Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-16
Price Four Cents.

There it squealed for time and then be- came quiet, while the little rat catcher re- l sumed his pipe.
 'Were you rver badly bitten ?' Several times. Once I suffered long but deserved it, for Jet the beast bite me 1 through carelessness, you know His bite l happy time for four months or so. It was in l Pittsburg, Pa Rats? We'll, there was rats 1 there an no mistake. In the St. CIair Hotel | caught 120 in one night, and 437 in six | nights. I caught 1G9 in the Seventh Avenue ' Hotel in two nights, and in five got 2II out of the Monongahela Hotel"
 ''The hotels there seem to have been very 1 fairly stocked.''
 Well, yes, sir, but it's almost as bad here. I've been five years employed by Earle's Ho- 1 tel cleared out the St. Stephen an get reg ular jobs at the Fifth Avenue, Windsor, l Brunswick an Metropolitan Hotels Rats in abundance is not desirable"
 He laid his pipe on the step again and said refectively:
 That's as ugly lookin' customer as I've seen this many day. He'll fight, but I'll get him bare handed just 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 emerged from and trying to open the little wire door. When the little man approached him the rat slowly retreated, but did not go as though frightened, as his fat predecessor had. but rather as a savage cur retreats, turning half | around toward his pursuer 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 distance the rat shot of along the wall He was driven back several times, and he became uglier at every defeat until at length the little man was just ready to spring at him, when the rat made noisy squeak and jumped straight for his throat. It bounded from the floor with a spring of extraordinary strength and shot at the mans throat as though driy- en from cannon, with its teeth all showing and it's long tail straight. The rat catcher threw up his arm, hitting it a savage blow, which drove it against the wall, whence 1t 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 dodged it. The rat, when it came to the floor then, started for its hole, but falling to get in once more, ran along to the corner The little man was circling about it, con- stantly uttering the squeaking call through his teeth
 ''I'll get him this time" he said calmly ''hes 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 WOulu retreat 1uSoS ldNLHSo hCLC AE LfL up for some time, till the rat started once more toward it's lsle. That was the fatal step. for the instant it started the catcher threw him self forward and pinned 1t with both hands to the floor. His recklessness in diving for ward was as remarkable as his success in al- ways catching the ra..
 '.Ah, you big villain, You,n
 twill you keep it away from here :"
 ''AI right, sir. He won't hurt you now, will you, me boy 2" and he gave the beast two or three vicious slaps before he deposit ed it in the bag with its fellow. I've tackled many, but he was as ugly house rat as I ever seen, an g man who don't under stand handlin',of 'em would be apt to get hurt, sir. I'll show you now how l catches the most of 'em."
 The reporter noticed that half dozen big rats were on the floor, huddled behind the harness closet. They had slipped out of the holes unnoticed, and skurried around for eoncealment during the fight. The catcher took his long tongs, and crept toward them with the implement open and held well ID front. One of the rats started along the wall, and the catcher sprang after 1t and caught it by the tail as 1t ran along with hls big tongs, and held it dangling up to view This was thrust into the bag, and the others soon joined 1t.
 Now we'll have the pleasure of waitin', observed the little man, as he sprlnkled more OI pOhASA III h--C A-O4SSsASAt his pipe, and, turning the gas almost out, seated himself on the lower steps of the lad der and fell into deep meditation. For an hour he sat thus, without speaking, and while the reporter Ioosscc, iisteue4-ro-theH occasional clicking of the little doors and the monotonous batter of the rats feet as they scampered to and fro on the bare floor When the little man turned up the gas there was sight At least half hundred black and brown little animals were scudding around on the floor. The repugnance that men naturally feel for rats seemed to have no place in the feelings of the stumpy little rat catcher, who sailed into his work with great vigor. Only twice did he encounter any opposition, and then it WAS short lived At the expiration of half an hour they were all squeaking together iu the big bag-a turbulent mass of rats. He went outside in the yard and brought in a little terrier to guard the place till morning, and then, swingingthe bag his shoulders, he went out into the street.
 "what do you do with them all :'' we asked.
 'I have number of dogs for trainiu', an they're very fond of rats.'i
 The little man went trudgiDg up the street ip the early morning with his huge burden of scrambling rats overshadowing his figure