Evening journal., 1903-07-09
THERE E'STHERAT"
IS NOW THE CRY
Rodent Takes Up His Abode
in the Evening Journal
Office
DOESN'T SEEM SUCH A BAD SORT

Confidence What II Is Like to Be
Rodent in Such a Newspaper
Office
A rat has taken un his abode In the
Evening Journal office. II has the
slickest coat and lghtest eyes imagi-
nablc and is as pesky generally as
rat could be. II manifests a lively in
terest In the doings Of the force and
keeps Il up despite the sundry things
which are thrown at him whenever
lac ventures to come forth from his
hole. He had the following to say. m
strict confidence to member OF the
stan yesterday:
! know that I ann only rat, but am
not the ordinary. everyday, vicious sort
of rat ana maybe that is the reason /
have taken up my abode In a news
paper Office. But newspaper Office Is
a disappointing place TO a domestically
inclined rat, who would like TO estab-
lish friendly relations with the mon
g,ers uliut live there IN the day time. AT
night Il Is not so bad. II so much as
put my nose out of a NICE convenient
hole there is a cry and whisk Of my
tail Is apt 10 result I'm n pair OF scis-
sors or paste pot being flung after me.
The other day the proof reader said:
there he is' and scrambled up on her
desk. Just as II / would hurt a proof
reader And the editor said. Let's get
him this time" and then went In his
own private office and shut the door
tight That editor must have a kind
heart for that showed that he would
not even hurt a member OF the much-
despised rat family.
one day / found my way under The So
cicty editors desk. She was talking so
pretty to a preacher In n long coat I want
cd To- hear what she said. / ventured out
too far and she saw me and then she beat
such % tatto0,on the floor with her feet
and screamed SO ioud I don't know who
was frightened the morc-the preacher or
me. ran into the neartest hole right
away and the preacher didn't stay long.
l Living IN "a newspaper office Is very un-
certain though. Sometimes the men eat
aM their lunch and then about all can
do is to smell the paper they brought
wrapped around it. The man they call the
sporting editor is pretty good, because he
always dumps "a sandwich in ths basket
for Ire. But heard him say he was yet
Ting tired OF bringing his lunch and msyr
be then N he does I shall have to hnd a
new home.
am afraid Of the city editor, for he
has 81 in for me. I heard him say the
other day he intended 10 bring his shot
gun down and wouldn't do a thing 10 me.
And ] have trombled every time 1 see
him fnce.
wonder why they won't be friendly
with me. I am sure a little thing and
they are so big. 1 couldn't hurt them. /
like 10 sec them and hear what they say
and if they see mo they scare me into a
hole and prod me with sticks and broom
handles and try TO kin me. But if a big.
ugly dog comes In the office they pct him
and n,aks much of him, and once a stray
kitten wandered in and they fed it with
fresh milk. But there are only hard
words and knocks for a poor friendless
rat. .tlBlt9
one Of my favorite hiding places was a
drawer IN the city editors desk. There
was nothing I'm % but some church cuts
and ! Thought / should be perfectly safe
there. Suddenly somebody opened fhe
drawer one day and / held so stim did
not dare breathe. but boy saw my long
shiny tail and drove me out with a great
big rlank and chased me an over the room.
II they keep up this treatment, ! shall
have TO leave.
should be sorry-they seem like such
nice people to everybody but poor rat.
After the paper goes to press they sit
around and talk They call it a breathing
spell. but they do more talking than at
amy time In the day. They talk abuot base
ball and beats, and scoops whatever they
arc-and tell stories, and sometimes they
sing little. and that Is best Of all. But
20 is the worst for me. for IL l come out
then they would surely Kill this poor lit-
tle rat.