The sun., 1908-05-22
RATS In THE CTrY'S PALACE
WHEN THE PIPER LED HGyy
COULD THEY BUT FOLLOF?
Geological Distinction Of the Corporation
Counsers Office Pursues IL From the
"Staats" Ruins To the Hail 0S Records
Girls Popular with the visitors.

Girls Popular with the visitors.
aOh, crackers and mush!'
1t was a female voice that uttered this
exclamation. Thirty pairs of fair hands
naused instanter in midair above the type
writer keys of thirty machines in the
stenog room Of the Corporation Counsel's
department on the seventh floor Of the
new Hall Of Records.
-Oh talcum powderl' cried the girl who
first had spoken, and as she warmed to
her art she yelled devilishly: +Oh, bird
seeil"
The time. if it is OF any Importance was,
il might be remarked in passing. 3:i2 O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon.
Each pair of fair hands paused above
the keys of the typewriters for the reason
that each lady stenog thought that she
knew why suffering sister was in trouble.
Each girl thought that the girl who was
cussng so lavishly had hit the upper case
string of her typewriter instead Of, say,
the lower case q. And if there's one thing
that irritates Corporation Counsel Pendle-
ton more than another it is to have girl
hit the natural when she should have
twanged the sign.
.Oh. groundhogsl" cried the girl again.
and the other girls were beginning to turn
around inquiringly as she added. why.
there's perfectly good rat on the foor-
All hands hurriedly went toward the
marcelled tresses.
Amt my rat" said one girl Ia blonde
by the way). and resumed her labors after
feeling OF her locks. 1T aren't mine" re-
marked that new stenog who has just
come down from Brookline. Mass. after
course in Boston business college.
All the girls were starting their machines
again after the first outburst. of silence
that had greeted the initial exclamation of
soh. crackers and mush!' Machines again
we're tap tapping when the auburn
haired stout person next to the blonde girl,
who in turn sits two seats overfrom the
girl that was cussing, let loose a holler.
She had seen the rat
1t was gray rat Of many summers and
already the rat has been christened Mignon-
cite. Mignonette is but one of perhaps
four dozen rats that have swarmed into the
new Hail Of Records Building of late-all
driven out from their old home in the Stats
zeitung building. which is being torn down
across Centre street. 1t will be remem-
bered that the Corporation Counsel's Offices
formerly were located in the Stats building.
all the old crowd has moved across the street
to the new building and that the old Staatz
building is being torn down over their very
whiskers the rats have decided to move
along with the rest Of the bunch.
Partly because OF the desire all rats have
to live among the friends Of their childhood
days and partly because Of the winsome
attraotiveness Of the thirty stsnogs en-
h,v thn oif lax rkv,,
the rats this week took up their abode
by the steam radiators and in the
walls of the NEVIS. .00o, 900 bronzed and tiled
and mosaioked and matbled and upholstered
Offices in tho Hall Of Records. But It is
said on good authority that one Of the
principal reasons for the smigration OF the
rats Is that young. Mr.. Isaiah Townsend
Burden, DR.. and Mr.Josiah A Slower. both
assistants to the Corporation Counsel. love
all animals and 80 were instrumental in
having their pet bell rat that used to amuse
them in the old Stats building brought over
to the new Hall Of Records and installed.
And even Ernson Thomest Seatson will
tell you that. regardless Of anything John
Burroughs may have to say on the subject.
you can't keep rats from following the old
bell rat.
Isaiah and Josiah never hit on q scheme
OF entfcing the bell rat-whom they call
Elmer. by the way-over to the new building
until last Tuesday morning shortly after
10 o'clock. It win be remembered by any
one who was ever In the old Stddts Offices
that one OF the most proficient performers
on the oboe is Assistant Corporation Coun-
eel George L. Sterling. MIR. Sterling never
every day at noon in the old Offices when the
Corporation Counsel and his assistants had
finished tho victuals in their lunch baskets
or pals, and all had lighted their pipes for
short smoke against the blowing Of the
o'clock whistle. MIR. Sterling would with
draw from his bacimost pocket a folding
oboe and play "Silver Threads Among the
God.' and things and stuff like that right
up to the time that the O'Clock whistle an
nounced the resumption Of work.
Often. too. Isaiah would accompany
George Sterlingon the jews harp and Josiah
would burst into song. And 30 the happy
hour was whiled away. And as they played
Elmer the bell rat would come out into the
When Elmer had eaten his Al George would
arise, still playing his oboe, and start down
the corridor to his office and Isaiah PLAYING
bis jews harp, and Josiah singing would
follow after; and back of the musicians
spend the afternoon alternately sleeping Or
gambolling about the Office.
Now, this much being established, It il
difficult to realize why. when Isaiah Burden
and Josiah Slower, not to mention George
Elmer over to the new building with a
good running mate and let nature take
It's course, it's hard to see why they ali
didn't think at once Of having George
stand around the ruined walls Of the Old
Stats building some afternoon and call
Elmer with the oboe.
On day. then. George and Isaiah and
Josiah suddenly thought OF the oboe and
gathered across the street from their new
Offices. Not a policeman was in sight.
were intent upon the baseball bulletin
boards. And just as Mike Donlin smashed
one to deep centre and got .the crowd
ecstato George began to play Wait Till
the Clouds Roll By, Jennie" as he stood
there by the sagging walls Of the Shafts.
Then into the street the piper stepped,
smiling first hopeful smile. as il he knew
what magic slept In his raucous pipe the
while. And ere three shrill notes the pipe
uttered, you heard as II an army muttered
and the muttering grew to a grumb bling,
and out Of the Stddts the rats came tumblin
grave old plodders, gay young friskers,
fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins cooking
tails and pricking whiskers-families by
tens and dozensl
Brothers, sisters husbands wives fol-