River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-05
DICK, THE RAT.

arrivals at the Lindel!. Having eXtermi-
mated the rats from the leading hotels
and many private dwellings in New York,
he comes here recommended by Mr.. Lee
land, of the Metropolitan Hotel, to the
proprietors of the Lindell as the man to
purge their establishment from the YER
min. Mr.. Toner is du fat in his art of
rat-killing, and probably stands at the
head of his profession. He graduated
under the tuition of an English rat-exter-
minator, and has followed the business
for twelve years in New York, supple
menting the catching part in the way of
profit by keeping rat-pit. But his
emoluments in the last respect have been
cut off by the humanitarian policy of an
enemy to such sports, Mr.. Bergh, the
friend of the rat, as well as all other
animals.
Toner has a mission however, to per-
form as well as Mr.. Bergh. He is posted
in the natural history and curious in
stincts of the rodent. He asserts that the
rat tribe commence breeding at three
months old, and the female breeds once a
month, producing invariably thirteen at
a time, and what is curious, only one of
/ the litter is female. This scarcity of
the female seems TO be an excellent pro-
vision of nature, otherwise the world
would be overrun with the progeny
Mr.. Toner, accompanied by his assist
ant John Smith, made his first essay last
night at the Lindell. He brought down
from his room ferret, which, whc,: the
regular trail of the rat is found, is put in
to hunt them out. The ferret is a fero-
/ ciOus little animal with a long slender
body, sharp of scent and his instinct has
been used to hunt out rabbits as well as
rats.
As it was essential TO ascertain by in
spection the principal runway of the rats,
their exits and their entrances, the ferret
was not employed at first, but few rats
were picked up with pincers and bagged.
I About 10 o'clock, Mr.. Griswold and a
considerable party proceeded to the base
ment to skirmish.
Equipped with dark-lantern and a
pair of peculiarly constructed pincers.
Dick is ready for the hunt. His feet are
incased in soft slippers that he may move
noiselessly, as are also the feet of the at
tendant, who carries bag into which the
rats are thrown. Reaching the room
where he expects to- find rats he listens
e
constant practice, has become very acute.
He can hear the slightest football of the
rat, and, as the vermin pass him, with his
! left hand he throws a ray of light upon
the animal and with his right deity
closes on the hind legs or tail of the ro-
| dent, which is then thrown into the bag.
The attendant meanwhile keeps up con-
slant movement of the bag to keep the
rats from knawing their way out. When
the captures have driven the rats into cor
ners and hiding places, Dick begins to
make an effort for them. He pOkes into
corners, between barrels and behind
boxes, throwing a ray from his lantern
into these dark places, where the timid
things are often found hidden away.
Often, too, the light will attract them,
and as they run upon the lighted spot the
remorseless pincers gather them in. 1t is
not an unusual Occurrance for Dick to
capture $50 in a night.
Quietly and deity Mr.. Toner and his
attendant continued the search, dropping
into the subterrenean apartments of the
hotel. alleys, halls, and alcoves. In one
of the passages a sly old rat was observed
behind barrel. Mr.. Toner immediate
ly turned the bull's-eye flash of his dark
lantern on the rat, who, dazed by the sud
den glare, lost his presence of mind, and
before he had time to realize the situa-
ton, he was clinched by the nippers, and.
uttering a squeal was put into the bag.
Several others were caught in this way,
but Mr.. Toner thought that he might
not use the ferret until after midnight,
when all was still, if at all, the first night.
Before Mr.. Bergh interposed an objec-
| tion in New York, Dick could do his
work more thoroughly. He then, as he
will do here, employed ferret, whose
lips were "ringed" to prevent it from bit
| ing or killing the rat. The ferret was
put into a rat hole at the top of the
| building and for the space of an hour
would be hid to view. The rats stand in
mortal fear of their agile little enemy and
| fly percipitately before it. Whenever a
rat can go the ferret can follow, and he
drives it from haunt to haunt, from cover
to cover, until finally the rats take to open
spaces, where they fall an easy prey to
Dick and his pincer. But through the
lagency of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals he is compelled to
forego this process in New York State.
In most of the other States. however, he
still employs the ferret 1t is by far the
most effectual means of driving the rats
out of the house. The introduction of the
ferret into buildidg three or four nights
in succession, will compel the rats TO COM
pletely evacuate the premises. A trained
ferret is as obedient as a well-trained
dog. The owner hearing the ferret in
the walls.and whistling to it, will find
his summons Immediately answered
b. the appearance Of the dociIe little an
imal.
Most people have an aversion 10 the
rat But Dick has grown into such in
timacy with the rodent that he ,dmits
him to his clothing, allowing him 70 run
over his body at will Dick has had
many experiences, which he relates. A
couple of them are worth telling. One
early morning, after a nights work in
the subterranean regions of hotel in
New York, he entered Third avenue car
with his assistant to return home. Tired
out with their labors they both.fell asleep.
Suddenly Dick was awakened ~ a loud
scream, and he opened his eyes To find
the sleepy passengers. now thoroughly
awake, standing upon the seats with the
conductor dancing about like one dc
mented on The floor, in his endeavors 10
keep out Of the way of the rats that were
scampering about in every direction. The
assistant, instead of keeping awake and
shaking up the bag from time to time,
had fallen asleep, and the rats had gnawed
their way through and escaped into the
car The door once opened and there
was rush for it, in which rats and hu-
man beings struggled for exit. In the
meantime Dick calmly concealed the
bag and kept his seat
Il Upon another early morning. with
dark lantern in one hand and the pin
GERS in the other, with his assistant hold
| ing the bag Of rats, he stood upon the
corner Of the street waiting the coming
If A car : vi0iIanf Guardian of the