Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-02-19
FIom tie San .Ffaneisco Herald.
Rat.Catchers Of San francisco.

5 FEons tie San Fhuneisco Herald
Rat-Catchers Of San francisco
s. II has been truly said that not
ione-half of the inhabitants of all large
cities know how heother half live.
This fact will apply to San Francisco
as forclbly as to another. Our popu-
lation is a heterogeneous one, COM
posed Of the representatives Of every
nation on the habitable gfobe-men
of every trade, profession and calling
among us known to the civilized
woodland all striving with unabated
energy and enterprise to overeach
his neighbor in the search after wealth.
But of all resorts to which human in
genuity is applied whereby to make
an honest livelihood, that Of the rat
catcher seems to be the most singular.
There exists among US a numerous
class of persons whose only, vocation
consists in catching rats and preparing
their skins for expectation. This bu-
siness is mostly confined to few
Frenchmen, who have in their employ
a number of Cinnamon well skilled in
the art. Night after night they spread
death and destruction among the in
Vulnerable swarms of these pests that
infest our thoroughfares. While the
greater portion are asleep, "John Chi
naman," like the chi1oniers or rag
ipiekers, another distinct class Of per-
sons we have in our midst, is wide
awake and pursuing his ..rafter,'' and
is as well versed as Scotch terrier in
the most approved method Of discor-
ering and taking them.
The wharves along the water front
of the city are nightly frequented by
them, but in most eases they seek the
isolated places in the outskirts of the
city, whore the rats fatten on the gar
bage thrown fromthe slaughter-houses,
to set their traps. These traps are
square boxes, about two feet long and
of the same width, and some eighteen
inches deep. the top and bottom con-
strueted of wood and the sides wire
net Each one has several openings
on the sides, with the wire inverted,
so that when a rat enters it is impos-
sibl6 for him to mike his escape by
the way he came in. Each Chinaman
is provided with two of thes. traps.
When about starting cut he bats
them, and then sell c.s suitable place
/ to set them. After having done this
he retires a short distance to watch
his game. If the bait takes well he
does not wait long before the traps
are full. If game is not SO plenty he
moves on to some other locality, and
repeats the same operation.
In this manner he proceeds, until
lie has made good '>haul,' when he
retraces bis steps homewards, and de-
posts his traps IN a receptacle provi-
ded for the purpose. This place usu-
ally consists of large dry goods
box, with apertures here and there
covered with wire. The rats are placed
in it, and in the daytime are saffoca-
ted by means Of charcoal. Each
Ch:naman, with any kind Of good
luck, very often succeeds in taking
from one to two hundred rats a night.
These are sold to the parties who EN-
Eploy them at SO much per dozen, who
derive considerable profit from the bu-
Isiness. The skins are dried and tied
up in small P: ckagcs Of fifty each,
ready for expectation. Theyar sent
| to Paris, aud there manufactured into
what are called kid gloves, and re-
Turned to us as "Alexandre's best
| which may be seen displayed in the
windows Of our fancy dry-gOods stores.
| Our Chinese residents readily adapt
themselves to any kind of industry,
however disagrecable, that promises
reward for their labor. The catch
Ing of rats cannot be SO revolving to
them as might be expected, as it is
said the animal, when cooked and
served up in Chinese style, forms an
important item in their eating.