Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-11
THE SLAYER OF 100000 RATS.
Man who Has Spent Thirty Years In
Destroying k kOdcnts.

tFrom the Philadelphia Rccord.l
live killed over quarter of million of
rats during the past thirty years, said old
John Gregory or English Jack, " as he is ia
miially termed by the residents of Camden.
The noted rat killer is a little, well-built
man, 90 years Of age. He lives alone at 4l6
Henry street. His only companions are his
ferrets, dogs and white rats, TO which hc is
greatly attached. Pickle" and "Jack," his
canine companions, are two fine blooded
Scotch terriers. When not at work they live
in kennel in the kitchen. Their master
values them at $500. For thirteen years
they have been actively engaged in aiding
| English Jack" TO make living by exter-
mnaiing the rodents, and Gregory aptly
| says: "They have chcwcd up more rats
than any other dogs in the world"
| After his visitor had been shown through
the house "English Jack" told how he eauc
| TO take up the Gisagreeable business "When
a lad, living at Nottingham, England, lmade
The acquaintance OF Wallet, the Queens
jester, who brought me with him TO this
country. Wail,l II acted as clown with va
| riUus circuscs for thirteen years, and ac-
companied him as Il servant. He always
carried pair of fcrrcts around with him to
amuse his friends at private rat ba1ls. When
| was 90 years old Wallet returned to Eng
land but before going he gave me his fcrrcts
aud advised me TO take up the business OF
killing for living. The first job I'M
dcrtook was to rid old Matthew Baldwin's
house on the River road between Tao my
and Bridcsburgh, of rats. was there two
days, aud got 800 for destroying over Il
hundred rats. meet with such success at
this NV first venture that | somehow became
imbued with passion for killing rats, and
as grew older the feeling rather increased
Now nothing suits me better than to spent
whole night in cellar with Pickle ant
Jack for the rats as they come out o.
their holes to escape the ferre,s wh'
are in pursuit Uf them. Then the dogs fal
on them and their dealh-squeaks sound lik,
music on my ears. If the rats come out il
numbers then take hand, for consider
: myself as good us either of the dogs. and be
tween Pickle, jack and me few ever manag
5 10 escape.
During the war was summoned to For
= Delaware. Would you believe it in littl
= over a month ard half killed 10000 rats
5 Nearly all OF them were caught near the pc
Il in which the rebel prisoners were stationed
Il | used to pile em up in heaps for hcpurpos
n Of allowing the lcbs to eat 'em.
l. II tlattcr my self that no man in this couu
c try knows more about rats or their habit
a than do. | have watched and studio
J. their ways over a quarter of century
a and l think there is not more cui
II ming aelmal living, They will stei
J. anything and eat their way into any
e thing but iron, They have but four tcctl
II two in the upper and two in the lower jaw
II and these they ply with almost inconceivab
J. rapidity. have often heard of deaths o'
curing by rat bites, but in this regard
e. seems | am protected from harm. TAX
s, a look at my hands There is not spot q
n them large enough 10 cover pin head tn
CT does not bear some kind of u scar. / hay
a. been bitten hundreds Of times, but an app
y, cation of salt and whiskey speedily remov
It all pain aud causes the wound to heal.
o. "Ferrets are troublesome animals to tai
IN care OF. have spent much money tryii
he to domesticatc them, but never succeeded
as make Il journey to England every year aud
ar half for the purpose Of increasing my stoc
20. as they die rapidly. They are worth abo
X fifteen dollars apiece, lose about 50
IT. worth year. Sometimes they 4
ne killed in fights with monster ii
ry or wander through drain pipes oil into Sc
he ers, and never return. AS soon as l let tht
m out of my bag they scrlmmage around a C
re- lar until they fad a rat hole, and then I'll
re- disappear. They will go wherever
th, goes. Having but few bones, they can We
Ter their way through any building. Rats |
re, crror-slrcken at the sight of fcrrets. and
on. TO escape by emerging from the holes. Tl
led it is sure death for them. So frightened
ma rats become at the sight of ferrets that |
the seen them time and again rush to the edge
Tier a hole, look around in dismay, and Il
Ugh jump into the yawning mouths of the dog