The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-05-19
Rat-KilIing.


the residents of Camden, in reply TO a
question propounded TO him the other
day about his peculiar business. The
noted rat-killer is little, well-built
man, fifty-three years of age. He lives
alone at No. 4i6 Henry street. His
only companions are his ferrets, dogs
and white rats, to which he is greatly
attached. Pickle and ''Jack," his
canine companions, are two fine blood
cd Scotch terriers. When not at work
they live in a kennel in the kitchen.
Their master values them at five hun
bred dollars. For thirteen years they
have been actively engaged in aiding
English Jack" to make a living by ex-
terminating the rodents, and Gregory
aptly says: They have chewed up more
rats than any other dogs in the world.
Cages containing ferrets and white
rats occupy the rooms on the second
story. There are only fifteen of the
former Just now, thirty-ive having died
during the past nine months. These
animals look something like rats, rang
ING in length from six to fourteen inch
es They have a smooth coat of fur of
a brown and white color. The white
rats were bred from pair imported
from Albino, Turkey, are quite tame,
and, like the ferrets, have red eyes.
They are kept in room apart from the
ferrets.
After his visitor had been shown
through the house, English Jack" told
how he came to take up the disagreea-
BILE business: "When lad, living at
Nottingham, Eng, ] made the acquaint
ance of Wallet, the Queens jester, who
brought me with him TO this country.
Wallet acted as a clown with various
circuses for thirteen years, and | accom-
panied him as a servant. He always
carried pair of ferrets around with
him to amuse his friends at private rat
bats. When | was twenty-three years
old Wallet returned to England, but
before going he gave me his ferrets and
advised me to take up the business of
rat-killing for living. The first job l
undertook was to rid old Matthew Bald
wins house, on the river road, between
Tacony and Bridesburg of rats. Twas
there two days and got 500 for de-
stroying over hundred rats. [ met
with such success at this my first vent
ure that | somehow became imbued
with passion for killing rats, and as L
grew older the feeling rather increased.
Now nothing suits me better than to
spend whole night in q cellar and
watch with Pickle and Jack for the rats
rs they come out of their holes to es-
cape the ferrets who are in pursuit of
them. Then the dogs fall on them, and
their death squeaks sound like music
on my ears. If the rats come out in
numbers then / take hand, for l con-
slider myself as good as either of the
dogs, and between Pickle. Jack and me
few ever manage to escape.
During the war Colonel Eastman,
who was in command at Fort Miffiin,
contracted with me to rid the place of
rats. killed over one thousand in a
few weeks. From there j was sum-
moned to Fort Delaware. Would you
believe it; in little over month and
a half / killed sixteen thousand rats.
Nearly all of them were caught near
the pen in which the rebel prisoners were
stationed / used to pile 'em up in heaps
for the purpose of allowing the rebs to
eat 'em.
Eyes; eat EN-" continued old Jack,
as his listener expressed doubt about
the truth of the remark 81 have seen
men at Fort Delaware skin rats and eat
them with salt. just let me tell you
that nothing looks nicer and cleaner
than a skinned corn-fed rat / would
eat such a rat in a minute, but
wouldn't 90 a sewer or q slaughter.
house rat for money. cause they are
dirty. l have often killed rats by biting
their backs. You see, just pick EN-
up with one hand, sink my teeth il
their backs, and they are done for,
/ have a record for killing five rats in
thirty seconds in that way. have ac-
complished the feat hundreds of times
in the presence of many respectable anC
wealthy gentlemen. That how cam,
10 loose my teeth. / used TO draw GU
rats teeth with my own when people
wanted to rear them as pets Now
use pair of pinchers for the purpose
Il hatter myself that no man in thi
country knows more about rats or thei
habits than / do. l have watched anC
studied their ways over quartz
of a century, and L think Their
is not a more cunning animal living
They win steal anything and eat thei
way into anything but iron They hay,
but four teeth, two in the upper and TIVE
in the lower jaw, and these they pl.
with almost inconceivable rapidity.
have often heard of deaths occurrin;
by rat bites, but in this regard. itseems
am protected from harm. Take a lool
at my hands. There is not a spot o.
them large enough TO cover pin-hea'
that does not bear some kind OF scar
have been bitten hundreds of times
but an application of salt and whisk,
speedily removes ali pain and cause
the wound to heal
Ferrets are troublesome animals T.
take care of. have spent much none