Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-14
RESIDENTIAL RATS.
SOME of THE PLEASURES OF
LIVING IN Paris.
a Pest That Eat Off Human Noses
and are Dreaded More
Than War.

TRANSLATED from the Spanish for The RECol:p
| UNION by Samurl IL Gerrish
4 telegram from Ncw York 10 a paper
in Spain says: at is tliag decided. t.
present to Congress bill to offer prem
ium to whoever viii invent method Of
destroying the rats that iniest the White
House, that make disagreeable the resi-
dence init Madame Cleveland has con-
tlded to one of the most intimate friends
OF her BOSOM that the President of the
United States passes many nights chasing
rats. The secret, as is seen, has not been
I'wefi guarded. In other ways it has been
known for a long time that the rats have
almost complete possession of the Presi-
Dental palace. And this is not new
already in the time of President Arthur. in
full council of Ministers, the rats came
impadently and saucily, interrupting their
discussions, and more than once these bad
rats came to the representatives of power"
This telegram may cause surprise in
Spain, but will surprise no one in Paris,
where every two or three DAYS we read
that child, a workman or servant girl
has been eaten by rats-enormous rats,
that more than one time we have seer ar
pear from the sewers, and near the yicin-
ity of the cafes any time of night.
On the 10th Of December of last wear
there waspublished in all the periodicals
of Paris one of these items that | was
eager to cut out and preserve with my col
lection of curiosities: A poor woman that
had died Of hamilton, in the small woods
of the Elysian Field was found in the
morning following nearly eaten by rats.
The reader may figure the quantity of
these that had attacked the dead body. and
If the reader has been in Paris, he will
know that the site could not be more CEN
trail, neither more exposed.
The rats In Paris are true plague, and
not to see them is not to believe it. When
our countryman, the organist Amanda, was
established here he had such number in
his house that he had genuine battles with
these rodents. The kitchen of the house
was invaded, and when the cook was
bringing to the first table the first plate of
the breakfast, two or three enormous rats
came out Of their hiding-places and
robbed the outlet or beefsteak that was on
the fire. Referring to this will cause a
smile; but, when one has to pass through
it all, it will cause terror. l lived in Paris,
in 1869, with Gaztambide in a hotel in
the Rue Bergere. The rats we had with
out sleep. All that may have known the
unforgotten Spanish composer know that
ne was very brave man, and of this he
gave many proofs in his life, but my
friend and | came to have such fear of
the rats, that we mutually confessed it.
The rats there were as large as rabbits,
and they climbed up by the quilt to our
pillows. 1t came to produce such an i'm
preston Of horror, that we lost our sleep
completely and acquired nervous in
trinity. Since then have always tried
to live i'll new house and also in new
suburbs. | prefer night attack in the
street, to rat in my room.
And these rats of Paris are of an inso
lence without any equal; they present
themselves and look from face to face with
their little bright black eyes that appear
like challenge. The Partisan mouse NAV
have the least noise; the rat comes and
decides it all
Last year rag-picker of Clichy was
found in her bed, with the face, hands and
feet eaten. 1t is not fifteen DAYS since the