National Republican., 1875-07-23
sUBTERRANEAN LIFE.
A Night Of Business in the Underground
World Of a Great New York HotsL


World Of Great New York Hotel.
Dick, the ratcatcher. was engaged to clean the
kitchen, cellars, meat-house, wine, bread and bar
rooms OF the Sturtevant house, at Broadway and
Twenty-eighth street, after midnight on Satur-
day. Underground in Q large hotel is world in
ITSELF The kitchen in the Sturtevant house is one
hundred feet long by twenty broad. The floor Is
Of brick. Three long tables extend its entire
length. Shelves, cupboards, and dressers hide
the walls. Almost endless rows Of dishes, shining
pots, pans, and enormous boilers are tastefully
arranged according to size at the end Of the room
forty-foot range and vast furnace, hugging
ovens and bakeries, are red with roaring fires in
side. Modesto Thierry, the giant French cook,
stands In his well-starched white apron and cap
silently watching his assistants. Several dainty
dishes are re being prepared. To each Of these
drops from several little bottles; there q handful
of -four; here q cupful Of cream; there a spoonful
he catches the pot or pan, and deity empties its
contents into tureens or plates. At quarter to
twelve he bids his assistants to prepare 70 clean
Kitchen, and shouts, "Put out the lights" Thierry
goes around his kitchen, sees that everything Is
in its place, turns down the gas, and then all is
Dick the Rat and his assistant took possession
ofthe Lower Regions. Dick lights his bulI'seye
lantern, examines his long iron pinchers, closely
scrutiniEes his canvas bag, puts on q pair Of list
slippers, and strips for work. The rats are evil
dently busy, as they are heard from far Rnd near
Dick has studied their routes Before going TO
work be carefully removes every obstacle in his
way as silently as he can Then he utters q call
ssqueal Ike that Of rat. Again, Dick squesls
] uder and with more assurance. This time he
Is answered from the Dread-room, where q hun
dred barrels OF -four and hundreds Of loaves are
packed.
Dick had previously thrown open all the doors.
Like cat he springs forward in the darkness;
his strong light dances with extraord nary rapid
ity along the walls, floors and ceilings. The
sharp, piercing cry OF q rat in pain announces
Dicks capture. His assistant then opens the bag
and great rat Is thrown into It. The assistant
shakes the bag several times and the rat Is quiet
A weak, yet very shrill squeak is heard, and
Dick brings out at the end Of his large nip
pers poor little mouse. Rat and mouse are put
gives the call squesl, succeeding It with louder
squeals, which he says the rats understand to
mean that all is safe. Suddenly he throws the
dazzling light upon q shelf There, crouched
and seemingly paralyzed, is q monster rat. 1t
does not stir, but looks straight at the Light. 1t
n nunaple TO move. Its large black eyes are dis
unctly seen while IL still holds the bread In Its
and his nippers seize II. The rat utters q pierc.
ng sQueal the bag is opened, and It is thrown In.
The rats in the breadroom have taken the
alarm. Dick darts out, and as the bright ray
dances up and down, he runs, stops stands erect
erouches, listens, squeals darts forward, and the
light runs along pipes, behind barrels, under
boards, into holes. At one moment he Is in the
hundred pounds Of beef and mutton and It's hun
dreds Of chickens, and thsn in the grocery. the
wine-room, the larder, the store-room, the coal
room, the garbageroom, back again into the
kitchen, and at two o'clock the bag contains nifty
rats.-Nep York Sun.