Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05
ANIMAL INEBRIATEs.
Facts That Prove the Foadness of
Bird and Beast for Alcohol.


From Tit-Bits
Many animals, after once having tasted
strong liquor, evince such craving for it
that nothing short of a keen supervision
On the part of their masters will prevent
their becoming habitual drunkards 1t is a
familiar sight outside some of the large
London breweries to see the draymen. after
INDUCING in a draught of ale themselves
repienish the vessels in order that their
noTses may have the same luxury. Some
OF these animals show such a liking for il
that they are not content until they have
drunk before their masters; and the lat
ter nothing 10th. frequently drink from
the same pots.
Rats especially are extremely fond of
splrituous liquors, which, perhaps ac-
counts Tor the large number always to be
lound IN Wine cellars. Not long ago the
extensive stores OF Toulouse wine rner-
chant were raided by rats. which complete
y TOOK possession of the place 1t appeared
that some had set to work and gnawed a
mole through one of the barrels, with the
result that in a short time the floors were
running with red wine. The proprtetors
on making this discovery set trans and
as tney thought, caught the cuprtts.
NOT many days afterwards, however they
FOUND they We're mistaken, for the rodents
began to arrive in hordes from all parts of
the town. Before long the place was so
oVerrun that ii had to be vacated until ade-
quate means could be brought to cope with
the plague. After time the intruders
were dispersed, but not before some hun
d1eds of pounds in liquor had rolled down
the drains in consequence of the many watts
shawed through. One of the amusing
points in connection with the case was that
quite half the number of the rats slaugh-
eereu were found in semi-intoxicated
state; and thus fell easy victims to their
enemies
Monkeys are well-known topers. and will
lose no opportunity of swallowing enough
ebrfated. A curious instance of mon
Key cunning in this respect comes from
Gibraltar An English gentleman residing
near the ROCK, prided himself upon a very
me brand of light Spanish wine, which he
obtained direct from the vineyards 1t SO
happened that he purchased a monkey from
sailor belonging to one of the ships which
put in there, and let it run about the house
free to GO where ii chose
Not long after the animal had taken up
its abode at the house of the gentleman
IN question 1t was noticed that the wine
IN the cellar was disappear ring in a totally
inexPlicable manner. The master put
1t down to the servants, and cross-exam-
lned them one by one, but failed to find the
cuIprtt- Just as he was about to move the
haIreis to another cellar, where he thought
they would be more secure the mystery
was solved.
1t appeared that the monkey had on one
occasion visited the cellar with its master
and tasted the liquor unseen. 1t then set
to work to discover a way of getting in
without being caught, and before long
had found that. with one of its paws il
could remove the grating from the outside
which communicated with the coal cellar,
leaving just enough space for it to get
down and pass into the wine department.
Turning the taps easy enough, and
it then licked up the wine as it ran into
the drain. Had it not been that one day it
took considerably too much, and was found
lying III d upsy condition, there is every
probability that the mystery would never
have been cleared up.
magnificent lion, belonging to a circus
once injured its paw while performing at
Manchester, and the veterinary called in
for the purpose decided that an operation
must be performed in order to save the
animals life. How to put the beast under
restraint was a matter of some difficulty
and, first of all, chloroform administer
ed, but failed to keep the patient incapa-
BILE for the required period. A large bowl
of ale, heavily drugged. was next placed
in the cage, under the impression that the
lion would drink 1t and become intoxicated
Meanwhile, the veterinary and the keep
ers waited outside the bars of the cage to
see what would be the result. The animal
walked up to the bowl, shifted for a short
time and then Tapped up a little, but, find
ing it was not exactly to its taste, went and
laid down again. Seeing this was useless,
the authorities next drugged a quantity
of cheap claret, with which they replaced
the ale. The ruse caught on, and in a short
time the sick lion had swallowed the wine
and lay asleep under its effects, when the
operation was performed in safety
Birds are topers to an extent that is
surprising. Sailors have often been known
to tame seagulls by means of grog, for
after the birds have once tasted it they
will follow the ship everywhere. Parrots,
too, are just as liable to inebriation, and
to prove this will cite case which
comes from Sydney. A ship put in there
from Cape Colony, and one of the crew
sold a parrot he had with him to an old
lady, who was on the lookout for pet
The bird got on very well until dinner was
laid, when the glasses on the table at
tracted its attention, and it called out,
much tc the establishment of every one:
Give us a drop O your rumt''
As the local preacher, whose principles
could not be doubted even by the most
fastidious happened to be present the
result can be better imagined than told,
and explanations had to follow. 1t sub
sequently transpired that the bird was a
habtual drunkard, and previously spent
most OF its time in a state of intoxication
nN. iDcr To no it,.g, 81 a.