Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-23
Professional at-Catchers.

One day last week, in travelling through
Salem County in a stage coach, we had for a
fellow-passenger a professional rat-catcher.-I
He was an Englishman, and had imported
from the old country a number of ferrets, which
he used in his business. He had visited a
great mauy farm houses in the county, and
killed several thousand rats, the farmers pay
ing him whatever they might think proper for
his services. These little animals will track a
rat the same MS a dog does a rabbit, and az
ter driving them to the end Of their burrow,
dispatches them with astonishing rapidity=
Many of the farmers in that section of the
State, for want of barn-room stack their
grain in the fields, and frequently when they
want to use the grain, find that it has been
pretty well thrashed out by the "varmints. ,"
1t Is here the rat-catcher doubles his profits,
for in addition to his pay he manages by
spreading q net around the stack, to secure a
large number of long-tailed depredators alive,
in which state a ready sale is found for them
at a shilling ahead. The rats smell the fer
rets as soon as they are brought anywhere
near their location, and very frequently before
they are let loose in q barn, the rats willeom-
mence leaving. The ferrets are tame, andthe,
owner informed us that he rarely experienced
any difficulty in again securing them after
starting on a track. He visited one farm
house where the good lady told him that she
had particular hatred Of a large " bobtailed"
rat, which she had frequently witnessed from
a window, go to a chicken-choop and carry off
q young chick from the old hen; she had tried
every means to dispatch him, but he was too
cunning for steeltraps, and as for strychnine
it had about as mnch effect on him as the ar.
ticle does on Bristol Bill or some of our
Trenton l~oafers. The rat-catcher told her
that Columbia" one of his ~favorite opera
tors, he had no doubt would prove a match
for him. A trial was had and in less than two
minutes Columbia returned with the bob
tail" to the evident satisfaction of the lady,
and the future safety of her young broods.
At Pennsgrove the rat-catcher made a W :
ger of a dollar that he would catch and kill a
large rat with his teeth, without using his
hands or feet. After receiving several bites
on the nose and face, he successfully accom-
plished the feat and won the dollar.
At Woodstown he advertised a rat match.
Among the audience who were DESTROYS of
witnessing the match, was a large Irishman
who manifested much fear that the animals
would escape, and therefore he wanted to Sc
cure a safe place and an easy means of retreat.
The entertainment had scarcely commenced,
when one Of the designed to be victims of the
sport, made his escape towards the bold son
of Erin-in an instant the rat was safely en-
%sconced in his pantaloon leg. The Irishman
yelled, swore and prayed, but all to no pur-
pose. After declaring himself "murthered"
and dying, he commenced begging for assist
ance, and promising to treat the party, the
rat-catcher went to his relief, and only succeed
ed in dislodging the rat by forcing him up the
Irishman's back and out at the neck, to the in
finite pleasure of the unwilling subject of much
merriment to the assembled crowd,-Treat0n
True Democrat.
We understood SOME time since that the rat
catcher made an appointment to visit Freehold
If he did as well in the above named places as
represented, we guarantee that he will do a
rafting business should he come here.