Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-03-27
pscs. l ". l m. sm. m. lyr.
e Eight with q Rat Catcher.

e Eight with Rat Catcher.
"A w York professional ra:-oatchsr invited
reporter to 20 go with him on one Of his ex-
pedlii'rs alDss bis enemy. the rat, end few
nights later they met ct s.sbss in Wes. For
te,h street. The rat catcher W.T., nsir ef
light Goth slippers, hssvy trousers, flannel
shirt and vest. Ho had kit Of tools with him
and at ab3at ii o'clock he went to work. First
be won't carefully around tho EGG, ef lhs fooE.
and leerned every rat hlle. lhsre were q
uunbsr; some sc the edges of the psi-
tillonB bstwsen the stslls, others at The wash
stand, aud number in tho harness closet
The rats had ruined valu .b!e harness. Many
ttt9rts hsd besn made to (x:ermicato them,
but without SUCCESS.
He first took rumber tf little wirc doors
cut Of his bag, They wer, abou. four inches
rq1,rs. Oae Of those wss screwed over ei ch
rat hole at an suglo Of forty five degrees, so h,s
the ra. could easily raise it on coming out Of
the hole. but could not g,t back icto the hole
i gaio sfteE it had droppeu in plscs. When ey-
sly hols bad been thus covered. tao reporter
retired to tho top ohelF of lopg steE- ladder
and Smoked, while the ra.-,achor turned down
tho lights Gcd cleared the large floor of the sts-
BIO OF all toe small Of tjec's that could b, readily
piled IN tho oarrsgos or Oh the shelves.
Lie wss moving about 10 most stealthy
nsnner, now tIYlog one little gate and EoW az
other. a large bag OF coarso material, With
string with which to olCse tho opening, buog
co harness peg, and be had sprinkIcd li.tla
powder down several OF the holes. which was
deslgae1 to msks the rats thirsty ard cause
them 10 come out for water. lie Lighted o
stub pipe aod peIohed himself Oh the bottom
of tho stop-ladder. with bis cbin in one hsnd.
while he slowly cpsped and closed pair of
torgs, rear2 two feet lorg, With fit blades.
EVsrthiDg WIS quiet for o few minutes. and
then there was slight tcratohiug nt one of the
little doore, and morstrou5 rat, a. fat as m
alderman. slowly came out. The door dropped
to behind hm; be turned quickly, tried 70 g,t
back and ran squealiug along the wall
The rat catcher bsgan to squsak through his
tooth, nakng noise like the tqueaking of
r.s, and slowly approached The lat intruder.
The rat baok into corner aad stood with bis
'ials eyes geemiug and tell sHishiug rapidly
from side to eide. The rat-catcbar slowly drew
closer until the rat uidenly shot off along the
Wall. In 40 iostent che little man had s2ruog
forward with bound that was entirely reckless
and wsns, head frs', for the ro' Both bis
hands were outstreohed, and be pinned it to the
a,or With force that made it sauesl. The
bound was Ike that which cat would make.
Before the reporter could interfere, the littls
rat catcher, 10 order to show his knowledge of
thu nature of some of the rodents had thrust
the rat inside his clothing, and the creature
emerged from bis right trousers leg snd shot
like meteor behind the ster-adder. The
reporter raised bis fcot ono step higher. ard
the rat-oatcber ctept up towsrd tho rat Rih
the same quiet movement that cat displays.
The bBdgered apimsl shot ono Vav and then
another until it reached the c3rotr, when the
little man pouneed 90 it and dropped i. iato
the bsg, Thtra it sqasaled for TINA, and
then became quiet, while the little a.-Jalcher
resumed his pipe.
He laid bis pip, Oh the step again and said
reheutively, as another long tailed ''guawer"
made his appearance 10 the roon:
That's as ugly leokin' customer as I've
secn this many day. He'll fight, but I'll
get bin bare-hauded just to chow sou the
sport"
When ths littIo man approached him, the
rat slowly rotrested. bot did not 60 IS though
frightened, as bis fat predecessor had. but
rather as q savage cur retrssts, turning hslf
arouod toward his pursu,r every few steps,
When he had reached the corner he stood at
bay. The uau edged up toward bin, bat b.
fore ha got within iumpir 6 distarcl the rat
shot { fl along the wall. He Vas driven back
ST. vsral times, and he became uRlier at every
defeat, uotil at length the little nau was jus.
ready to spring 1 t MIN, when the rat maus q
noisy tq1osk end jumped straight t9r his
throat.
l. btu1d:d from the Fl DOT with * T. ordi-
navy Srs0gth End shot st the mans throat as
slough drivon from olDnon, with its teeth
all showing and its long tail straight. The rat.
cstcher threw up his aim, hitting it savage
blew. VT ion drove ID agsinst tho wall, whepas il
fell 10 the floor With thud, IL an instant it
Got on its fee. SID made another furious spring
s. the rat-oatchor's throat. This time ho
lodged it. The ras, when it olns to the floor,
then started f,r it's bo'e, but fai!irg to got 10
orcs more ran aorg to the ctroer. The little
mao was cilc'irg about it, constantly uttering
the fqleakipg Call through his teeth.
He sloEly approached the rat again, which
was again at bay 10 the corner. but whenlv.r
the animal showed auy disposition to jump he
would retreat. These tactics were kept up fer
soms time. till the r't started once more toward
its hole. That WAS the fatal stop. for ths in-
ward ard pinned it with both hands to the ,or.
His recklessaess in di7icg forward was as re-
markable s5 bis SUCCESS in always cato5ir 6 the
rat.
Tic rep7rtor no!ic'd that nearly half dczsu
big rs.s wer, on tho foor. buddled behind the
harness clesst They hsd slipped cat ftbs holes
unnotioed. and skurried around for conceal!
ment during tbefght. The catcher took lis
long torgs, and orept toward them with the
implement open and held we'll 10 front. Ons
of the rats started alorg the wall, and The
catcher aprass after it and caught it BY the
tail as it ran along with his big tougs. snd held
it dangling up to viaw. This was thrust into
The bag. and The o'hc's 8 ov joined it.
By morning he he'd taccaedld 10 bagsirg
about ff y large rails.
"What d. yeu do with them sl?" the re-
porter asked.
II havs number Of do; S. for irainin'," sa'
they arc vary fond of rats -
Ihe little nsn wcDt trudgiug up The street
in the early morning, with his huge burden of
sarsmbirg rats oyershadoWing his figure.