The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1882-05-06
A Might With A Rat Catcher,

81 constantly thinks about 'em, SIR" he
gays, 'and lose no opportunity for a
tindin' cut their curious wavs. which is
quite remarkable, do assure you, SIR"
Are there many III your line here2"
ihcre ls many, sir, which has the auda-
city to call themselves rat catchers, which
they amt, notwithstanding. should saw
| there Is about ten of 'em."
His hair Is long and tangled; he has q
scraggy moustnche, and his hands are un.
commonly large, with monslrous knuckles
and long nails; they arc SCARED IN many
places. He is much under the average
height, and as quick as rat In his move
ments. lie docs everything with abrup,
gestures. When putting on his hat h,s
hand moves with great rapldlty. He walks
lelsurely to within two feet of O door. and
then bis hand flies out and tho door opepf
like flash. His speech is as slow as bis
movements are rapid, and tho muscles OF
his 1acc never seem to change. His ruling
passion Is his great pride in his calling.
which It's looked up to on the other
sldc, he says, cas- it should be, benz O
perfesslon rcquirin' unusual abilitlcs.n
lie invited the reporter to o. with him
on one of his expeditions against his en-
emy, the rat. and few nights later thew
met at stable in West Fortieth street,
The rat catcher wore a pair of light CLOTH
slippers, heavy trousers flannel shirt. and
vest. He had kit of tools with him. and
at about IL o'clock he went to work.
First he went carefully around the edges
OF the floor, and learned every rat hole.
There were number; some Mt the edges
OF the partitions between the stalls. others
at the washstand, and a number in the
harness closet. The rats had ruined VAL
uable harness. Many IF orts had been
made to exterminate them, but without
SUCCESS.
~ guess I'll get 'em out, sir. I lust
cleared 2l7 rats out of private residence
on Tenth avenue in three night" he said.
He then took a number of little wire
doors out of his bag They were about
1our inches square. One Of these was
screwed over each rat hole at an angle of
1orty-hVe degrees, so that tue rat could
easily raise il on coming out of the hole,
put could not get back into the hoe again
after 1t had dropped in place. When
every hole had been thus covered the re-
norler retired to the top of shelf of q
long step ladder and smoked, while the
rat catcher turned down the lights and
cleared the large floor of the stable of all
me small objects that could bo readily
plleo IN the carriages or Oh the shelves.
Are you sure the rats will come ou,9"
oh, yes, Sir. They comes out overy
night. SCme men professin' to call them
serves professionals claims that they have
poison that will make rats como out O.
1netr nole an die, but 1t can't be done.
rats ffofo'-.ieass1 ds,hoy" JtJNav can aparm
rous poison causes most horrid thirst, an
the rats comes out of their holes an
drinks, an then goes back an dies. Then
there's q pretty how-to %, an whole
hoors must come up at great expense"
lie was moving about IN most stealthy
manner, now trying enc little gate and now
another. A large bag Of coarse material,
Win string with which to close the
opening, hung on harness peg, and he
had sprinklcd alitlIe powder down several
OF the holes, which was designed TO make
the rats thirsty and cause them 10 come
out Tor water. Ho lighted q stub pipe
and percEed himself on the bottom OF the
step ladder with his chin in one hand,
while he slowly opened and closed PAIR
OF tongs, nearly two feet long, with flat
blades.
Everything was quiet for few minutes
anu then there was slight scratching a.
one or the little doors, and q monstrous
rat, as lat as an alderman, slowly came
out. The door dropped to behind him;
he turned quickly, tried to get back, and
ran squcaling along the wall.
''He 8 good one," remarked tho little
man in a whisper, going out into the
middle OF the room, laying his pipe on tho
step and turning up tho gas. "i'Il tell
you what Ill do; III catch this one IN my
hands.'
lie began to squeak through his teeth,
making noise like the sQueaklpg of a
rat, and slowly approached the fat intru-
Ger. The rat backed INTO 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 tho wall.
In an instant the little man had eprung
forward with bound that was entirely
reckless, and went, head first, for the rat.
Both his hands were outstretchcd, and he
pinned 1t to the floor with force that
made 1t squeal. The bound was like that
which s. Cat would make.
"He is indeed a fat one, SIR" he saia,
getting on his feet; "yol'll obserye.--''
Keep him away! Amt you afraid
he'll blte2"
"Afratd, sir3 do assure you nothing
is further from my thoughts. Besides, its
very rarely that they bite if you know
how to handle 'cm. You might let this
one run all over yon and not get hurt"
''Yes; might, but won't"
IL will, thcn," he said, calmly, and be-
fore the reporter could interfere the little
Englishman had thrust the rat inside lis
clothing, and the creature emerged from
his right trousers leg and shot like me-
teor behind the step ladder The reporter
Led his feet one step higher, and the
at catcher crcpt up toward the rat with
the same qmet movement that cat dis
plays. The badgcred animal shot one
way and another until 1t reached the
corner, when the little man pounced on
1t and dropped it into the bag. There 1t
"a lealcd tor a time aud then became
q 'iet. while the little rat catcher resumed
| ills pipe.
We're you ever badly bitten2"
Several times. Once 1 suffered long,
| but l deserved it, for let tho beast bite
me through carelessness, you know. uis
| bite poisoned my arm, an had dread
full unhappy time for four months or So
1t was III Pittsburgh, Pa. Rats2 Well
| there was rats there an no mistake, .Ir
| the st. Clair hotel | calpht 100 In IN,