Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-10-22
ARArTAIEs.
[rrom nioken,s Household Woras,

From Dickens Household woras4l Sc p =
Quite lately, in Paris. a specimen was
given OF the force in which rats can mus,
ter, where they have gained only pro-
Tisional footing. The Historical Halles,
or markets, having been rebuilt and le-
arranged on a more commodious plan.
moving OF. the dealers in -four. stuffs,
green vegetables, poultry. and potatoes
from the ground they have occupied.
near the church Of ST. Eustache. TO their
new stalls and shops in the Halles Cen
trales. After the departure of the hu>
man tenants Of the old provisional market,
the woIkmen proceeded to pull down the
sheds. B.neath these sheds colony If
rats had liked the ir domiclle for some me
past. A regiment OF boys, armed with
sticks. and backed by all the dogs of tile
quarter, mustered in a pack, aW alting
The uneaTthlDg Of the game iIom theII
cover. A crowd OF spectators made The
lofty buildings round re echo with their
shouts and their bursts of laughter
Several rats. alarmed at tie disIuI bance
and the barking OF the dogs, climbed up
Abe persons of the lookers>on, 10 find a
refuge on their shoulders or on their
heads.
One girl, feeling rat taking a walk
round her neck, was SO overcome with
Terror that she tainted. Oue thousand
j. the estimated number OF rats who Tell
victims to this inhospiIable reception !;
but it may be presumed that those who
saved their bacon were in considerable
majority. T6is is nothing to what occurs
1t Montevideu (unless it is greatly
changed from what it was, where the
only draw back upon the delightful way
in which an evening may be spent is tue
necessity OF returning home through long
harrow streets, so infested with vOIaciOus
rats as sometimes to make the way LeIll>
ous. There are no sanitary regulations
in the town, except those provided by the
showers of rain, which at intervals CARY
off the heaps OF filth from long establish
ed resting places. Around huge noun
tains of carrion. vegetables. aud stale
fruit, here accumulated, rats muster in le-
gions. 1fyOu attempt to pass near these
formidable handful. or to interrupt their
orgies, they will gnash their teeth at yon
fercely. like so many wolves.
So far are they from running off in af-
fright to their burrows that they will turn
round, set up an ominous cry. and will
then make rush at your legs in way
10 make your hair stand on end. Be.
tween them and the yenIuresome stran
ger many a hazardous atfray occurs, and
though sometimes he may fight his way
home VIGOROUSLY by the aid of u stout
stick, on other occasions he will be forced
60 fly down some narrow cross lane, leav
ing the rats undisputed masters OF the
field. 1t is something to have made best
French kid gloves out of the skins OF Par
isian rats, and best French beaver hats
from their fur. A man OF genius-a
SWede, with an unpronounceable name
has done more. Lamenting, probably
the deaIth OF dramatic talent, he conceiv-
ed the idea OF raising rats TO the dignity
Of tragic and como stars. His training
succeeded admirably. Hamlet, follow eu
by popular farce. acted by rats in POI
table theatre, which the m anager coulu
carry on his shoulders from place 10 place.
obtained a colossal success IN Sweden and
Germany.