The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-18
RATS ABOARD THE ASHLEY.

RATS ABOARD THE ASHLEY.
An Occasion Fraught with Interest for Two
Scotch Terriers and their Owner.
In 1856, on board the steamer Ashley,
says correspondent, we were so over
run with rats that we were in danger of
having the whole freight list to pay for.
| Our cargo consisted almost entirely of
bacon and -four, and they had perforated
this in every direction. As last ex-
pertinent to get rid of them we had the
entire load carried ashore, and then
commenced grand rat hunt. The ami
mails all took to the hold, and among her
innumerable salt boxes and under the
dunnages found shelter, SO that but few
could be dislodged and killed. It was
in this emergency that the genius of the
chief engineer shone forth with dazzling
brilliancy.
"Lets," said he, "turn steam into
the hold and run 'em out"
This being agreed upon, while he was
raising steam in the boiler the rest of us
went around stopping up their places of
egress, and stopped them all except one
hole which came through the deck a
few feet from the ice chest. The ice
chest was q favorite resort Of the old
rodents. for in it was kept the deGcacies
of the table. Pies, fruit and choice
cakes were always there. I suppose the
rats looked on this place as sort OF free
Saratoga. At all events they would put
in q few hours of every night there, and
this might represent their seasons. The
ice chest was about eighteen feet square,
with the opening at the top-that is our
opening; they had theirs through the
back, close down to the deck. This we
also left open, and this arrangement
left the rats only one hiding place on
the main deck.
Steam being ready, and cock opened
to admit it into the hold, took my sta
tion where I could see the "varmints I"
as they defiled from their untenable
cover to one they thought more
promising-and it was a study for saw
mill man. AS the steam filled the hold,
they commenced their line Of march !;
first came venerable looking old chap,
one on whose head the frosts of many
winters had settled. He passed along
with measured gait, slowly moving
his head from side to side, as though he
said "Boys, I'm afraid you've got us
this time," and he seemed to be as
tonished that no missiles were hurled
after him, but was allowed to enter the
ice chest unharmed. During his march
another-not a sister-kept his head
out the deck hole, watched his progress,
and when he saw him safely housed,
out he came, too, and made the march
unmolested. This seemed all they
waited for :; they then poured out in
one unbroken stream, and they were all
there
The wife whose babe first smiled that day !;
The fair, blonde bride Of yester eve;
The aged sire the matron gray,
and all tho young bucks just kept coming
until I thought they had somo way
of getting from the ice chest to the hold
again and were keeping up an unbroken
circle. But at length there happened
breaks in the procession, then these
breaks became more frequent and of
greater duration, and, after a while,
they came in single individuals and in
more of hurry, for the hold was get
ting hot, and later they came slower and
had less hair on them, and the last one
looked sick, didn't seem to care whether
he got anywhere or not, and as he
passed me he cast look of scorn and
sadness, as if to say: "You fellows
think you're smart you ought to be
ashamed "'and, to tell the truth, 1 was.
felt the same impulse to save it's life
that actuated Pocahontas on an histori-
cal occasion, and, from an association OF
ideas, named this rat John Smith.
And now they we're all in the chest
and the hole plugged. We called
council of war as to the best way to fin
ish them. The engineer wanted to carry
out designs and turn the steam on them
and cook them alive, but the cold man"
wanted "some fun" He had couple
of imported Scotch terriers, full blood
and long hair, and here was Just such a
chance to try their mettle as he long had
yearned for. So he raised the lid on
top, dropped them in, and closed the
door with the remark "Go for 'em,
boys" Then he took out his watch.
They must have went "for 'em," for
the sounds that followed we're mixture
of yelps, howls, and tiny squeaks, min
gled with rattling, surging sound, as
though the life within was combined and
trying to knock out first one end of the
chest and then the other. The cold
man would sing out at intervals: "Go
for 'em, boysl' Then he would wink at
US, shut one eye, double himself up,
and raise his right leg as though he was
in an ecstacy of enjoyment.
At length all inside became quiet,
and he looked at his watch again. "Si1-
teen and half minutes" said he.
CHOW, men, let us turn the chest over
and count the rats, for I think them
pups have knocked the spots off of our
former records"
We turned it over, the lid flew open,
and a Whole floor of rats came pouring
out like bees from an upturned hive.
We had to clear the track until they all
escaped, and when we looked in the
box those dogs were in more pieces than
ever dogs. not made into sausages, we're
before. They looked as though they
had been dead a month, and only one
solitary rat kept them company-and it
WAS John Smith.