Show written appeal to rats over on the west side of the city a long row of old fashioned dwellings has been torn down this spring to make way tor some modern business buildings while they were being demolished moli shed the contractor in charge was approached one day by a workman who handed him a soiled and worn envelope which bad been found among th brick and plaster ahe faded inscription mr gray rat prompted the contractor to read the letter it ran adear mr rat although we real ize that our house Is greatly honored by your presence and that of your ex numerous and sprightly family we feel that it Is selfish of us to expect to have a monopoly of your society and we would humbly suggest that you vacate our premises and se elect lect as our abode the residence of our neighbor number which we are sure you will fand a pleasant and profitable place with most sincere assurances of our deep esteem be lleva us most respectfully yours SMITH FAMILY the laborer was puzzled but mhd contractor after struggling with eold dim boyhood recollections was able to explain it there Is or rather there used to be a sort of tradition that ll 11 the tenant 0 a rat infested house were to write a note to the rats couched in terms of extreme politeness requesting them to go elsewhere and post it in a rat hole the rata might oblige the contractor remembered way back in his days in a coun try town writing just such a note politely asking a rat family to transfer their attentions to a neighbor who had been vindictive and firmly believing on their temporarily disappear ing that it was the note that did it the contractor took the letter home to show his small boy that letters to santa claus were not the only odd epistles and that there were other places besides chimneys which could serve as mall boxes new york sun |