The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-12-04
THE QUEER WAYSOF\pss, seS'
UNPLEASANT LITTLE B1 ,STS,
BUT WORTH STUDYING.

What Their Tails Are Good For
Clothes of Their Skins-Teaching
Them Tricks--Rats as Food.
A rats tail is wonderful thing. The
great naturalist, Cuvier, says that there
are more muscles in this curious append
age than are to be found in that part of
the human anatomy which is most ad-
the hand. TO the rat, Ia fact, its tail
serves as sort Of hand, by means of
which the animal is enabled to crawl
along narrow lodges or other difficult
passages, using it to balance with or to
gain hold. 1t is preheusile, like the
tails of some monkeys. By means of it
the little beast can jump up heights
otherwise inaccessible, employing it as a
projectile spring.
1t has often been said that the glove
makers OF Paris make use in their trade
OF the skins of rats which are caught in
the sewers, but this is denied. Certainly,
says the Washington .Star, the material
would not be strong enough to success
fully counterfeit the kid, unless it were
Tor the thumb parts only, which are gem
orally of thinner and different kind Of
leather from the rest. Suggestion has
been made that the trade might be
opened with the Chinese for the skins of
the rats they cat. A thrifty Welshman
=. 81, Ia" ~tina exhibited himself publicly in
England attired in a costume composerr
from top to toe of ratskins, which he had
spent three years and half in collecting.
The dress was made entirely by himself.
1t consisted OF hat, neckcrchief. coat,
walstcoat, trousers, tippet, gaiters and
shoes. The number OF rats required to
complete the suit was $40. Most curious
OF the garments was the tippct, com-
posed entirely Of rats tails. At one
time batch of several thousand rats.lins
was imported from France into England
for manufacturing purposes, but they
were found too small aud too fine IN.
texture to be useful.
DIR. Buckland says that macy o! the
elephants tusks brought To LONDON for
the use of workers in IVORY are observed
to have their surfaces gropvci into small
burrows of unequal depth as though cut
out by very sharp edged instrument.
This Is done by rats, which arc fond of
tne gctatine or animal glue in the sub.
stance. The ivory cutter selects Tor his
purposes by preference those tusks which
have been gnawed in this way, because
they are the oues whicl contain the most
selatinc aud are therefore the best in
material. Curiouslv enough, the trade.
while givia" this much recognition to
the rats work, has not rcG0 .niZed them
as the authors Of Ii, the common belief
in the business being that the ivory has
been thus gnawcl by a,Iigntors. How
1T Is imaSinch tia, aiiiyators yet u chance
10 chew elephants tusks is Il problem.
How many people iitvc ever eaten iely
made from elephants tu.N,! Yet 1t is
very gool indeed. In the Enrlish
factories where many tons of ivory are
sawn up annually to make handles for
knives and forks, great quantities OF
ivory dust arc obtained. This dust is
sold at the rate of sixpencc Il pound,
and, when properly boiled and prepared,
1t makes the finest, purest and most
nutritious animal jelly known. Years
ago ivory jelly was very fashionable
them: Tney-cmf oetaAt after.
among other things Sit is possible TO-
,hn hake them learn how to be-, to iurn
through hoop, to drag a little ~ co,t ytu;p
''",ne's n ana to carry sticks or money
mus nave never found favor as , Io,;
eacy lor the table in Europe or in th;.
GJun'ry' ;shna out IN many lands they ora ,oi
isnGo us an article Of diet. The s;.,
%; oau'"Ic" used to regard them sc
"ain'y, thelr masters not providin, .I,
WIN any other meat. Their m.tIaI
cooking the toothsomc rodents "a
81 dm o each one on a Ion. wooden
.' ,,t.;' ar'er cleaning the animal and
,u'aihS OIL the tail, turning it hr;sIIn
oun" over a hire until the hair was III
"e 49, oh lhen it was scraped untu
.o 'io'h iur, and finally the end of ,ba
e"sf vas stuck into the ground in
'ineu toward the fire until it was toastod M
~ nnd crisp, thus being made reod,
VI 'ic meal. Rats may commo,lv ~
zen Tor sale in the markets of INV G,;' oe
&c town. split and pressed under , haom.
sb ~ :S 70 look somewhat like dried ;
! H. in ,'''S shape the pig tailed -nrio.. I. :,
u .pee7r 7rsiiI IUnsrs OF Tries them. -
hats cause great annoyance on board -
shiPs: DR.. Kane said that if asked a.
nat, after darkness, cold and scurvv, ~ ~
IRE the three besetting curses of his arc 80
soJourn, ne would say rats, rats, rats. ~
when in distress for other -
od, he was a(terward very glad to eat
pests. He writes:
Through the long winter nirbt Hans
ed TO begule his lonely hours of watch st
shooting rats with bow and arrow. 80
le repugnance of my associates to share :,
Tn me this table luxury gave he fire.. -,
ent advantage of fresh meat SCUM. .,
'icn contributed no doubt to my com. Nv Nv
rative immunity from scurvy." os %
AGAIN nc writes: "Our diet will he Il,
~ stock OF meat biscuit, to which I ~
Ill add for myself a few rats chopped ~ ~
ana frozen into tallow balls" :"