The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-07-07
A Denizen Of the Far West,


them ng.-Brooklyn Eagle.
A Denizen Of the Far West.
Out in that grand sweep Of countr.
which lies beyond the breezy prairie.
OF the middle west one finds man,
strange and wonderful things in botl
the animal and vegetable Kingdoms
But none are more curious and inter
esting than a little quadruped which
makes it's home amid the wild fast
nesses OF the Rock Mountains ant
which has received from the trapper
and lumbermen who camp out in tina
picturesque region the rather Od(
name OF trading rat because of ;
queer habit which it has Of neve
stealing anything without putting
something else of the place Of it. Per
haps, though, it is hardly fair to cal
it stealing, when there is SO syn@
an intention on the. part ,.t.I
char.sa.xy ;4ssffectly honest. Eek
w MID be better word, doni
you think? And, although the hardy
camper who discovers in the morning
that particularly choice tidbit has
been filched from his larder during
the night and collection of sticks
and stones and other rubbish left il
it's stead may have his own private
opinion as to the word exchange
the little trader is hardly to be blam
ed for making as good a bargain az
he can. And then, after all, tiny
four-footed forest wild thing, making
his burrOw among the mountains, anl
mover by any chance going more thar
few yards away from it, cannol
reasonably be expected to have at nis
disposal stock OF articles such as
would be likely to appeal to the taste
OF a big two-footed mountaineer o.
the human race, who most likely has
all sorts of extravagant ideas as tt
what really fair exchange would be
The trading rat, however, is moi
really rat at all, though it may
possibly a distant connection of the
rodent family-perhaps a sort of thir
ty-second cousin, or relative by mar
rage, or something like that. 1t is
much prettier than an ordinary rat
OF course, with all due apologies tt
any sensitive rat who may happen tt
glance over these pages and resenl
the unfavorable comparison-and il
has the loveliest, softest gray fur i'm
aginable, with beautiful bushy tail
very much like that of our more fam
liar squirrel.
Although by nature and habits {
wild animal. it is very easily tanned
and, once il Is domesticated, becomes
one of the most confding Of pets
Still, it does not outgrow it's predatory
instincts, even when brought under
the good influences of education anc
sound moral training, and that really
seems a very sad thing. 1t must be
very discouraging, after weeks anG
months of patient teaching, to fine
that it has actually amounted to moth
ing, and that ones little pet trading
rat still persists in trading whenever
and however he pleases. Little girls
who have a fancy for keeping these
little animals as pets have to be ex
tremely careful Of their small belong.
ings, and especially of their pretty rec
hair ribbons; for the trading rat has 9
particular liking for such dainty trifies
and never can resist the temptation
to carry off to his nest anything that
happens to be of a bright red color.
The trading rats nest is a very odd
and beautiful little house, sometimes
quite two feet in height, and always
cleverly constructed of such odds and
ends Of material as the tiny owner
is able to procure. No doubt Mr.
Trading Rat feels that he is very
rich and important parsonage, indeed
when he reclines at his ease in the
little home which he so ardously built
and so industriously furnished, and in
that estimate Of himself it is very
certain that his faithful wife and theil
happy brood Of young ones entirely
agree with him.--New York Tribune.