Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-02-18

the evening the rat would stretch itself
out at full length on rug before the FIRE
and he would creep into some warm
snuggery on cold night. In the morn.
ing, when the man said "Come along
Key" the rat would jump into his great
coat pocket, from whence he was trans.
ferred to the boot of the bus. Ratty
guarded his masters dinner, and rushed
somewhat furiously against any one who
tempered with 1t. He was proof against
all temptations save One-it was not safe
to set him to guard over plum-puddinp
An old blind rat took refuge by the
kitchen fire in the house of q physician
and became favorite until strange cat
unfortunately one day made his appear.
ance and put an end to the harmony. M
DE la Tude, in his sad narrative of thirty,
five years imprisonment in the Bastile
describes how he gradually formed an
acquaintance with ten rats in his dun
geon; he gave them distinct names
which they recognized, and he got upva-
rious kinds Of simple gambols or sports,
in which they took part.
OF what use is the rat to man! Well
not very much that we know of; vet
few items may be mentioned. Probably
we must not attach much importance to
the alleged prophetic powers of the
rat-that if he gnaws persons clothes
that person will speedily de- that if he
suddenly quits a house the house will
very shortly be burned down; that if he
deserts ship the ship is in sinking
state. A mill at PEBBLES was suddenly
deserted by whole colony of rats about
twenty years ago; two hours atterward
the mill was burned down. But it must
be confessed that the logic is very weak
which proves from these facts the DOS
session of any prophetic power by Mr..
Rat. James, in his Military Dictionary,
says: Rats are sometimes used in mill.
tary operations, particularly in enter
prises for the purpose of setting fire to
gunpOwder. On these occasions
lighted match is tied to the tail of the
animal. Marshal Vauban commends,
therefore, that the walls of powder maya
zines should be made very thick, and the
passages for light and air so narrow
as not to admit rats" We do not
know whether cruel sport can be called
useful employment of rats; but an &C.
count is given of q strange proceeding
at Rome. A large number of rats were
dipped in turpentine, set on fire. and
then made to rush down an open flight
Of steps near the Vatican; they reached
the bottom as masses of charred flesh,
amid the shouts of the populace. Rats
are worth three shillings dozen to fur
nish supply to those brutal exhibitions
in which rat-killing terriers show their
power. Rats are also caught for the value
of the skin. There is firm at Paris
which buys the skin for this purpose.
The fur is dressed into a very good sub.
stitute for beaver; while the pelt or
membrane is dressed into leather so fine
elastic and close as to be used for the
thumbs of the best gloves. If anyone be-
lieves that rats are not used for human
food, he must change his opinion. In
Paris the chiffoniers or bone grubbers
eat them. Gypsjes eat such rats as are
caught in stacks and barns, anc are less
strong in favor and odor than those that
feed omnivorously. In China, split rats
are bought as a dainty. An English sur
geon OF some note had them cooked for
his own eating. In man-of- war, where
the rats made havoc with the biscuit, the
sailors had regular battue, and brought
down numbers of them; Jack made rat
pie, baked it, and liked it. AT the siege
OF Malta the French garrison, when fam
ished, offered as much as q dollar head
for rats, or two dollars if barn.fed. Dur.
ing the siege of Paris, in the late Franco.
German war, many tasted rat who had
never tasted it before.
The fecundity of the brown rat is pro-
digious, and it has been calculated that
If MIR. and Mrs. Rat live three years after
their first child is born, and if all the
children, children's children, chldrens
chlldren's children, etc, survive, the
family at the end of the three years
would comprise 100000 mouths AS
rat is credited with eating one-tenth as
much as an average man, this interesting
family would consume as much as an
army of 10000 men.
PROFESSIONALLY whatever may be the
degree OF fecundity and voracity, rats
are generally great nuisance, and re-
quire to be lessened in number, if not
Bextirpated. Let us notice some OF the
varieties in which the nuisance presents
itself, and the mode of procedure conse-
quently adopted.
Rats infest ships, and are carried to
every part of the world SO industr-
ously do they make homes for themselves
in the numerous crannies and corners IN
the hull of "a ship that it is almos. in-
possible to get rid of them. Ships take
out rats as well AS passengers and cargo
every voyage; whether the former re-
main in the ship when in port is best
known to themselves When the East
India Company had ships of their own
they employed rat-catcher, who
sometimes captured 500 rats IN
one ship just returned from Gar
cutta. The ship-rat is often the black
species. Sometimes black and brown IN
habit the same vessel; and unless they
carry on perpetual hostilities the one
party will keep to the head of the
vessel and the other to the stern. Inc