The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-07
Exterminating Rats.

My house has been infested with rats
all winter, and as setting traps for them
did no good, / got Smiley, the sexton at
our church, to lend me his dog TOR two
or three days, so that he might help to
abate the nuisance. We put the animal
in the cellar, and he inaugurated his
reign by bowling all night. In the morn
ing, when the servant girl descended to
get coal for the kitchen fire, the dog bit
her in the leg. For two days nobody
dared to 60 into the cellar, and Smiley
couldn't come to our assistance, for he
had gone UP to the city.
On the third day the dog bolted up
stairs and out into the yard, where he
encountered the slop man, and removed
a mouthful of trowsers and red flannel
drawers from the leg Of that worthy per-
son. Finding the back window in the
parlor open, he jumped in and assumed
control Of that apartment and the hall.
For three days we had to 60 in and out
through the kitchen. tried to dislodge
him with clothes prop, but ! only sue
ceeded in knocking two costly vases of
OF the mantel-piece, and the dog became
so excited and threatening that shut
the door hurriedly and went up stairs
four steps at time.
There were no rats In the parlor, and 1
can not imagine why he wanted to stay
there. But he did, and as Smiley re-
mained away we couldn't dislodge him.
On Thursday he smashed the mirror dur
ing an attempt to get up a fight with an
other dog that he thought he saw in there
and he clawed the sofa to rags. Every
night he devoted his time to bowling. On
Saturday he had fit in the hall'and
spoiled about eight square yards Of
Brussels carpet utterly. When he recov-
cred he went back into the parlor. At
last borrowed Cooley's dog, and sent
him In to fight Smiley's dog out. 1t was
an exhilarating contest. They fought on
the chairs and the sofas, they upset a
table and smashed all the ornaments on
1t, they scattered blood and hair all over
the carpet In blotches, they got entan-
gled in one Of the lace curtains and then
dragged it and the frame down with q
crash, they scratched and bit and tore
and frothed and yelled, and at last Coo
ley's dog gave In, put his tail between
his legs and retreated, while smiley's
dog got on q sixty dollar Turkish rug so
he could bleed comfortably.
1t didn't seem to occur to him to 60
home, and Smiley was still out of tow n.
The next day loaded q shotgun and
determined to kill him at any sacrifice.
1 aimed carefully at him, but at the crit
ical moment he lodged and two handfuls
of bird shot went into the piano and tore
1t I'D badly. Then tossed some pois-
oned meat at him, but he ate all around
the poison and seemed to feel better after
the meal than he had done for years.
Finally Smiley came home, and he called
to get his dog. He entered the parlor
braveiy and attempted to seize the ami
NAL, when it bit him. / was never SO
glad in my life. Then Smiley got mad,
and grabbing the dog by the tail smashed
him through my French window into the
street. Then was not so very glad.
Then the dog went mad and . police
man killed him. The rats are In the
house yet, and Smiley's dog cost me
about S10G. au going to return to traps.
1t 10 cheaper, think.
o.. 81 4la 81, lesaes e IUeEa.A La