Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-07
Fishing for Rats.

NEW AMUSEMENT FOR THE IRREPRESSIBLE
BOYS OF THE STREET.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The street gamin, never at q loss for amuse-
ment, even in the dullest times have found q
new kind Of sport. AS in the case of the boy
and the frog, however, what proves fun for the
boy In this matter is rough on something else
"A reporter who was strolling on Jefferson
street yesterday morning. dropped to the sport
by accident. In front of q restaurant he saw a
over the iron grating which covers the cellar.
way. On the outside OF the crowd Of boys ah
Interested circle of gamblers and loafers cir
small boys. One of the latter held manfully on
to q thick cord, one end of which was lost in the
darkness of the cellar below. Pushing his way
into the crowd, the reporter, on inquiry, learned
that the boy with the line was fishing for rats.
The buildings on Jefferson street, like most
huge proportions, some of them us large a
kitten and as fierce and hostile as Wild animals,
| and it was this game the boy with the string
Keep still, Jimmie; there's one" whispered
one OF the youngsters, who, with his face pressed
close to the grating, was peering into the dark
pectance of a fat catch. snow he's got it, he
the h Of ep and
And then the boy with the string gave 1t a
JERK and began to pull the struggling rodent to
| the surface. soon 1t was close to the grating
and could be plainly seen. 1t was Of the large
gray species, very plump, and it turned and
twisted and kicked, desperately trying to free
itself from big fish hook that was stuck in its
jaw.
The crowd pressed closer, until the boy who
was engineering the line had scarcely standing
room.
81 Cit outen the way."he cried, 'or the DID
and, with the aid OF q crooked stick in the hands
of a second boy, the animal was forced up be-
tween the bars and was held up to the view of
the admiring throng.
and in a second q chorus of whistles emanated
from a dozen pair of puckereo lips, while wild
dash was made for u Scotch terrier with con-
stitutional hatred for rats. The dog soon made
It's appearance, and the crowd surged into the
street. The rat still kicked and struggled on
the string, foot or two above the ground, while
the dog jumped and barked about it, swapping
at IT and eager to sink his teeth into its flesh a
ring was soon formed, with the boy, the rat and
Then the rat was lowered to the earth, and no
sooner touched 1t than it made a scamper for
the gutter. The crowd fell back, but the rodent
never reached the multitude of feet. The terrier,
quick rs a flash, had bounced on it. and CATCH
Ing 1t by the neck closed his teeth viciOusly and
Snook ms enemy sayagely until iife was extinct
was DEAD, gave bark of satisfaction, and
trotted majestically back to his lair. The gamin
gave yell OF pleasure kicked the rat into the
gutter, and then adjourned once more to the
grating until another one of the pests had been
with.
From bystander the reporter learned that
this sort Of amusement was the delight of the
street boys life, and that every day they
caught number of rats which were afterward
Killed by the fuzzy terrier.
:, FEEING IN PARIs.-A gentleman who has
having been born and educated there knows
Boston as well as he does Paris, spoke some
thing as follows when asked about this prac-
tice: $50 far as the walters are concerned, the
fees which they get from customers in all OF the
best restaurants and cafes are the pay they get
no 10 g 10 holr inpfn 1<,fp
ing the proprietor anything, is source of In
come to him. For these walters have to pay
him from IL to francs q day for the privilege
proprietor Is two meals day-One at 10 and
one at O'Clock. They make what they can
from customers during the day, and get prob
ably an average OF from five to seven francs.
TIE Partisan understands all this, and con-
siders the fee as part of the price of meal.
init to 1t. There Is rule, however, that regu-
latcS in Il general way the amount of the fee. If
your biil Is frame, the waiter expects two
francs, the regular fee is one sou for each franc.
Thus fOr five-franc dinner the fee is five SOUS
20 centimes. This doesn't seem to amount to
much, but when you remember that it is the
same with every cabnan, and, in fact, with
every one else VINO does the least thing for you,
The total at the end OF the year is considerable.
The Americans who com" over here and who
consider half Ii franc a suitable fee fer every
thing. demoralize these polite thieves and
einbarrass us greatly: For, in the face of such
prodsality, it is difficult 70 keep these fellows
IN Il proper stat. OF s.Slection.D-t Paris Letter.
SUICIDE AT GAIrHERsBURG, MD-Peter C.
Smith committed suicide ut his home on the
farm OF Mr. Harry D. Cook near Gaithersburg.
shooting himself in the neck, severing the jugu-
lar vein, which caused immediate DEATH The
charged by pressing the trigger with a hoe ham
Ole. The deceased had been OH u protracted
spree, and at the time of the suicide was under
the influence OF liquor.