The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-31
To be Read by women.

| Neg York Sun,
Said Mr.. Thomas Fullerton, retired rat
catcher, as he picked up large gray rat
with pair OF tongs and held it, aquealing,
in the air:
"Rats is all alike. People talk Of the
sewer rat, the house rat, the Norway rat,
but they're all the same thing. There's no
difference between them. They all come
from the sewers in the first place, and II a
house 10 tight at the bottom and no holes
from the sewers the rats won't get in"
"How do you catch rats?" asked the
reporter.
"lt's all done on scientific PRINCIPLES.
This is the only way OF holding q rat"
Fullerton was still holding the old rat in
his tongs. He whisked the rat up under
his arm.pit and closed his arm upon it.
The position did not seem to suit him. de
repeated the maneuver until the belly Of
the rat laid evenly against his side. Then
he released the tongs and held the rat In
position by the pressure Of his arm. Slid:
ing his hand over the rats back. he seized
| 1t firmly by the shoulders and neck and
pulled 1t out. The rat was powerless TO
bite him, although itsquirmed ands quealed
vigorously. Pulling down it's lower ir, he
showed the two long. narrow fangs set
closely together.
CHOSE are bad things to be bit WITH"
he said. "The first bite don't amount to
much and It's only when the teeth close
with second pressure that thereis trouble.
That drives the iangs in 30 deep that the
poison at the roofs comes oil in the
wounds. have had my arm swollen
clear up to the shoulder by small bite on
the hand. Bnt a rat won't bite unless you
frighten him."
"How do you clear house Of rats ?"
"Ii the house has soft cellar floor can
get the rats out, butt can't keep them out.
| II 1t has bard foundation hunt out all
the holes leading from the sewers and stop
them up with sand and cement. That
prevents any more from getting in and
those in the hou Ie from escaping. Having
made the cellar tight, / find the runways
BY which the rats 20 from one floor 10 an.
other These are generally along lead pipes
in the walls. A rat will run up lead pipe
as easy as walk along the floor. l nail a
small square piece Of tin over part OF the
runway and grease the outside. Now, a
rat can't run up this, and he slips down
when he comes TO It
III I can't get at the runways find the
holes and FIX this wire door!oni 1t. You see,
| It Is made oil four pieces Of short wire laid
parallel, held together by crSsSbars and
sharpened Of the ends. This Is suspended by
The top over rat hole. Coming from the
hole a rat can easily lift It up and get
through, but he can't get back, as the gate
falls and. the sharp points prevent him from
lifting II. Now make rat trap OF the
whole house. l 30 FIX the gates and tin
aides that the rats will all be be led into on Q
room in the basement, There they are &C.
curely caught, as they can not possibly get
out. | 90 among them with dark lantern
and pick them up with my tongs. can
catch them as quickly as cat can mouse.
| II they get 10 places where can't reach
them I shoot them with this long target pis.
tol. use these little target cartridges, and
| It kills them every,time.
"When the rats get in ceilings smother
them out with cayenne pepper | have a
fumirator here which works like an air
pump. burn red pepper In 1t and pump
Il into the ceiling. The rats can't stand
that, and they get out as fast as they can.
That Is better than ferret, as the terets
are expensive and the rats often kill them.
Ferets are scary things TO handle. Ifthey
bite you have to pry their jaws open.
When l want to catch rats for dogs
l Get traps First remove everything
out Of their way, so that they
will get very hungry. Then ! set the traps.
Then have another way Of catching them.
wear rubber shoes into slaughter house
at night and carry dark lantern. l move
safely about and catch the rats with tongs
before they have chance to getaway In
this way have caught 1853 rats In two
hours and q half. Ityou ever get bitten
by a rat, put the wound in hot water and
makelt bleed. Then batheit with arnica,
or spirits Of turpentine.