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


w n.. .neir Ia,i. nr- oooa ro.- /
Clothes of Their Skins-TeachinR
Them TrIcks--Rats as Food.
A rats tail is wonderful thing. The |
great naturalist, CuyieT, says that there |
are more muscles in this curious append
age than are to be found il that part OF
the human anatomy which is most ad.
tie hand. 10 the rat, Ia fact, Its tail
serves as sort of hand, by means OF
which the animal is enabled to crawl
along narrow ledges or other difficult
passages, using it to balance with or to
gain hold. 1t is prchcnsile, like the
tails Of some monkeys. BY means of it
the little beast can jump up heights
otherwise inaccessible, employing it as
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 sc xcrs, but this is denied. Certainly,
says the Washington IStur, the material
would not he strong enough to success
fully counterfeit the kid, unless it were
for the thumb parts only, which are gen.
orally OF II thinner aud different kind OF
leather from the rest. Suggestion has
been made that the trade might be
opened with the Chinese Tor the skins Of
the rats they cat. A thrifty Wclshman
'-.--.---.i..,4.- Axi.ihiiad- himself publicly in
England attired in a costume cOfnp0scts-
from top to toe Of Iatskins, which he had
spent three years and II half in collecting.
The dress was made entirely by himself.
1t consisted Of hat, neckcrchlcf. coat,
aigtr ,TuiiprS and
shoes. The number ui rats required to
complete the suit was SO. Most curious
of the garments was the tippct. com
posed entirely OF rats tails. At one
time batch Of several thousand rats.tius
was Imported from France Into England
for manufacturing purposes, but they
were found too small and too fine IN
texture To be useful.
DR.. IuCkland says that ntiv o! the
elephants tusks brought To London for
the use Of workers in Ivrrt are observed
20 have their surfaces rrppvci into small
burrows nf unequal depth rs though cat
out by n very sharp rdyol instrument
This Is done by iMs, winch Mc iond ot
tHc S0'-s'ss.'- raniinal glue in the sub
stance. The ivory cutter ScICcts rcr-iri,-
purposes by preference those iuiKS which
have been gnawcd IN thi' way, because
they are the ones whic,l contain the most
cclatnc aud are therefore the best in
material. CuriOuslv enough, the trade,
while giving this much recognition TO
the rats work, has not rc,n .uiIcd them
rs the authors o( il, the common belief
in the business being tha, the ivory has
been thus guawci by a,li-ators. How
4, h.,,, ~,
to chew elephants ,u,k' is problem.
How many people nave ever eaten Jelly
made from clcphants' tu,N,: lct 1t ~
very good indccl. In the English
factories where many ton, ui ivory are
snwn up annually to make lnuilCs for
knives and forks, ~rcrt quantities nj
ivory dust are obtained. This dust is
snld at ;nc rate Of siXprncc Il pound,
and, when properly boiled and prcptrcd,
it makes tho finest, pu:c:t and most
nutritious animal Jelly known. Years
ago ivory Jelly was a very fashionable
tnenr: Tnty-rrfpe-tHht alter.
Among other things lit is possible ,n
make them learn how to be-. to hmm
through hoop, to drag a ljttl, cn,i ~,
harness and to carry sticks or money
hatS nave never found favor a. = deli
'"cS Tor thc table in Europe or in This
country but in many lands they are ,rl
shc" us an article Of diet. The si,v,.
"' jamaica used to regard them us +,
""'n'y' 'hcir masters not providinu them
win any other meat. Their mcthnI ~,
cooking the toothgomc rodents v,, ;,
lmralc each one on IouY w,,dn,
Skcwcr, alter cleaning the anim,I ,nI
cutting OH the tail, turning it hriSklv
arouhu over Il fire until the hair v,, I'll
""'h. OH lhcn 1t WAS scrapcd until
'rcc IRON lur, and finally the end oc ;,,.
Skcwcr was stuck into the Ground in
cilned toward the fire until il was toas,cJ
cry and crisp, thus being made really
'o' inc meal. Rats may commonly he
>cc" Tor sale IN the markets of any Chin.
CSC town, Srlit ana pres Sc under Il hcovv
m''S'' SO us TO look somewhat like dried
''Sh. In tins shape the piy l.lil..i-
-Ial .4A>serrAit-ruTr<rSu or Tries thcm
Rats cause great annoyance on board |
of ships. Dir kHn" Said ;ma; If a,hed
what, after darkness, cold and scurvv,
were the three hc,'ttiny curses of his arc
TIC s"lrurn, he would Siy rats. rats. rats.
Nevertheless, when IN distress for otter
food, h" was aLtcrward very glti 10 81.
the pests. III" writc>:
"Throu@h the long winter might Han,
used To bc%ulIc his lonely hours of watch
hy shooting rats with bpN AMI arrow.
he rcpu9nanCc of my a>s,cittc, to ,alr:
with me this table luxury gave me frc.
qucnt advantage q. fresh meat soup.
which contributed no doubt to my com
parativc immunity from scuryy.'
Again he writes: "Our diet will be
only stock OF meat biscuit, to which |
shall add for myselI few rats chopped
up and frozen into tallow balls"