The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-05-31
4 PROFESSIONAL RAT CATCHER.
Night With an Expert Who Catches Rats
With Tonss or Hts hare Hands.


With T0nss or His hare Hands
A reporter narrates his experience with a
rat-catcher who engaged to clear out stable
infected with the vermin as follows:
He took number of little wire doors out
Of his bag. They were about four inches
square. One of these was screwed over
eachrat hole atan angle of forty-fve degrees
so that thu rat could easily raise it in coming
on, of the hole, but could not get back into
the hole again after it had dr.pped in place.
When every hole had been thus covered the
reporter retired to the top shelf of long
step ladder and smoked, while the rat-catcher
turned down the lights and cleared the large
floor of the stable of the small objects that
could be readily piled in the carriages or on
the shelves.
He was moving about in the most stealthy
manner, now trying one little gate and now
another. A large bag of coarse meal with
a string with which to close the opening,
hung on harness peg, and he. had sprink-
led little powder down several of the holes,
which was designed to make the rats thirsty
and cause them to come out for water. He
lighted stub pipe and perched himself on
the bottom of the step ladder with his chin
in one hand, while he slowly opened and
closed a pair of tongs, nearly two feet long,
with fiat blades.
EVERYTHING was quiet for few minutes.
and then there was Sigh scratching at one
of the little doors, and monstrous rat,
as fat as an Alderman, slowly came out.
The door dropped to behind him; he turned
quickly, tried to get back, and ran squeal.
ing along the wall.
He's good one, remarked the man in
whisper, going out into the middle of the
room, laying his pipe on the step and turn
ing up the gas. "rll tell you what Pll do;
I'll catch this one in my hands,"
He began to squeak through his teeth,
making a noise like the squeaking of rat,
and slowly approached the fat intruder.
The rat backed into n corner and stood with
his little eyes cleaning and tail whishing
rapidly from side to side. The rat-catcher
slowly drew closer until the rat suddenly
shot off along the wall In an instant the
little man had sprung forward with bound
that was entirely reckless, and went, head
first for the rat Both his hands were out
stretched, and he pinned it TO the floor with
a force that made it squeal. The bound
was like that which cat would make
After disposing of the rat by putting him
into pag he engaged in conversation with
the reporter Ina little time he laid his
pipe on the step again and said, reflective
y:
That's as ugly looking customer az I've
seen this many a day. He'll fight, but I'll
get him handed inst to show you the
SPORT
Another rat, much larger than the first,
with scrawny legs and an emaciated body,
was standing by the hole he had just emery
ed from, and trying to open the little wire
door. When the little man approached, the
rat slowly reiterated, but did not go az
though frightened, as his fat predecessor
had but rather as a savage curretreats, turn
ing half round toward his pursuer at every few
steps. When he had reached the corner he
stood at bay. The man edged up toward
him, but before he got within jumping dis
lance the rat shot off along the wall. He
wasdriven back several times, and he became
uglier at every defeat, until at length
the IA: made noisy squeak and jumped
straight for his throat. 1t bounded from the
floor with spring of extraordinary strength,
and shot at the mans throat as though driy-
en- from cannon, his teeth all showing and
its long tail straight The rat catcher threw
up his arm, hitting it a savage blow, which
drove it against the wall, whence it fell to
the floor with a thud In an instant it got
on its feet, and made another furious spring
at the rat catcher's throat. This time he
lodged it, The rat, when it came to the
floor then, started for its hole, but, failing
to get in, once more ran along to the
corner. The little man was circling around
It, constantly uttering the gqueaking noise
through his teeth.
"pn get him this time" he said calmly
she's bad one, but I'll get him.
He slowly approached the rat, which was
again at bay in the corner, but whenever the
animal showed any disposition to jump he
would retreat These tactics were kept up
for some time, till the rat started once more
toward its hole. That was the fatal step.
for the instant it started the catcher threw
himself forward and pinned ii with both
hands to the floor His recklessness In div
ing forward was as remarkable as his success
in always catching the rat.
"Ah, you big villain, you'll"
"Will you keep it away from here9"
GAN right, sir He won't hurt you now,
will you, me boy?n and he gave the beast
two or three vicious slaps before he depos-
tied him in the bag with his fellow. I've
tackled many, but he YVES as ugly house
rat as ever seen, and man who don't UNI
derstand handlin' Of 'em would be apt to get
hurt, sir. I'll show you how I catches most
of 'em."
The reporter noticed that nearly half
dozen big rats we're on the floor, huddled be-
hind the harness closet. They had slipped
out OF the holes unnoticed, and skurried
around for concealment during the fight.
The catcher took his long tongs, and crept
toward them with the implement open and
held well in front. One of the rats started
along the wall, and the catcher sprang after
it and caught it by the tail as it ran along
with his big tongs, and held it dangling up
TO view This was thrust into the bag, and
the others soon joined 1t.
"Now wen have the pleasure Of waitin',"
observed the little man, as he sprinkled
more Of the thirstinspiring powder in the
holes, relit his pipe, and, turning the gas
almost out, seated himself on the lower steps
of the ladder and fell into deep meditation.
For half an hour he sat thus, without speak
ing, and, while the reporter roasted. listened
to the occasional clicking Of the little doors
and the monstrous patter Of the rats feet
as they scampered to and fro on the bare
floor. When the little man turned up the
gas, there was a sight, At least half hun
dred black and brown little animals were
scudding around on the floor. The repug-
nance that men naturally feel for rats SEEM
ed to have no place in the feelings Of the
stumpy little rat catcher, who sailed into his
work with great yigor. Only twice did he