Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24

THOMAS FULLKRToN's pBcoURsE ON RATS AND |
how THEY ARE CAPTURED.
81 have been professional ratcatcher over
six years In this city, and used to follow the
same business in London. Caught 2fs rats IN
an up town slaughter house In one night and /
once captured los rats In ten hours aud ifteen
The speaker was Thomas Fullerton OF 81
Charlton street. He complained that Mr.. Bergn
had seized his tongs, which he used for catching
rats, on the occasion OF breaking UP the rat bali
at 1874 Clinton Place, recently, and although the
police justice had decided that the tongs should
be returned, Mr.. Bergh refused to surrender
al think 1t is too bad" continued Mr.. Ful,ar.
min min The city is getting to be overruS with
them since MI. Bergh has broken up Harry Jen-
nings' business. have regular contracts with
clear of rats, which are great destroyers OF
property. In one slaughter house In 49th street.
near 18th avenue, they destroyed 500 worth of
nvers In night. 1 have known them to bite
horses. When the streets are salted, rats viii
eat the hoofs OF the horses, sometimes render
ing the animal useless. have even known rats
poisonous or not depends upon what they have
been eating. was myself bitten Sd badly twice
that came near losing my arm. The limb
saeEed TO an enormous size, and the doctors
said would lose 1t. / am sure II Mr.. Der I'll had
his house infested with rats he would not think
1t clime for US 10 kill them"
is 1t not dangerous to catch tnem?"
Yes unless you know how. The way do is
to GO into room In the dark and wait 70. them
to come out. They must come out to get food
and water. 1 wait until they get near my bait,
and then, by the aid Of my dark lantern, seize
them In my hands and put them 10 a bag, or
else pick them up with my tongs. or course
many nights surrounded by rats without get
ting bitten. have had them running all over
re- on my head, up my sleeves and up tue ies
Of my pants. You don't MUD IL when you get
nsed u II. often put my hand In a bag or ra's
and oribg out any particular one that may be
wanted Coed Lively rats are worth about
eleven cents each for rat bait, but the bust
ness is very poor since Mr.. BeTgh took to break
ing up the matches IL don't pay to catch rats
unless we can sell them. and as yet the only
use for rats is for rat baits In Paris they use
the skins to make gloves, but nobody has tried
that here But something must be done IL Mr..
BeTgh keeps on. Look at the sewers. could
XIII 900 rats any night, and they are now so nu-
mercus that they walk boldly up into the streets
at night. Look at the markets, they are In
feSf ed with them.
alt wont do to poison rats, because they die
In their holes. and their putrefied carcasses To-
feet house with disease. Sometimes they eat
linen and clothing to make their nests. You
can't catch them I'm traps ualeSs you know no Y.
That used to be my business In Liverpool, ana
how did 1t Is secret. 1t is slow way for
/ most people. Often they catch one rat IN trap.
but never can catch another. althou n the rats
may be In the house.
81 nats are very c,ean. They will not su Ter a
| spot Of dirt on their bodies, except, possibly,
the tips Of their tails. They are very fond Of
sweet OIL, and have seen them dip their tails
III UoItic vi SWEEP O1i anu uCh tutul Oh, dS Tue
only way to get at their fayort:e food. They
viii gnaw holes for fun. l have often seen
them making new holes when they had plenty
10 run TO. Sometimes they get to be six or
eight years old. 1 have gone up and sat down
by rats sEd watched their movements when
they did not run away, because they were per-
fectly blind. have seen them so old that they
had lost nearly all their faculties. great
maBy people think we have way Of charming
rats, but that is not SO. We only know b " to
catch them bec9dse it is our business 4 often
catch rats in the ST. Nicholas, the st. James,
the Holman house and In Earle's hotel.
Tie use OF dogs for killing rats is common,
and good ratter may be worth several hun
dred dollars. One OF the Is dogs seized oy Mr..
Befgh Ia Clinton place was worth $685. another
was worth sec; another was worth SIS. MY
tongs we've worth S25, because / had to get
them. you see, and any ether tongs are awk-
ward In my hands. Now, in order to learn to
XIII rats, dogs must have experience, and that's
the use CT rat bats. 1t educateS the dogs and
gets rid OF the rats at the same time. Rats
from is to IS In litter. SO, you see, II they are
not killed OH they would soon eat up enormous
| quantities OF food.
Il think it is too bad that my friend Edward
Burt had to 60 to prison for three months for
killing these yermin: Then the spectators were
nEed $4O0-au for killing seven rats, for only
seven rats were killed out OF the 20. that fur
nisbed for that match. IL Mr.. Bergn should
| wake up some morning and find his house or
his Office Saited with o couple OF hundred rats,
he might be glad to have rat bait on tAe
| SPOT
Mr. Bergh sent letter on Friday to Gov. Ro-
binson, urging the pardon OF Mr.. Burt. The
| conviction, he said was just, but Mr. Bergn
thought that the punishment had been Suili-
c!ebu. a petition for Burt'S release has been
g nj by many members OF Baltimore Clubs