The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-06-22
Studies of Natural History.
RATS.
GAS Spring approaches, bugs and reaches,
From their holes come out
And hungry rats in spite OF cats,
Will o,iIv Shin oborf

GAS Spring approaches, bugs and reaches,
From their holes come out;
And hungry rats in spite OF cats
Will gaily skip about
and continue skipping all summer; and Is
skippists, the rat is our beau ideal.
Every body nearly has seen rats more especial
~ those who have struggled with the delrum
tremens, and consequently know that they have
just as many legs as the wears James Buchanan
was President Of the United States. They To-
comotc endwise, head first with much swift
ness. They always travel on foot for short dis
tances, but when they light out for a journey,
they 90 by cars or boat. The family originated
in Norway, and they will gnaw-way through
ANYTHING except a cask of nails. They are as
much an evidence of civilization as New Eng
land rum; and there are parts Of our great
country where the National debt and rats are
unknown
Like large fortunes, rats Start from small
beginning A bran new rat resembles a pea
nut shell covered with blue mold, and there are
generally about four Of him, counting his
brothers and sisters. When they arrive at
years Of discretion, Il gnawing feeling comes
over them t. start business on their own hoo X,
| and their stock in trade consists of a good APP
petite and IN excellent set of teeth. They fol
low the calling of poachcr>, and will steal
worse than an Indian or an oil cc-holdcr. They
don't possess much book learning, but for
common sense they beat the most Of Us.
| They are hunted in various ways, with traps,
guns, dogs, cats, emetics and cathartcS, poison
and friction matches; but the majority Of them
die of old age. There are Il class OF men who
| follow the business of catching rats, and a brisk,
lively business it is. The father ofthc pretty
little rat catcher'4 daughter" was one Of these
chaps. A man that can dodge a streak of
lightning or Il bullet viii Ito we'll to turn his ut
tention to th, branch oftrade Rats are caught
| for their hides and tails. and it is said that the
best kid gloves are made Of rats pcltS. and the
idea looks rational. If they We're not made to
be worked up into kid gloves, it would puzzle
an old ronundrum maker TO guess what they
| were made for. The tlil of the rat is also OF
much importance, both to himself and the rest
of mankind When he unfortunately finds q
hole that he can't enlarge with one end, say the
npcl, Of a molasscs jug, he roverses his engine
and dips his narrative down into the molaSScs,
and then eats the swcetncs; off by which
unique and ingenious way he provides himself
with food, and makes both onds meet When
he Is captured by man bis tail is cut on. (Which
is the end of HIM and is then tempered to 4
certain degree of hardness, ;.nd becomes what
Is so we'll known as the rat tail file.
A. food rats cannot he sail to ha q success
ful invention, though the French have recent
y eaten them when they go, together 10 Com
mune, but the French win cnt most anything
nowadays. even TO their own words.
There are us many varieties of rat traps r
there me way of manufacturing hash, but the
most lucky one that ever came to our motto,
was used exclusively by ankce down East
lie was bothered by great deal Of rat. HI
succeeded on failing with all his trap, till he
struck this one. The rats came from the barr
into room, through 4 hole. Procuring
couple of razors he placed the blades on ethc
side of the hole SO that 4 mt could in>t Squecz
through between them into the room liz
scattered some food on tie floor ANA then scat
tered himself. At might tina rats commence,
coming into the room, and when he though
that they We're about i'll in, he rushed in an
they commenced retreat through the hole
every one leaving couple of Slabs behind II
he passed between the razors. The man >ai,
he didn't know how many rats went through
that hoi,, but he did know that he sAthe rec
rats did not trouble llm any after that. NM
this is about The helt Of what W. know uhom
rats.