The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-12-12

dislike to the name of rat, we should be |
strongly tempted to tame them as at
tractive and teachable pets. Until they |
learn that they have an enemy in man,
they are quite unsuspicious, and will al
low any one to walk up to them.
One of these rats being caught in the
house, attracted by his size, measured
him; body, eight inches long; tail, eight
inches; around his body, under his fore
legs, seven inches; ears, an inch and a
half, fur beautifully finea grey, with a
dark shade, nearly black, running
lengthwise down his back. He was very
plump and fat, but | omitted getting
his weight.
They haunt houses and camps near
the hills, but seldom, if at all, those a
few miles away. The peculiar trading
characteristics natural to this little mer-
chant, its habit of exchanging goods
without "by your leave, wise ways,
and queer tricks, seem far more like
reason than instinct, A few incidents
which came under my own observation
will illustrate this characteristic. Some
men, passing through the country,
camped in deserted cabin, and before
wrapping themselves in their blankets
for the night, they placed their bread
for breakfast in pan near the fire. On
rising, to their dismay, not crumb of
bread was left in the pan, but it was
filled with old scraps of leather, chips,
bones, moldy beans, rugs, etc Search
ing, they found high up on partly
broken shelf, in an old tin can, their
bread packed away with old bacon
rinds, bones, rags and other trash.
In the house of one of my neighbors
these mischiefs carried off lot of In
dian or corn meal, and in the meal box
deposited a quantity of bird-shOt, which,
mixed with the remaining meal, caused
the housekeeper great dissatisfaction.
In the same house trunk was acct
dentally left open one night; in the
morning a quantity of rice, bits of dried
fruit, and some oats were found mixed
up with loose coral beads and other
small trinkets; it was an exercise of pa
tience to separate the articles, as may be
readily i'm agined.
With these traders, exchange is no
robbery, and distance small hindrance;
they travel from their homes, and go
from barn to house, from loft to cellar,
and through living rooms (noiseless
when acting as porters) with great
speed and impartiality. A sheepherder,
returning to his camp thirty miles away,
brought home a fine new hat; placing
the box on his table, he went away for
the night. Returning, he found the box
had been entered, the crown of the hat
eaten entirely round, and the box then
filled with wool, flannel rags, remains
of food, wheat and dried fruits. There
was a sudden forced abandonment OF
that unsurveyed ''squatter's claim"
Some ranchmen were gone haying fol-
several days, camping away from home.
After their return they soon learned
that their quarters had not been unoccrt
pied during their absence. Anest com.
posed of wool and rags filed the foui
sieve left upon shelf; next beside the
sieve stood the coffee box; in it had beer
left about a pound of good coffee; now
the box was filled to the top, mixed with
the coffee, moldy crusts, bones and rindi
that had been scattered about the place
"When threw itall out, " said the man
who was telling me, provoked as
was, could not help noticing how pref
tily the nest was made up of knawing'
Of an old blue army overcoat,s red Han
mel shirt and many white rags, put TO
gether so nicely and made so soft with
in. p" This morning, going to the store
house for a lamp-chimney, found al
ordinary glass chimney packed clos,
with straw, grains of rice, oats, wheat
i few beans and chips.
1.-The mischief these rats can do in
single night is almost incredible. One
getting into a lady's room, stripped he
house plants of every leaf and blossom
and hid himself behind the wardrobe
where he was found next day, with
most singular accumulation of goods
among them many bits of paper,
quantity of raisins, box of matches
some candle ends, gnawed postag
stamps ard lot of odds and ends
Nothing seems to come amiss, and the
are particularly fascinated by anything
that glitters, often carrying off knives
spoons and watches and, silver an
hiding them effectually. y 4
They are "goodproviders," and in tn
fall build their nests, and fill them wit
stores of eatables, the result of foragin
expeditions for their families befor
winter is on them. Under large col
tonwood tree, on side hill, partly III
derneath q fallen trunk, a party of u
found a mountain rats nest 1t wa
built up nearly two feet in height; tn
top or roof COVERING II stoned on a