Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-18
By W. D. WALLACE.
Low LIFE NEW YORK.

refined sport came of on Wednesday night, at
a notorious den in Madison street. At an early
hour the BOOKING ken in front of the premises
was filed with the eIIts of the fancy, compr1-
sing specimens of gents who 90 in for anything,
from backing fast trotter to witnessing the
dying agoniss of an unfortunate rodenf-for
which purpose they were met on the occasion.
Previous to entering the arena in which the
sports OF the evening were to take place, the
more favored Of the visitors were introduced by
the proprietor to some Of the arcana of his very
peculiar establishment, which are generally
screened from the gaze Of the vulgar
In small apartment, eighteen by twelve
feet, . number Of fighting and other fancy dogs
are kept. They are about eighteen in num-
ber-one being slut with litter of fne pups
which the knowing ones say already give prom
iss Of future renown. These animals (the ma
ture dogs, not the pups,) are said to be worth
from IS to $50 each. One fine animal, in par
tculsr, was pointed out to the visitors for the
name be has acquired in many a hard fought
canine engagement. He Was once matched
against tho celebrated dog Connaught Lad, a
seventeen pound animal, for $500 q side but
as he lost an eye by accident, he was Withdrawn
from the contest.
A pup was shown, only four months old, and
weighing only one and half pounds, but which
Is already catching rats, a specimen of which
was witnessed In the course Of the evening He
Is said to be valued at no less than Sl5O
In back room she bear is keptoJenny BY
name raIs Californian. Jenny is exhibited
once fortnight to fight such dogs whose own
ers are ambitious of showing off the good points
Of their canine quadrupeds; but Harry saws,
such is Miss Jsnny's affectionate disposition
that the mere shake of her hand is sufficient to
deter the canine gentry from seeking any fur
ther proof Of her attachment by too close an
embrace. Ursa m,nOr-tor Miss Jenny is only
OF the age OF three years, which answers to
sweet sixteen In the human famiIy-is in
yHnaoly more than match for cdHis ma jOr
However, Miss Jenny is fond of good living,
and her taste is grstifed for she lives on the
tat OF the land. Like some of her sex of the
unfeathe.ed biped order, too, she is somewhat
eapricious in temper, and keeps even Harry
himself at distance, and permits no one to
approach her too familiarly, but an ancient
gentleman, whose duty it is to Iay the cloth.
and attend at table, during her meal times.
Among other animals, a black dog answer
Ing to the name OF Bull, was shown, who exhib-
its an honorable scar on his shoulder, a mark
OF his proWess in q recent encounter with Jen-
NY
Returning to the front Of the aren, tbs via
itors were shown number of boxes, strongly
covered on top with iron wire in which a mum
Der OF rats were confined for the coming con-
nlet There were rats with long tails and rats
with short tails-big rats and little rats, and
rats OF all sorts On Harry being ask ed where
ne OBTAINED the "varmint," he readily entered
into curious statement of one of the many
mysteries OF New York. He said he procured
his rats from the several hotels, each of which
he subsidized at the rate of $40 a quarter, for
the privilege Of catching the whiskered rascals.
The D'0dHs opeT0Hdl is simple-much too SIM
pie Tor our taste. The rat-catcher armed only
with lamp, in the dead Of the night. simply
pounces on the rats, and lays hold OF them with
his hand. but, said one of the visitors. sis
not the rat-catcher dreadfully bitten?' s.No.
the rats know better than to bite" replied
Harry; 81 will show you - And. suiting the
action to the word, he dipped his hand into the
cage and drew forth a rat that vouId have
served for Cinderella's coachmap, with ali the
n1n ;halsnce in life. The animal sque lked, as
was his undoubted privilege. but he knetc bet
ter than TO bite.
Mr.. Jenniug says he employs four men con-
stsntly 10 catch rats, and that he has obtained
upwards Of 5000 from the Astor House and
2OO0 from the St Nicholas Hotel; about the
same number from the New York Hotel. and
lots from Iaylors and q number of other ho-
tells. de supplies q great number of the cities
OF the United States with the animal, Balti-
more alone being his customer to the extent of
about 200 per month, by which interesting
piece OF information We are led to suppose
either that the rats Of Gotham are better edp,
Gated than any others OF the Union, or that the
New York rat-catchers are the most expert.
On entering the arena, which was duly de-
scrloed IN the report OF the boxing match for
the benefit Of johnny Aaron, 3 week or two
ago, Harry offered to match a bull-terrier
against any dog that could be brought, for kill
ing from six to hundred rats. for a collar and
slip; or If bull-terriers were not permitted to
run, be would take up q match of black tan
terriers.
A match was soon made up black tan terriers
Tor oO cents side for collar and slip for the
winning dog-each dog to kill rat for each
Two pounds OF Its WeiOht-nups tr h. H.
against rats with drawn teeth. The dog that
Performed his task in the shortest space Of time
10 be winner
The following dog. were then entered, and
performed the achievements against their
names: