, 1873-09-07
RATS AND RAT.CATCHlNG.


only ono In the city. Mr.. Rocdy Is q bright.
looking EngltBl1man, about 45 years Of axe. aud
ho Inns pursued hia preeent calling for twenty.
eight yoars--tho laat niuo ycarH bcing spent ii
this city, whore he says ho has met with great
auccoHs In his busfncss. On boing questioned
AZ to tho manner In Which llo destroyed rats, lie
Stated some worry curious facts. Aftor showing
tho reporter variod collection of English birds,
noticeable among which was tame iackdaw,
who kept up m hlceaHant croaIsiug during the
Whole intorviow, as il anxious to rolate aorno
very interesting story, blr. Roody stepped into
tho large yard that surrounds tho dwelling, for
tho purpose Of exhibiting his principal alxi!fa-
rios III tho annhfation of rats, namely, tho fer
rcts. ThcBo animals arc from twolva to fifteen
inches In length, with bright, sparkling eyes,
with Blondor body that can pass wborovor rat
can. THOR bodios aro covered with dark fur 1t,
color nearly approaching brinilo. Thoy are
perfectly tloctle, but 'thoir quick, wIry movo-
mont remind ono worry much of tho common
American woaaoI. n1r. noedy hos twelve fer
seto, all OF which ho has imported from England,
at cost Of s25 to $50, according to thcir
training. The Oldest and bost cost $50, and vas
bought on tho EPSON Downs, laBt summer, by
Mr. Reedy. This ferrot IL tho only QUO that will
obey tho call OF it's owner. the othors not bong
properly trained. It takoB six months or oyor to
tram young ferret 30 1t bo used in tho busi-
ness. Tho forrots arc kept In closo, warm hutot,-
es, and fed twica each tlay with raw meat and
milk except when their ow1lor intends using them.
thon tloy arc not allowed food for twelve hours
before they are put to work hunting rats. After
lowing tho ferrethutches and examining
coop containing number Of beautiful AlIino
rats, With fur MS white all snow, and bright piuk
oyeH, we arrived ut long row dog-lennels, tho
inhabitants Of which all rushed out to tho full
lnf f1TYf JrE$ $1tn3h A1s~
perfectly dcafening chorus Of Iowls. there boing
seventeen ct thoso animals in and about tho
Kennels. With tho exception of a fine pair of
rly-looklng bul-torriors, tho wholo collection
conalstod Of sco.ch and English black and tan
day, and havo comfortable. bedding placed in
lennols every evening hlr. -Roody Hays that
whom ho receives IN order from so,no
one to lid their places OF rats ho chaigos tho.n
t1' rom 50 to Slo. according to tho magnitude Of
only mako tue place perfectly rnt-proof. but also
to keep it In that condition for one ycar, Ho
thon takes two OF hia best blackand terriers,
aud al old sky terrier named " Blor." "Dlop'B"
personal appearance iH most minorablo az, in nd
dition to being mfnus ono eye. aud the larger
portion Of his cattlal nppendago, his whole lioast
and body ia covered with hundreds OF BcarB and
wounds. received In battle with tho aerce ro-
Yot, notwithstanding "Dlop'H wrotchoI por-
sonal appearance, his remail:lng eyc aparklcn
with vim, hiB head is cockod knowingly GU ono
side, and his diminutive remnant OF q tnil Vi
is mentioned. with thoso tllroo dogs, si1 for-
retB, and boy armed with o long piece of
fine fiahing-not, Ready repairs to tic yor1nir-
afflicted house. Tho principal lloles are first
stoppcd up with brick aud tin, culy two being
left open; into QUO Of these the forrots aro
put, md they at once begin their search. Roody
then leaves tile boy aud two dogs to watch tllo
holes, while himsolf md ''Dlop" explore overy cry
room In tho building. Or entering room, " D1oph
smells carefully over tho floor, and around tho
Walnscoting, and il there is no rnta there, tho
roum is loft, and man and dog pass on to an
other; but II there should be rats secrotod TO-
tween the floors or IN the walls. "Dlop" mnkey
tlair ,proselrc known by whining and shaking
ner. Nccdy Immediately knocks On tho loor,
and givca peculiar whistle, and q forret is
tlore in a moment. and the rat has docampod
almost as soon. They arc in this way driven
from one room to another, md finally come ont
of tho hololeft open. and bccomelne entangled in
tho meshes Of tho net that has bcon placcd
aoross tho middlo Of tile room, they are speedily
killed by the boy and tho dogs. Tho forrcts nro
thon taken out and fed, wl'ilo tue old holes are
although there may DO dozens Of frat holes III
house, there ia always ono hole tho
rats use in going out for water, mud this holo ia
always the ono before which tho net IL
placed. Eo alAo states that there arc never as
it is very seldom he nuds moro than twenty-five
In ono dwelling. Alter making his first visit.
