The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-05-24
RAT-SkINS FllR GLOVES.
1RANmfacturers Claim THAT They Are Mover
Used Tor such Purposes.

III
1assnafactnrers Claim THAT They are Never
Used FOR such Purposes.
We are still being taught to feel what
respect we can for rats, on account Of
their skins being used, very largely
used, for gloves. This venerable tic-
tion was revived lately in the CORE
spondonce columns of a lively contem-
porary. and was at once contrad cted
by practical glover at Grenoble prin-
cipally on the score that rat-skins were
not large enough for the purpose Still
the statement was adhered to. objection
being taken that not one bu: many
skins might be used in making one pair
OF gloves. The Grenoble workman
wrote again. saying that 10000 skins
passed annually through his hands, so
that he had some authority to speak
upon the subject and he protested that.
to practical man. the thing was quite
absurd. and for another thing, the
skins were not only not valuable be-
cause OF being 50 thin. but were actl-
ally too thin to be OF any value. Still
the statement was maintained, and the
testimony OF two authoritative works
on natural history and three encyclo-
pedias all. we suppose. unanimous in
affirming that rat-skins are very large-
" used in glovemaNing was triumph
antly appealed to. although, by the
way, the titles OF these volumes were
not quoted.
1t is of no use to put mp encyclopedias
or works on natural history as a de-
fense upon point OF manufacture when
people actually engaged in the work
assault them with a fat denial. Rats
are very interesting in narratives of an
imal sagacity, which Is as near an ac-
quaintance with them as most people
desire, and their skins. like those OF
moles, are delicate to a degree, and the
nap delightfully."- soft and fine. Mole
skins make fine waistcoats, and have
been made up. with some perseverance,
into mantles for ladies. and doubtless
rat skins might. with considerable
pains. be similarly utilized.
There was. some years ago, an in
geni0us individual OF Liskeard, Corn
wall, '.who exhibited himself in 4 dress
eomposed from top to toe Of rat skins,
which he had been collecting for three
years and half. The dress was made
entirely by himself; it consisted Of hat,
neclxerchief, cont. Haistcoat. trousers,
tippet. CATERS and shoes The number
0l rats required 10 complete the suit
was $40. The tippet or boa was COM
posed Of the pieces OF skin Immediately
round the tail OF the rats. and was
very curious part Of the dress, contain
ing six hundred tails, and those none
OF the shortest"
This proves the possibilities OF rat
skins. but very remote possibilities for
all that Gloves may have been so
made as curlosities. but not CONNER
cially. We meet with statements in
books to the effect that rat hunts are
regularly held in Paris sewers. and the
privilege OF gathering the slaughtered
animals on these days sold BY the au-
thorities, but the Prefect of the Seine
knew nothing about it. and wrote to 5
William Beck saying so. We have
statements also. both in books and pa
pers. that rai-hides are generally used
in making the thumbs or thumb-gus-
sets Of kid gloves, and we have our
largest glove manufacturers quite una
ware OF the circumstance, Hard facts
against book statements which winsp
--Draper's Trade journal.