Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-06-25
tssrran, N. Y. edition, 1898 Vol. !, p. zig.

tsarran, N. Y. edition, 1898; Vol. /. p ZIG.
HoRsEs AND RATS IN PARIs.--A correspondent
of the New York Spirit of the Times gives an In
teresting account Of the manner in which the
bodies of Partisan horses and rats arc usually dis
posed Of BE says: s"&s
"Four hundred horses die or are killed in Paris
in one week. There is a common pound, sur
rounded by stone wall, covering some ten acres
According TO some municipal regulations There is
an ordonnance' for everything in France) oil dead
carcasses except human bones, must be brought
to this general receptacle. The carcass Of horse
Is valuable for the bone, the hide and the hair to
say nothing Of the flesh, much priced when fresh,
in certain sausage manufactures. But should you
wait until the horse has actually shufled of his
hairy coil you might miss bargain-another Of
the trade precedes and purchases Hence it Is
important 10 buy the horse, as dead horse before
he is dead. IL Is regular business in Paris. You
can tell these agents for the purchase OF dead
horses at glance; the dress Is that OF an English
groom, save the yignette on the visor Of the cap
representing dead horses head and cross-bones
memorandum book, pencil, a stamp, and a
piece Of caustic complete bis accoutrements. With
scrutinizng eye he travels the thoroughfares Of
Paris should horse go lame, break leg or neck .
should he show symptoms Of dstrcss-n a word
anywhere or In any way eyince signs Of the many
lie to which horse6esh Is heir, Immediately is an
offer made for the animal, deliverable when really
dead
"The bargain concluded, the signalement' OF
the horse and owner is carefully recorded and
private mark stamped on the inside Of the foreleg
with the caustic the horse goes, perhaps rejoic-
ing, on his way for weeks, perhaps months, only
TO be met with and ident tilted after death. at the
public graveyard for horses. Now, except in cases
offrcsh specimens, as mentioned above, the first
operation on dead horse is TO take of the skin
then the flesh, TO get at the bones The skin-
ming portion is easy, and performed with dex.
tcrity and rapidly truly astonishing. have seen
in the enclosure spoken Of, at the timo, over one
hundred horses skinned, or being put through that
process. The next point Is 20 divest the bones
Of adhesive and often putrid fesh--bones are val
ued In proportion as they are clear neat, and free
from other matter. To take of the Aesh BY hand
is tedious and difficult operation. An ingenious
Frenchman solved the difficulty. lie noticed that
rats were very fond Of horsefesh he advised the
authorities TO COLOMBO the dead horse pound with
these animals; the catacombs of Paris furnished
them by thousands 1t was done, and nowadays
dead horses carcass put In over night, Is lite
rally nothing but neat aud beautiful skeleton in
the morning. The pecunary saving 10 bone deal
ers nom the yoracity and gnawing propensties Of
the rat family, is, was told, very considerable.
"0ur Yankee Frenchman did not, however, stop
there. IL was natural 10 suppose that rats so well
fed and provided for, would rapidly increase and
multiply; hence the necessity Of regulating the
matter. Every three months a grand bsttue' is
made upon the aforesaid colony Of rats, and all
caught above ground, die the death Of rats. The
manner Of doing this amused me. Horizontal and
cylindric holes are bored all aroxnd, In and at
the foot Of the enclosing wals--the depth and di.
ameter being respectively the length and thickness
Of a rats body. Upon the morning OF the bat
tue men armed with tin-pans kettles, drums, &c,
rush in at the peep of day aud charivar the poor
rats, who, frightened 10 death, poke their heads
into the first opening OF course, all those in the
wsll-holes have tails sticking out The rat col
lector, with bag over bis lefl shoulder, now makes
tour Of the premises, and the scientific and rapid
manner With which the rats are seized by the tail
and safely Ito both rats and operstor) transferred
to the bag, challenges admiration. II even sur.
passes the Chiffonner's rag picking. Perhaps
you wish TO know what becomes OF the rats.
These, also, are sold before they are caught or
killed. The privilege Of gathering rats on the
battne days, is armcd out by The authorities, and
a profitable business Il ia These rata. sleek and
fat they necessarily are, fetch highly remuner
alive price-the fur, the skin, and the flesh, meet
with ready sales"
Ex-PRrsrDrsTs IN THE HOUSE, oE CoxSoss--A
late London letter says "Mr. Van Buren, and Mr..
EIIir,oro knth t,.ooort 10 a. ~.lI.-...