Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-07-05

hole again after ii had dropped in place.
When every hole had been thus covered
the reporter retired 10 the shelf of a
long stepladder and smoked, while the
rat-catcher turned down the lights and
cleared the large floor OF the stable of
all the small objects that could be-
readily piled in the carriages or ON the
shelves.
"Are You sure the rats will come
out?"
"oh, yes, sir. They comes out every
night. Some men professin' to call them
selves professionals claims that they has
q poison that will make rats come out o.
their holes an die. but il can't be done.
They claims, also, as how they can
charm rats; more lies, I assure you.
Phosphorus poison causes most horrid
thirst, an the rats comes out of their
holes an drinks an then goes back an
dies. Then there's a pretty how. to.do.
an whole floors must come up at great
expense"
He was moving about in most steal.
thy manner, now trying one little gate
and now another. A large bag Of coarse
material, with a string with which TO
close up the opening, hung on harness
peg, and he had sprinkled little pow
der down several holes, which was de-
signed to make the rats thirsty and
cause them to come ont for water. He
lighted q 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 min
utes, and then there was slight scratch
ing at one of the litrle doors and mon-
strous rat, as fat as an Alderman, slowly
came out. The door dropped to behind
him; he turned quickly, tried to get
back, and ran squealing along the wall.
Hes good one" remarked the
little man in whisper, going out into
the middle Of the room, laying his pipe
on the step, and turning on the gas.
"Tll tell you what I'll do; I'll catch this
one in my hands p
He began to squeak through his teeth,
making noise like the squealing rat,
and slowly approached the fat intruder.
The rat backed into q corner and stood
with his little eyes cleaning and tail
swishing rapidly from side to side. The
rat-catcher slowly drew closer until the
rat suddenly shot of along the wall. In
an instant the little man had sprung
forward with a bound that was entirely
reckless, and went head FIRST for the rat.
Both has hands were outstretched, and he
pinned it to the floor with force that
made it squeal. The bound was like that
which cat would make.
"He is indeed fat one, sir" he said,
getting on his feet; you'll observe"
keep him away. Amt you afraid
he'll biteP'
"Asraid, sir? I assure you nothing
is further from my thoughts. Besides,
it's very rarely that they bite if you
know how to handle 'em. You might
let this one run all over you and not get
hurt"
"Yes; might, but won't"
81 will, then," he said, calmly, and
before the reporter could interfere the
little Englishman had thrust the rat in
side his clothing, and the creature
emerged from his right trousers leg and
| shot like meteor behind the step-lad-
der. The reporter raised his feet one
step higher, and the rat-catcher crept
up toward the rat with the same quiet
movement that q sat displays. The
badgered animal shot one way and
another until il reached the corner,
when the little man pounced on it and
dropped it into the bag. There it
squealed for time and then became
quiet, while the little rat-catcher re-
sumed his pipe.
"were you ever badly bitten"
"Several times. Once suffered long,
but / deserved it. for let the beast bite
me through carelessness, you know.
His bite poisoned my arm, an / had
dreadful unhappy time for four months
or so. 1t was in Pittsburgh, Pa. Ratsa
Wsll, thero was rats there, an no mis-
take. In the ST. Clair Hotel caught
| 100 in one night, and 437 in six nights.
I caught 1863 in Seventh Avenue Hotel
in two night, and in five ! got 2ll out OF
the Monongahela Hotel"
"The hotels there seem TO have
been very fairly stocked
"wsll, yes, sir, but it's almost as bad
here. I've been five years employed
by Earles Hotel, cleared out the St
Stephen, an get regular jobs at the
Fifth Avenue, Windsor, Brunswick an
Metropolitan hotels. Rats iu abundance
! Is not desirable"
He laid his pipe on the step again and
said, reaectiyely.
"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 spcrt"
Another rat, much larger than the
| first, with scrawny legs and an ema-
ciated body. was standing by the hole