Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-26
How Rat Whipped an Alligator.
From the New Orleans Times.

crocodile has become quite the pet and
plaything Of the establishment. He is
OF an amiable disposition, fond of mu-
sic and dinner, quite submissive, shed
ding tears and showing repentance
whenever it is found necessary to cor
rect him.
It was resolved by the clerks in the
establishment that as the alligator had
reached his third birthday, and increas-
ed to three feet in length, toutilize him
to put him to some other employ
ment than that Of a mere pet. At first
it was thought he might be turned
loose to reduce the Republican vote Of
this state, by picking up stray picanin-
MES, for whom he is commonly sup
posed to have a great love but this
was thought chimerical and danger
GUS enterprise, and, therefore given up.
1t 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
epicac, and it is well known that alli-
gators have special and inestimable
hatred towards rats.
A rat, to practice, was caught the
other day and imprisoned in barrel Of
calomel. There he had spent at least
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 a box, and numerous audience
crowded around to get a front place.
The two enemies soon awoke to al ap-
probation of the case. The rat safely
and snugly ensconced 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 into the yawn-
ing gulf, and getting a good hold Of
the lower lip Of the alligator, swung
himself to the ground.
The ''Suarian gave a 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 by this time, by most agile
movement, leaped entirely over the ALI
gator. Getting behind him he now
proceeded to chaw and gnaw away.
The unwieldy animal could not get
around to protect his hind legs.
By a good use OF his tail the alligator
again got free, and advanced desper-
ately, though with tagging courage, at
the daring rodent With equal success,
the rat sprang into the air and 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 SUBJ
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 among1 900 full
grown crocodiles, without the least
danger.
The Mystery of Hair Snakes Solved.
The common belief is that these
creatures are transformation Of a
HILL tuaG HIS iOiLdlu6li IOI SOlEO
time in the water. ''When walking
stick" says DR.. Slack, " becomes a
snake, horse hair will become aWorm.
AS the former miracle has not taken
place since the departure of the Israe-
ites from Egypt, it is safe to conclude
that the latter transformation has not
recently been made. A dry hair placed
in water will absorb the moisture, and
from the unequal expansion of the ex-
terror and interior layers will become
contorted so, too, would piece of
two-inch rope, yet we have never heard
of the latter having been accused of
possessing vitality. The hair snake is
a living creature, endowed with organs
of locomotion and respiration, and ca
pable of propagating its species. Sci
entifcally it is known as 'Gordius
aquaticus, the generic name being de-
rived from the Gordian knot, in allu-
sion to the tangled appearance often
presented by a multitude OF these ami
mails. The specific name aquaticus' is
not so appropriate, for they thrive out
of water" DR.. Slack has taken Gordii
six inches in length from the body of a
grasshopper. They have also been
found in the stomachs OF insectivorous
birds. -7u1T, Field and Farm.