The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-24
Catching Rata by Steam,
'IFrom the Cairo (In.) Argus j ourn al

|
1t was in the summer OF $50. on board
the steamer "Chester Ashley" that we
were laid up on account OF low water,
on the Arkansas RIVER. The boat had
become so overrun with rats that we
were in danger of having the whole
freight list to pay tor. Our cargo con-
sisted almost entirely of bacon and
-four, and they had perforated this in
every direction. AS "a last experiment
| to get rid of them, we had the entire
| load carried ashore, and then CON-
! menced a grand rat hunt. The animals
all took to the hold, and among her in
mum erable salt boxes and under the dun
nages found shelter, that bat few could
be dislouged and KILLED. 1t was in this
emergency that the genius of the chief
engineer shons forth with dazzling
brllIIancy.
"Le1s" said he, "turn steam into the
hold and run 'em ouI."
This beiHg agreed upon, while he was
raising steam in the Niger boiler, the
rest oil us went around stopping up helr
places or egress, and stopped them all
except one hole which came through the
deck few feet from the i0e chest. This
| ice chest was a taVorite resort OF the old
| rodents, for in il was kept the delicacies
OF the table. Pies, fruit and choice
| CdhG5 WOL0 dlW bHSIGs SuppUSO
rats looked on this place as a sort of free
Saratoga. At all events, they would
put in a lew hours OF every night there,
and this might represent their seasons.
| This ice cnest was about ght feet
square, with The opening ON top-that is
our opening; the rats had theirs through
the back, close down TO deck. This we
also left open, and this arrangement lett
the rats only one hlding-place on the
main deck.
Steam being now ready, and q cock
opened TO ADMIT it into the hold, l look
my station where l could see the "var.
: mInts" as they detlied from their unten.
!; able cover 10 one they thought more
promising-and it was study for q
saw-mlll man. AS the the steam filled
the hold, they commenced their line ol
: march; first came venerable looking
, old cnap, on whose head the trOstc
OF many winters had settled. He passed
along with a measured gait, slowly NOV
: lug uis head from side tO side, as though
he said, "Boys, Pun afraid you've got us
this tlme," anu ne seemed to be aston
ished that no missiles were hurled alte4
hlm, but was allowed to enter the ice
, chest unharmed. During his marcL
, another-not sister"-kepG his head ou
, the deck hole watcned his progress, auC
wnen he saw him safely housed, out he
came, 100. and made the march un
} molesled. This seemed all they waited
Tor, for they then poured out in one un
broken stream, and they were all
there
The wife whose babe first smiled that day;
The far, fond bride of yesJer eve;
| The aged sire; the matron gray,
! and all the young bucks just kept com
| in II ~ | hlI
OF getting from the ce-chest to the hold
again and were keeping up an unbrokel
} CIRCLE. But at length there happenec
. breaks in the procession, then these
breaks became more frequent and o
greaver duration, and alLer while
J they came in single individuals ant
| in more of a hurry, for the hold was
getting hot, and later they came
slower and had less hair on them, and
| the last one looked sick, didn't seem tt
care whether he gotany where or not, ,ant
as he passed me he cast a look OF molly
scorn and holy sadn SIS, as ii to say.
You f.llows think you're smart; you
ought 10 be ashamed" and, to tell the
truth, was. l lelt the same impulse Ic
save its lie that actuated POcanontas Oh
t historical occasion, and from an asso
citation OF ideas ! named thl rat Johr
| Smith.
And now they were all IN the chest
and The hole plugged. We called eoun-
Gil Of war as 10 the best way to iinish
them. The engineer wanted to carry
out his design and turn the steam on
them and cook them alive; but the ''old
man'' wanted ''some tun,o he had a
couple OF imported Scotch terriers, full
blood and long hair, and here was just
such a chance to try their mettle as he
4 l,s, ,I far = In 81,
lid ON top, dropped them in and closed
the door with the remark, go lor 'em,
boys" Then he looked at his watch.
They must have went ''for 'em," Tor
the sounds THAT followed were mixture
of yelps, bowls and tiny squeaks, min.
gled with rafting, suIgiDg sound, as
though the life within was combined and
trying to knock out first one end of the
chest and then The other. The sold
man" would sIng cut at intervals: 600
for 'em boysp then he would wink at
us, shut one eye, double himself hall up,
and raise his right leg as though he was
in an ecstasy OF enjoyment.
Atlength all inside became quiet, and
he looked at his watch again. "Sixteen
and half mlnutes," said he. snow,
men, let us turn the chest over and
count the rats, tor i think them PUPS
have knocked the spots of OF all former
records"
We turned it over, the lid few open,
and a whole flood of rats came pouring
out like bees from an upturnedhiye.
| 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 sausage, were
| before. They looked as though they
| had been dead month, and only one
solitary rat kept them company-and it
was John Smith.
| Judge and jury have been worrying
| over a dog case in Memphis. Tenn.