The sun., 1879-05-04
A PROFESSOR or RAT CATCHING.
Thomas Funerton's BI-courvo On Hats and
Mew They CapturrA

Hsv They are captured
"I have been q professional rat catcher
over six years In this city. and used TO follow
tho same business In London. caught 246
rats in an uptown slaughter house IN one
night and once captured 109 rats In 10 hours
and is minutes"
The speaker was Thomas Fullerton Of 6i
Charlton street. He complained that Mr.. Bergh
had seized his tongs which he used for catch
ing rats on the occasion OF breaking up tho rat
bait at f24 Clinton place recently and although
the Police Justice had decided that the tongs
should be- returned. Mr.. Bergh refused 10 sur
render them.
think IL Ia tho bad" continued Mr. Fuller
ton. that we can't be allowed to kill these YER
min. The city is getting to be overrun with
them since Mr.. BerRh has broken up Harry
Jennings's business have regular contracts
with large slaughter houses and hotels to keep
them clear Of rats. which are great destroyors
az property. In one slaughter house in Fortieth
street. near Eleventh avenue. they destroyed
$500 worth Of livers in q night. have known
them to bits horses. when the streets are
sometimrs rendering the animals useless /
have even known rnts to bite children. Whether
the rats' bites are poisonous or not depends
upon what they have been eating. was myself
bitten 30 badly twice that ] came near losing
my arm. Tho limb swelled to an enormous
sure II Mr.. Bengh had his house infested with
rats. he would not think 1t crime for us to kill
them"
Yes, unless you know how. Tho way do Is
10 90 into n room in the dark and wait for then
| to come out. They must come out to get food
and water, ! wait until they get near my bait
and then. by the aid OF my dark lantern. seize
them in my hands and put them In bag. or
| else pick them up with nv tonge. or course
| I've got to be- quick about Il. but have spent
many nights surrounded by rats without get
| ting bitten. have had them running all over
me. on my head. up my sleeves, and up the legs
| OF my pants. You don't mind II when you get
used to IL often put my hand IN bag oi rHts Us
wanted. Good lively rats are worth about
eleven cents each for rat bait, but the business
| Is very poor siRce Mr.. Bs,rgh took 20 breaking
| up the matches. II don't pay to catch rats un-
| less wo can sell them. and as yet tho only use
| for rats is for rat bats. In Paris they use the
skins to make gloves. but nobody has tried that
| here But something must be done II Mr.:
Xii 400 rpts any night and they are now 40
| numerous that they walk boldly uD into the
streets at nRht Look at the markets. they arc
:" 1t won't do to poison rats because they die
| In thor holes and their pntreiied carcasses in
| feet house with disease. Sometimes they eat
| linen and clothing 10 make their nests. You
| can't catch them in traps unless you know how.
| That used to be my business in Liverpool. and
| how did 1t Is n secret. II is a slow way for
| most people. Often they catch one rat in n
trap. but never can catth another. although the
. Rats are very clean. They win not suffer n
spot OF dirt on their bodies except possibly. the
| tips OF their tails They are very fond OF sweet
| OIL aud have seen them dip their tails in n
| bottle OF sweet oil aud lick them on. as the only
| way 10 get Mt their favorite food. They will
gnaw holes for fun, l have often seen them
| making new holes when they had plenty to run
| to. Sometimes they get to be- six or eight yenrs
old. | have gone mp and sat down by rats and
| watched their movements. when they did moi
| run away. because they were perfectly blind.
| have seen them SO old that they had lost nearly
all their faculties. A great many people think
| We have a way of charming rats, but that Is moi
| so. We only know how to catch them because
II is our business. | often catch rats In the St
| Nichohs. the -. James the Hoffman House
| ami in Earlc's Hotel.
The use Of dogs for killing rats Ia common
| and "A good ratt"r may be worth several hun
| dred dollars. One Of the fifteen dogs seized by
| Mr.. Bsrgh In CLINTON place WIS worth tl25
another was worth $50; another was worth
| t35: My tongs were worth s25 because
had to Ret them made for the purpose.
| had got used To them. you see and amy Other
| tongs are awkward In my hands. Now. in or
| der 10 learn 10 Kill rats dogs must have ex'
| perience. and that's the use ot rat bats. II
educates the doga and gets ID of the rats at tht
same time. Rats breod every six weeks. tn,
mother bearing from sixteen 10 eighteen in
| litter. So you See. II they not killed of
they would soon eat up enormous quantities o.
| food"
think II Ia 600 had that my friend Edward
Bpri had to go to prison Tor three m3nshs 10 iol
fined t4O0-all for killing seven rats, for onll
seven rats were killed out oi the 2D1 that fur
nished for that match. IL Mr. Bergh should
| wake up some morning and nnd his house ol
his Office salted with n couple OF hundred rats
| he might be- glad to have n rat halt on the spot.
Mr. BerRh sent letter on Friday 10 Gov. Rob
inson. urging the pardon OF Mr.. Burt Tn,
| thought that the punishmsnt had been sum
cient A petition for Burt's release has beeI
sent by many members Of Baltimore clubs.