The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-12-03
THE SAGACITY OF RATS.

L oNNACll VT hAI 81
Some years ago, as an east coast col
lier was going up the Thames, a barge
man gave 4 warning shout, and on
looking over the side the sailors saw
rat with it's head out of small hole
which it had gnawed in the side of the
ship. 1t was tapping the water like
dog. The collier was beached at once
to avoid swapping 1t is probable that
the bursting of one of these slipping
places accounts for the strange STAN
pedes of rats from doomed ships which
| forms Il fixed tradition of the sea.
| Quite recently an old man died in
\ orkshire seacoast town, who, when
lad in his teens, was the sole survivor
from a water logged ship. For more
than two weeks the crew lived on the
tops in huts of sails, with no water to
drink but the dew they Tapped from
the masts and yards. As they were
unmooring from New York on their
fatal voyage, the rats with which the
ship swarred began to troop out in
such numbers that they stopped haul.
ing in the cables to let them pass.
STAN pedes, of course, take place for
reasons known only to the rats them
selves. As a Clyde schooner lay moor
ed in a West Indian harbor next to a
brig infested with rats, the crew were
startled one day by shout from the
captain of the bri =: See what a brood
| am sending you!a and, looking over
the side, they sew Il stream Of rats
swimming in Indian file from the brig
to the schooner The sailors immedi-
atcly pulled up all the loose ropes hang
ing over the sides, and stationed them
selves with sticks and Delaying pins in
the fore and main chains, while two of
the apprentices got into the boats and
dtldChelt llc IdtS Ill Iuc NdtcT-Iuc
rats with wonderful instinct and skill
diving to avoid the blows A curious
case of rat engineering occurred some
years ago in Brussels, showing great
ingenuity and calculation OH the part
of the rodents, as well as their system
of discipline. \ new meat market had
been built on Place Street, and though
it was surrounded by water, the butch
ers (wlo did not appreciate rats) laid
their plans to exclude the whole tribe
and nation, and in case any should
reach their stands they resolved to
head off their march by making the
posts in their stalls unscalable by rats
This they effected by covering the
posts with zinc, and the butchers, look
ing at the shining surface Of the metal,
chucllled at their victory. But they
reckoned without their host. The rats
got the meat. 4 watchman posted in
the market called butcher, who came
early on the scene, to witness the meth
od. On stall hung two quarters Of
beef and leg of mutton. The rats
spied them, and found them unap-
proachablc. \ general call for the ne
ton at large was evidently sounded, as
the rats came tiocking in, and an old
rat seemed to take command. There
were enough projections and iEeluali-
ties to enable them to reach the stand,
but how to scale the zinc covered joists
was the task for the engineer corps to
decide. Their plan was soon form: d.
Tie rat army moved up in solid mass,
the stout fellow in front. On these
climbed smaller ard smaller specimens,
till little rat mountain rose. Then
some of the rats, who evidently belong
ed to some rat circus or athletic So
ciety, climbed to the summit, and one
raised himself on his bind legs, resting
the for>lees against the zinc. Then
another climbed up his back, and. TAX
inc post on his shoulder, assumed the
same attitude: rat after rat ascended
the Jacobs ladder, till at last one
reached the cross beam and scampercd
along it. \ whole regiment followed,
and the meat was attacked, the engi-
neers evidently aiming to drop down
what they could for the benefit of the
army. The lookers-on, however, were
not disposed to let them go too far,
and with all their engineering skill the
rat army had to leave the field. The
whole operation showed remarkable
degree of calculation, a system of dis
cipline, and a ready carrying out Of
plans, which seems impossible without
language as means of imparting
the directions and wishes of the COM
mander.