Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-11-27
RATS IN A ClTN.

RATS IN A CITN
ehsy probably Outnumber the In
habitants Five to One.
A curious friend asks US Q curious
question: "How many rats are there IN
Newark We really don't know. and
We don't know anybody who does
know. but We should say that, upon a
moderate estimate. there are at least
100000. If Is were possible for any
citizen. male or female. old or young
to take into one view the entire rat pop
ulation within the city limits. that citi.
ten would be appalled,. We don't often
see the rascally little animal, and we
don't like him when we do see him,
and, apparently he doesn't like US when
he sees us, but he is everywhere-in the
sewers, in the house drains, between
the walls, between our floors and cell,
lngs-rats burrow under our buildings
and in our gardens. They are above
US, beside us, and below us.
Wherever the human is. there the
rat is; and he Is In some other places
where the human isn't. 1t is said that,
formerly, in some Of the islands of the
Pacific, he was the only inhabitant.
But. speaking generally, the rat assO-
ciates himself with human civilizationI
he travels from country to country in
ships, and 1t Is not unlikely that he
takes occasional trips on the railways.
Some of the old romancers say that he
Is a great swimmer, and that multi
tudes Of them have been known to
cross rivers to find fresh pastures upon
which to depredate.
There are black rats and brown rats.
The brown rat Is said to be native OF
the East Indies or Of Persia. and at
least one naturalist is Of opinion that
the black rat Is a native Of North
America. But there is a difference OF
opinion on the subject; and 1t has been
alleged that he is n native everywhere.
Mr.. Waterton says that he belongs 10
Great Britain; at any rate, that he was
q familiar citizen there before the adj
vent Of the brown rat, which, he in
forms us. came into the Islands from
Germany along with the House of Han
over. He Immediately made war upon
the black rat, with tremendous effects,
although black rats are still found III
some British localities.
St Pierre says that the dog Is u
friend and the cat a courtier-that the
dog is attached to the person and the
cat to the house of his master. But the
rat Is neither a friend nor cOurtier, he
Is for himself, first, last and oil the
time. He cares nothing either for the
master or his house. except as they fur
nish him with food and shelter. He
tolls not. neither does he spin; every
thing he gets from the man whose hous'
or grounds he occupies he steals, and
yet he manages to live well; he is al
ways fat and sleek and usually has 5
large family.
1t takes a great deal of food TO feet
the rats OF Newark; and how so large
a population manages to keep alive and
in such good condition is past all under
standing. The rat Is not very particu
lar as to his food. 1t is true. and If h,
Is very hungry he will fill himself with
iron filings, If he can get nothing else
and when he Is dry and can get NJ
water will drink beer or whisky, ant
will got as drunk as lord. More thar
once. to our cetrain knowledge, he hai
depleted our ink well. They are great
scavengers; they keep us free from q
good deal Of vermin that might other
wise banle us, and occasionally they eal
each other. 1t is said that they once ate
a bishop. Doubtless. this was a bad
bishop and q mean man, and 1t Ia fail
to the rats to cay that his reputatiov
was Of that description.
Occasionally a rat Is domesticated
and, In fact, IL q handsome animal. II
10 said by enc we'll acquainted with him
that q close acquaintance dispels oul
antipathy. This gentleman says that
''their sharp and handsome beads, thei,
bright eyes, their intelligent looks, theii
sleek skins. are the very reverse Of re-
pulsivs," and that there Is a positive
attraction ia the beautiful manner in
which they sit licking their paws and
washing their faces, an occupation In
which they pass q considerable part Of
their time" This may all be very true
and probably is; but our Office cat Is .
very useful animal. all the same.
And we remark that, next to silver
the important question now agita tina
the Iroquois Club and the police Of Chi
cago is this: II 1t takes seven cats sever
minutes to kill seven rats, how many
cats will it take to kill 100 rats In 5t
minutes? There are wide divergencei
of opinion on the subject; when an
agreement Ia reached our readers shall
be promptly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AdveD
tiser.