Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-05
TWO RAT STORIES.
One is a Good Story, But the Other Easily
Dou le-Discounts 1t.

One Is Good story, hut the Other Easily
Dou le-Discounts 1t.
A horse and covered wagon stood next
the sidewalk on Dearborn street the other
day, says the Chicago Mail. The sides of
the wagon bore the legend: "Rats taken
from your house alive" and on the seat
sat demure- looking individual smoking
pipe, with the air of man who has .
receipt for a months room-rent in his
pocket and a S. so meal ticket, with only
% cents punched out of it. An
acquaintance stepped up to the rat
charmer, lifted his foot onto one of the
hubs, looked him in the eye, and said in
confident tone: ed. Tve got yarn
about rats now that discounts any thing
you ever saw. I often sit on my back
porch and watch them come out
of hole in the base.
ment wall and run around in the yard.
There is one oldtimer among the gang, q
gray old fellow who is blind. He steps
high and feels his way around just like
blind man. His ears and tail are all bit
up and chewed almost off. have long
wondered how it happened, and supposed
it came from the young rats playing with
and abusing the old fellow. l saw some.
thing that explained it all. A dog came
suddenly in the yard, and they all made a
dash for Che hole in the basement wall.
But they didn't leave the blind one be-
hind. A stout young fellow grabbed him
by one ear and dragged him into the hole,
and then backed in, dragging him after.
The old fellow never squealed, though of
course, it hurt. He knew his life was be.
ing saved That, of course, explained the
chewed ears and tail.
The rat.catcher turned his eyes upon
the story-teller with a look of pity.
"Hump," said he, "that's nothing. I did
see something over at the Brighton Park
nail factory the other day, though, that
surprised me little. They had been
troubled there with rats, but there was
one thing they couldn't understand. They
use good deal of machine oil, which
they keep in cans like those used for
sewing-machines, only, of course. ten
times as large. They get the oil out of
these cans in the same way-through the
snout, by springing the bottom with the
thumb. The oil is put in through hole
in the bottom. over which a cap is
screwed on. We'll, the mystery was
these caps should keep getting
unscrewed and the oil would all run out,
l took my dark lantern and went in there
the other night. hadn't been there long
before l found out all about it. A big rat
went up to the can and unscrewed the cap
with his teeth. Then they all ran up and
commenced to lick up the oil. They did
that to two or three of the cans, but pretty
soon they struck can they couldn't open.
Three or four Of the biggest tried it, then
they all stood off and looked at it. Pretty
soon heavy fellow went up, stood on his
hind legs, and tried to tip the can over
with his fore feet. 1t didn't move. An
other went up and ehelped 1t tot.
tered a little, but didn't go over.
Another came up: they gave a
push all together, and over it went But
the oil didn't run out In minute
one of the rats ran up as though sudden
idea had struck him. He turned sideways
to the bottom of the can. and began to
whack it with his tail; little oil ran out
of the snout, which another one of the rats
licked up as fast as it came. When he had
satisfied his hunger the two changed
places. You look as if you didn't believe
the story, but if you'll go down to the
factory the superintendent there or any"
-" but his listener had taken his foot
down from the wagon hub, and was al
ready escaping across the street, mum.
bling to himself: EITHER that warn is
true or Ananias was a school boy and
Mark Twain is a driveling idiot"