and killing I'LL tho rats, lie returns once every
month and examines tho promises, in case othorn
s atoe TINT no rat can hide from q forret, and
at the approach OF that animal they will itnme-
diatoly hunt other quarters. Several TeekH Ago
lie visitc house on Ma4ison avenue, aud while
At work the ferret started largo rat, which ran
tho whole length OF tho house. between the
ffOQr1 md on coming oik nj TIM nt,ap hn1c II unt
fast, nnl could not escape, and that Lo
watched Its fruitloas attempts to get
through tho hole in which it WAS caught,
aud finally whom tho forrot came disabling
the hopeless condition, Reedy aAaertB that several
large tearH Htarted out Of tho rats eyeH, and ran
down over ita cheoksl Thin story is corrob-
GRATED By the boy who accompanied him on his
raj tears. Alr. keedy states that ho nnds ab,,n-
dance Of work in lH line, both III tho city and
ln the country, whore lie docs groat service by
rldding tue farmers' barns and grnin-Hheda Ut
othor yessels, but ho statoa That in tho lattcr
casos tue rats will tnko refngo in tho bige-water
IN the hold, and tho ferrotH having al aversion
10 wator, canuot bo made to follow them, aud In
sn1 Gi # this fsot it is ratner uphill
new patent trap, which ho thinks will be euporior
10 anything Of the kind heretofore invented, antl,
when this ia completed, he hopes to bo able to
cleanse ship OF itH yerInin iu night. and with
this trap, aud his strong reinforcement OF for
ratB and dogs, hiB power over rats wilt DO fully
as great III the fabled "plod Piper, Of Ha1ulln.h
American Drinisa Mt tho Vienna Ex-
hlbttion.
The special correspondent Of tho London
Daily Telegraph at Vlonna, writing OIL Aug II,
after q Tcok of yory hot weather, says: HIAe
American bars, throo in nulubor, drove roaring
.ralo. The AuatrinnB ilaye taken. to eobblery
aud juleps with lcartiuess bordering ou sutht,-
,lap.n, although theHo noctariau compounds
Doing aomowhat axponaivo. tho native consumer
seldom goes IN for whole drink NIL to himself;
and thore arc few quantor sights in tho BID
bullding crowded AZ it il With extraordinary ob-
Iecta, than three loavly-bearted and specialized !
Viennese sitting round small narbte-toppod
.ablo, on which stands on8 ambor-colorod sier-
Fy-cobblor, their three atrawH plunged Into ita
,ool depths, their threo heads Ia close proximity,
choir powers Of suction strained to top pressure.
oht any Que Of tho tl,roe Bhould got tic bot,or
II his co-inyestors In tho beverage To tho oxtont
If half d toaspoonful. Unler tho influence |
II this virtuons emulation, !ho cobblor yaniHhos
like the card OF conjuror'B trick. after which
zach competitor imbibes huge draught Of cold
yator, for which there III no charge, aud pockota
lA HtrnW. Tim Hfrn,rA fntr