The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-28
rryIng to Pick up 100 Live Hats
in 80 Minutes.
pu11AnELpHIA, March Io.-FOT

March ls.-For a
ra,or of a2OO William Lewis tired last
riGht to nick UP and place IN z baIIei
ION I've rats The agreement stipulated
g.. Iowis would have TO transfer the
80 from the pit to the barrel ia %
nr+os and that the work must be
- ,ritb hare hands and ar.Ls. Lewis
s. Philadclphiau, aud 10 years old.
H. has had fifteen years experience rs
I professional rat catcher. Twice IN
New York he won money by picking
mn rat. within a given tine. On one
occasion he won $50 by picking up .
rats in 10 minutes. They Were rats he
had handled before, and he did the JOB
without receiving a bite.
Fifty men paid 81 each to see last
nights exhibition in Franktord. In the
centre of the room a space cight ieet
square was surrounded by a tight board
fence four feet high. The floor was
covered an inch deep with sawdust. In
the centre of the pen stood an empty
whiskey barrel. the upper head OF which
was replaced by a piece OF canvas, with
:; hole IN it, centre.
While the Judge was trying to borrow
n watch Lewis clambered into the pit.
He wore a sleeveless undershirt, check
ed pantaloons and brogans. The legs
81 hi, trousers were tied around ms
ankles - as t. prevent h rats from
takinL refuge therein. His hands aud
arms were covered vita mush, which lie
believes viii prevent rats from biting
linn. Forty rats were dumped from a
Gaze into Tue pit. The rats darted
wildly around through the sawdust and
made vain cudcavurs to scale the fence.
Then they huda.ed in a %wrigglIng mass
III ono corner and the Judge ave Lewis
the wur,l tp bc.n. lie moved ove to
tie }5le OF rats aud without an instants
hesitation thrust MS naked hands and
arms among them. tie caught i've fat
fellows and dropped them INTO the bar
rel. lie next picked up three, then
four, then two, and 80 on until SIX min
utcs had expired. when he had placed
twsuty-onc OF the rodents in the barrel.
The rats that remained IN the pit were
wild. and Lewis was compelled To catch
them n at a time. The FIRST single
rat he picked up bit one Of ms fingers
through the had to the bone and hung
there Lewis Ierked his hand up aud
cent the vicious rat against the ceiling.
The wounded finger wa dippedin wills
KEY and the chase was resumed. sew
Ell rats were picked up and deity tossed
into the barrel. and then Lewis was Bit
ten twice on the right arm. He receiv-
cd four more wounds before the tOrticth
rat was imprisoned in the barrel. Then
forty more were dumped into the pit.
Lewis worked with great agility. and
rat after rat was picked up aud dropped
in the barrel with amazing rapidly.
The tifty-seventh rat he attempted to
touch spraug i'll his face as he stopped
and bit through his lower lip. Without
1luching, he grabbed the raj and tossed
it through the canvass cover. lie LOST
FIVE minutes stanchuE the blood that
flowed from his lip. IN picking Up the
other twenty three rats he WAS bitten
slightly i've times. Eighty rats we're in
the barseI. and Lewis had only seven
minutes to pick up the remaining TWEEN
ty. The time was too limited and
Lewis gave up the job and got out OF
the pit.