Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-08
THE RAT-CATCHER.

A Character Peculiar TO London.
A late London letter to a Boston paper
contains the following:
One other character we have here, that
l never before heard of or met with.
A most novel sight he is to see, dressed
in hunting costume, with broad enam-
ell leather band, passing from waist to
shoulder, on which is fastened a huge
brass rat and the ''royal coat of arms,
with this inscription beneath: ''Rat
Catcher to Her Majesty ~
Over his back, slung by a chain, is
quite a large wire cage, well filled with
rats; at his heels follow two or three
terriers, who now and anon bark jOyfully
at their prey. Quite a ludicrous picture
he makes, and that always upsets Yankee
gravity. We wonder if this ''Rat- Catcher
to Her Majesty" ever makes his presence
known to Members of Parliament in the
House of Lords
However, this same man can well af-
ford the smiles of the incredulous at to the
extent or necessity of his business; for
most imperative necessity he is. Without
him, London would literally swarm with
the destructive pests. The extent of his
business may be known from the fact that
he is daily in receipt of large orders from
all parts of the continent, for supplies of
his rats for gloYe-makers and spOrtsmen's
use.
He owns nice house in the fashion
able quarter of London, and as he drives
about the park ON Sunday afternoon his
stylish turnout is the object of much at
| traction.
He yearly pays a small sum for his
license, and receives one hundred pounds
per annum for keeping ''St. GATHERINGS
Docks" alone free from rats.
| He visits all the shipping-his coming
being ever looked for with pleasure. Our
slip was sadly troubled with kind of rat
thst he called the Norwegian rat, which
he seemed to prize highly, their fur being
slick and black; and so proved the quality
of skin as being the finest and most elastic
| for glOvemakers' use.
Turning to US with a laugh, he said
Tomorrow these will go to Paris to the
| glove mandatory; and who knows but
| that the lady will wear gloves made from
| these self-same skins, and wonder at their
| fine texture and color. Shaking a cage
of gray rats, he said: ''These go to acer-
tain pit where the people of quality will
meet TO give recreation to their dogs"
O, London thou art full of loathsOme
spots as aleper's skin, and thy face, like
the EthiOp's, can never be washed clean.
| The CASUALTY AT THE KENTUCKY NIL
ITARY INSTITUTE. very distressing ac-
cident occurred near the Kentucky Mill
tary Institute ON Saturday, resulting in the
death of one of the cadets. 1t seems
that two of them had been hunting with
but one gun, which they fired alternately.
| The deceased, named W. K. Smith, from
Louisville, it seems, had shot, and, upon
loading, handed the gun to his comrade
cadet, Hubbard, of New Albany, Ind,
when, owing to some defect in the lock
which permitted the gun to go off half
cooked, the load was discharged almost
| the instant it reached his hands. UnfOr-
tunately the muzzle was pointed in the
dirertiOn of young Smiths head, and the
wound inflicted resulted in his death on
yesterday at eleven o'clock. Cadet Smith
was member of the second or Junior
class, and was young man of fine prom.
Use. While no criminality can attach to
the act of his unfortunate companion, the
occurrence should be another warning to
all in the careless handling of fire arms
Frankfort Woman.