The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-08-27
How a Rat Whipped an Alligator.

How Rat Whipped an Alligator.
A Wholesale drugstore on Magazine
street is the happy possessor of a young
and domesticated alligator. This little
crocodile has become quite pet and
plaything of the establishment he is
OF an amiable disposition, fond of mnsic
and dinner, and quite submissive, she'd
ding tears and showing repentance
| whenever it is found necessary to cor
rect him.
1t was resolved by the clerks in the
establishment that as the alligator had
reached his third birthday, and in
creased to three feet in length, to util-
ize him, to put him to some other en-
Eployment than that of a mere pet. At
| first it was thought that he might be
turned loose to reduce the Republican
vote of this State, by picking up stray
plckaninnies, for whom he is commonly
supposed to have great love but this
was thought chimerical and danger
GUS enterprise and, therefore, was given
up.
It was finally concluded to make use
of Crocky, the alligator, as a cat. The
store teemed with rats and mice, who
made daily inroads on the quinine and
ipecac and it is we'll known that alliga-
tors have special and inestimable
hatred toward rats.
A rat, to practice on, was caught, the
other day, imprisoned in a barrel of
calomel. There he had spent at least a
week on this meager, insufficient and
injurious diet; he was thin, weak and
melancholy; his health was broken, his
constitution gone.
Rat and alligator were put together
in box and a numerous audience
crowded around to get the front place.
The two enemies soon awoke to an APP
probation of the case. The rat safely
and snugly enscenced himself in cor
ner. The alligator hesitated a second,
scratched his head (metaphorically),
and having made up his mind as to the
mode of attack, advanced slowly toward
the rat with wide open jaws. The rat
trembled, there was no escape, nothing
but the wide open mouth of the alliga-
tor before him. Without hesitation,
like Curtius, he jumped straight into
the yawning gulf, and getting a good
hold on the lower lip of the alligator,
swung himself to the ground.
The "Saurian n" gave squeak and
swung himself around, the rat finally
letting go, victor in the first round.
The alligator, however, was not daunt-
ed, and advanced with the same tactics.
The rat this time, by most agile move
ment, leaped entirely over the alligator.
Getting behind him he now proceeded
to chaw and gnaw away. The unwieldy
animal could not get around to defend
his hindrlegs.
BY good use of his tail the alligator
again got free, and advanced desperate
ly, though with tagging courage, at the
daring rodent. With equal success, the
rat again sprang into the air, alighting
on the alligator's back. The fight was
over then. The alligator could not
shake his enemy off, could not dislodge
him, and finally gave up the fight, lay
ing himself down on his belly in sub
missive attitude.
The rat was set at liberty, and given
the run of all the drugs and medicines,
while the poor alligator was doomed to
disgrace and ridicule. His master no
longer feels proud of his rough pet, and
offers to go in bathing among thousand
full grown crocodiles, without the least
danger. Orleans Times.