be of tough and
durable quality, well suited to ladies'
wear. Eel skins, also, may be procured
in abundance. They are used chiefly for
the manufacture Of whips !; ct least, such
is the use to which they have been ap-
propriated by some of the Yankees
The exceedingly tough and flexible nature
of these skins also makes them valuable
in fastening together the two parts of the
fail, or grain. thresher. There is room
for enterprise in both these departments
of trade. .-
By the way, we have made discovery
in the rat line, which we hasten to an
nounce. 1t has been triumphantly asked
-"Ofwhat use are rats 2' and echo has
answeIed-"Of what use 2" Bnt If any
one will look at the window of Scott &
Bells Sugar Brokerage, 9l4 Wall street.
after they have closed Tor the day, he
will see q rat inside of the window
oatcktng flies at an astonishing rate He
moves over the window panes with the
agility of dancing-master, though with
little apparent effort, and the flies disap.
pear before him like the dew before tie
sun. Were it not for the decided unpop-
ularity of rats everywhere, such estab-
lishments as that of Scott & Bell could
afford to keep few, just to clear their
premises of flies. Let it not be said then
that even rats were made altogether in
vain 4ea Il 81
p. S.-We understand that after clear.
ing the window of flies, perhaps 100 OF
SO, scarcely any of which escape, the
rat retires for q while, to allow . new SET
to collect, and then returns and resumes
his useful labors.-yournat of Commerce.