The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-07-14
Cats and Rats.

be SO thick in this city that we couldn't
live here. Bergh's idea of killing all the
cats is nonsense. I'm agin it, although
can't say but as how it would help
the business. But couldn't wish 9TH
er people no such harm as that"
This was said by Mr.. Thomas Fuller
ton, a retired rat-catcher, as he picked
up large gray rat with a pair of tongs,
and held it sq1ealing 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 if house is tight at the
bottom, and no holes from the sewers,
the rats won't get in"
'.How do you catch ratsp" asked the
reporter.
''It's all done on scientific principles.
There is great deal of nonsense told
about catching rats. Some men claim
to have powers of charming rats, and
some say that they use an oil or liquid
on the hands which prevents the. rats
from biting them. 1t is all untrue. This
is the only way Of holding rat
Fullerton was still holding the old rat
in his tongs. He whisked the rat up
under his armpit and closed his arm up
on it. The position did not seem to
suit him. He 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. Sliding his
hand over the rats back, he seized it
firmly by the shoulders and neck and
pulled it out. The rat was powerless tc
bite him, although it squirmed and
squealed vigorously. Pulling down its
lower Jaw, he showed the two long,
narrow fangs set closely together
"Those are bad things to get bitten
with he said. "The first bite don't
amount to much, and it is only when
the teeth close with second pressure
that there is trouble. That drives the
fangs in so deep that the poison at the
roots comes off in the wounds. / have
had my arm swollen clear up to the
shoulder by small bite on the hand.
But rat won't bite unless you brighten
him.
How do you clear house of ratsp''
''H the house has soft cellar floor
/ can get the rats out, but can't keep
them out. If it has hard 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 house
from escaping. You see rat is always
on the move. He is never still, but goes
from the sewer to the house and back
again very often. HaYing made the
cellar tight, find the runways BY
which the rats go from one floor to an
other. These are generally along lead
pipes in che walls. A rat will run up a
lead pipe as easy as walk along the
floor You can see the marks of their
feet on the runway. l nail small
square piece of tin over a part of the
runway and grease the outside. Now
q rat can't run up this, and he slips
down when he comes to it.
eff can't get at the runways find
the holes, and fix this wire door ON IL.
You see, it is made of four pieces OF
short wire laid parallel, held together
by crossbars and sharpened at 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 go back, as the gate falls and the
sharp points prevent him from lifting
1t. Now make rat trap of the whole
house. / so fix the gates and tin slides
that the rats will all be led into one room
in the basement. There they are securely
caught, as they can notpossibly get out.
! go among them with a dark lantern
and pick them up with my tongs. lean
catch them as quickly as a cat would a
mouse. If they get in places where ]
can't reach them shoot them with this
long target pistol. / use these little
target cartridges, and it kills them ey-
cry time.
When the rats get in ceilings !
smother them out with cayenne pepper.
| have fumigator here which works
like an air pump. burn red pepper in
1t and pump 1t into the ceiling. The
rats can't stand that, and they get ont
as fast as they can. That is better than
a ferret, as ferrets are expensive and
the rats often kill them. Ferrets are
scary things to handle. If they bite YOU
once you have to pry their jaws open.
When | want to catch rats for dogs /
set 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 d
siaughter-house at night and carry
dark lantern. / move softly about and
catch the rats with the tongs before they
have a chance to get away. In this way
have caught 10S rats in two hours and
a half. If you ever get bitten by rat
put the wound in hot water and make
1t bleed. Then battle it with arnica or
spirits OF turpentine, IN T. Sun.