AN OFFICIAL RAT.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2179, 1 July 1890, Page 1

AN OFFICIAL RAT.

As most people know, the main telegraph wirea in London run through the subways in which the gas pipes and sewers are placed. The principal arteries are so lar^e that it is easy enough for men to work in them, but the pipes through which the side-wires branch off are much smaller and great caie has to i.c titkeu to preserve the connection betwecu the uiaiu aud the lateral wires. S 'me yeans a^o men were repairirg odo of these latter, and carele.ibly omit e«l to u'tach it to a Its»ding-liue i>y which it con id ha drawn to its pi ace wnnn meurfcd. The blunder seemed likely to have serious con>equeiiCes, for it wa* thought that the whoie of the latern»l pipe would oavi-i 10 be dv« up in ordei to tj^t at. i lie 1-iokt-n wire. But o c of the ineu came to the rescue with a hai-py thuughl, suggesting that a r.. t .shoiii<i bprocuivd, aitii. wi h -• fine pit-ce of wue HltMched t. ii, sen' through the pipe. Tliis was d.me ; l-ut, to th« dismay < f ih'-' wo kmfn, ill*' uevv hand choih 10 a s r 'jp . t\erit bad g->ne i few Tv« mvi uior cf this iua wnS not liuw,, ever, at the end of bis resources, »i.d *y his »d vice a tenet wu» pr< cured, «nd started on the dilatory iv.i's Mvck Tiu-re was a iiiom^iit of b. fi-re i was s u ttled whether the rat would ohow fight, or run away, but i bis was soon ended by the paying out of the wire, and in a short time the latest addition to tho stuff of the Post Office appeared at the i>the»- end of ihe pipe. It was caught, i.he wire detached, and then it was set fiee in recognition of (he service it, had n-iideied. By means oi the wire the telegruph line was secured, and a long and lubuiii'UH piece of work saved. — From " Rats," in the « Uornhill Magazine ' for May.