Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1873-10-29
Rats.
Their Political asa Miiisavy Izis.
tePy.

nesS ESeeA ma Mblteopy 1Ht0sl
tsry.
The late inundatioR Of the Seiu1.
which caused SO many disasters.
one Of which there hai
been no expectation. In entering
tho sewers which open into tie river,
tIIc waters drove an immense Bumber
Of rats, who were thus carried into
the houses that stand upon the quays |
or in their ncighborhOod. The iious-
ca were completely oyerrun by these |
horrible creatures. In the Hue
Saiute Julien lie Pauvre, IN one day
one hundred aud forty rats of cnor-
nous size were destroyed.
Now, the question is, whence did
the rats come which ia such numbers
invaded our shores? Without des-
ignating an historical course of ratoi-
ogy, there are many details which
might be communicated regarding
the origin of these creatures, which
are Of n very interesting nature u
rare book upon the historical curiosi-
ties of Paris, published about the
middle of the last century, and other
works by erudite scholars, supply
inneli Information OH the subject.
The lcgions, which were SO uncer-
enormously dislodgcd the other day,
came from the borders Of the Caspinm
sea. But before spraSiug or thes.
Foreigners, q few words are in order
about the brown-rat-a rat which Is
almost extinct, III consequence of the
war, which for hundred years they
have been compelled 10 carry Oh with
the red, or Asiatic rat.
The brown rat was himself all cn-
i9rant his reign was by right OF
conquest, not of birth. lie came with
the barbarians from the north. As
the surface was occupied, there was q
corresponding occupation beneath it..
There WAS the rat of the Goths, the
rat Of the Fandals, the rat of ths
Huns.
The brown rat was the rat OF tic
Nandals. When lie came to France
there was no one Tor him 10 dislodge
III order to fiud room. The Gauls
were not infested by any individuals
of this kind, and must therefore have
betn rather surprised ut the appear.
ance of this unknown visitor.
AT the sight of the ravages by which
hc first BETRAYED his incognito, i,
might have been supposed that hi,
coming was al immediate visitation
of divine justice. A passage of Gre
CORY of Tours tells how the iuhabi
tants of Paris, who could not accoun
for this subterrauean inSesior1 IN an
| r.t'ounf nanuer, sought its explana
: ton i'll fable. Their town of Lutetiu
they said, had always been secur
from fires and the attacks ofhurtfu
animals, by tue protection of god t
whom they had offered homage
ourying certain images in q cousc
Grated place. Unfortunately, in dig
slns sewer, one OF these holy image
was displaced, and then these hurifu
animals took possession of the town
anu 1t was ravagcd by fires.
Once master of the soil, the brown
rats moved not. They only sent al
army of occupation in the suite o
William the Conqueror, when Lt
went to invade England; and Ines,
English rats also found means fol
making ALI irruptioa into Ireland
The frogs, SO abundant there, pro
! vidrd delicate morsel, and they
feasted upon them with SO good ai
appetite that one fine morning the
whole croaking population had dis
Appeared. The rats, failing ti,cil
provisions, disappeared in their turn
Toward 1G47, shortly before til,
tronde, there was u rumor in Par:
that new kind of rat had suddenl,
appeared, and distinguished itself no
only by lis ravages, but by the dies
perate battles it wagcd with til,
brown rat, the master of the soil
Lie new corners were of all iron-gra,
coicr; amt On this account were called
vnlcans.
The sIrmulot, the race which now
reigns, that terrible animal which
cannot be drawn from Montfaucom
aud 1t is found will hold good it.
place in the quarters of the market:
and the Pa!Sis Royal, did not arrive
TIL hundred years later.
In the year 1725 there were terrible
earthquakes i'll the countries on the
borders of the Caspian Sea. From
the depth of the abysses Suddenly
opened from the bosom of the noun.
tain i'll labor, what came forth
hats which were large and fat, and
armed with formidable teeth, and
with their long red hair had u terri
ble appearance. They advanced in i'm
mensc battalions, aud their arrival il,
4 Astrachau i'll the autumn of l727 was
remarkable. Nothing stopped them,
not even rivers, for they are good
swimmers. They either passed the
Nolga or took possession in legious OF
the vessels which they found there.
Others pushed on i'll an opposite di-
reciion. a whole army moved sim.
uitaheou>ly towards Siberia, and
having entered the little town OF
Juikb, mastered it. The town was
then taken by assault. The attack
took place at o'clock in the evening.
aud q quarter Of the town was given
up by Tie conquered to the conquer
orS.
The vessels lying in the Russian
ports, OIL board which the surmulots s
had taken free passage, returned to
France, aud the hungry rats were the
first to disembark.
Twenty years later the surmulots
were masters. The black rat cannot
make head against this intruder.
stronger than he is, better armed
with teeth, and renewing his legions
three times year, by birth of from
twelve to twenty little ones each time.
He disappeared, and his existence is
now one of the myths of the sewers
of Paris and London.
The black rat has been driven from
England by the gray rat, to which
the name of Hanover rat has been
given, Oh account Of the time OF his
appearance in that country, and he is
now master of the situation"
East india Company and Its Empire.
On the lst of june next the once
powerful East India Comnany will