The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-04-04
I FOR A WAGER OF 5000. fua
to Pick up and Place in
a Barrel 100 Live Rats in go

u
| PHILADELPHIA, March 18.-For a
wager. of 5000 William Lewis tried
last night to pick up and place in q
| barrel 100 live rats. The articles of
agreement stipulated that to win
Lewis would have to transfer the
rats from the pit to- the barrel in go
minutes, and that the work must be
done with bare hands and arms,
Lewis is a Philadelphian, and 40
years old. He has had fifteen years
experience ;as professional rat
catcher. For five years he was en-
ployed catching wharf rats in New
York for the well known dog fancier
Harry Jennings Twice in New
York he won money by picking up
rats within q given time. Il On one
occasion he won $50 by picking up
twenty-five rates he had handled
before, and he did the job with
out receiving a bite. go"
Fifty men paid 81 each to see last
nights exhibition in Frankfort. In
the centre of the room space eight
feet 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 whisky barrel,
the upper head of which was re-
placed by a piece of canvas with a
hole in its centre. The rats were
confined in three t1n-ined wood
cages which stood in the yard. sue
While the judge was trying to
borrow watch, Lewis clambered
into the pit. He wore a sleeveless
.undershirt, check pantaloons, and
ibrogans.J The legs of his trousers
were tied around his ankles so as to
prevent the rats from taking ref
1uge therein. His hands and arms
were covered with musk, which he
believes will prevent rats from bit
ing him. Forty rats were dumped
from a cage into the pit. The rats
1darted wildly around through the
sawdust and made vain endeavors
to scale the fence Then they hud-
died in a wriggling mass in one
corner, and the judge gave Lewis
the word to begin. He moved over
to the pile of rats and without an
instant's hesitation thrust his naked
hands and arms among them. He
caught five fat fellows and dropped
them into the barrel. He next
picked up three and then four,
then two, and SO on, until six min
utes had expired, when he had
placed twenty-one rodents in the
barrel sa sas58 sHo a1es lD8
! The rats that remained in the pit
were wild, and Lewis was compelled
to catch them one at at time The
first single rat he picked up bit one
of his fingers through the nail to
the bono and hung there. Lewis
jerked his hand up and sent the
vicious rat against the ceiling The
wounded finger was dipped in
whiskey and the chase was resumed.
4 Seven rats were picked up and
deftly tossed in the barrel, and then
! Lewis was bitten twice on the right
arm. He received four more
wounds before the fortieth rat
was imprisoned in the barrel. Then
forty more were dumped into the
] pit Lewis worked with great
agility, and rat after was picked up
and dropped in the barrel with
amazing rapidity. The fifty-seventh
rat he attempted to touch sprang in
his face as he stopped and Bit
through his lower lip. Without
finching, he grabbed the rat and
s tossed it through the canvas cover
4t1He lost FIVE minutes stanching the
blood that flowed from his lip. Ii
picking up the other twenty-thret
rats he was bitten slightly five times
4 Eighty rats were in the barrel, an(
Lewis had only seven minutes t.
pick up the remaining twenty
The time was limited, and Lewis
/ gave up the job and got out of th'
pit. as