Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-23
Rat Catching,

II have caught and killed plenty Of big
rats in my time, but the biggest ones were
captured along the wharves," said old Jack
Gregory, or 'Engish Jack" as he is called
by his acquaintance. Gregory is little old
fellow, not more than five feet in height
and pressing close upon bis Goth year: He
lives in Camden, on William street, below
Roydon. When he starts out on his rat
catching expeditions he is always accom-
together. With box of ferrets thrown
over his shoulder English Jack" presents
an odd picture.
81 have followed rat catching for living
for forty years." said Gregory but the
most vicious chaps are generally found
along the wharves, near where the sewers
empty into the river. They grow up in
the sewers, and eventually find their
way to the waters edge, and there they
settle permanently or else take up quar-
ters in the warehouses; near the docks.
l don't mind job of clearing q stable
Of rats. That's fun for me. But when
| ain called upon to clean out Il ware
house always know that it means tough
work, with probaly the loss of two or three
ferIets Nine times out of ten rat will
run away from ferret, and when they
emerge from their holes my dogs and | just
Law for them and kill them as soon as they
show themselves. But | have had many II
valuable ferret killed by wharf rats. The
rats being used TO eating garbage, greedily
devour everything they come across and
grow 10 be tremendously large. have seen
lots that were as big as cats, and teroclous
fellows they were, too. remember once
of pitched battle that took place between
three of my ferrets and five rats down at
the sugar boiling house on Delaware av-
enue, below South street. Each rat was
fully from fifteen to eighteen inches in
| length and must have weighed from four
to five pounds apiece. They had it hot
| and heavy for quarter of an hour. The
ferrets fairly chewed the rats to pieces, and
| came out victorious, though severely bitten
| themselves. Subsequently one of the fer.
rets died. That night succeeded in kill
ing ninety rats But have seen larger rats
than those in my time A few years ago
my dogs caught rat down at the Washing
ton avenue grain elevator which was
much bigger than cat. 1t WAS two feet long
and weighed twelve pounds. He must have been
quite old and unusually fat. l guess he was the
king rat about the elevator ! was very anxious
to capture him alive, and it was hard work to
drive the dogs of, so eager were they to put al
| end to him. lie had fought them hard notwith-
standing his age and the dogs had their dander
up. | managed to drag them away, and then l
threw net around him aud brought him home
to Camden. / doctOrcd hun for three weeks and
his wounds healed pretty well. A saloon keeper
| near the old Navy Yard made me an offer of $40
aud sold the rat To him to place OH exhibition.
He did not make much by the venture, rs the
saloon keepers wife afraid of the big rat, and,
being anxious to get rid of the animal, poisoned
it, While the animal was OIL exhibition there
was sign displayed on the iron cage in which it
was confined saying: Don't fool with tho rat.
This Injunction was rather unnecessary, for all
the customers willingly refrained from poking
their. fingers between the bars to stir him up.
His looks were enough to brighten fnlks.'-IhHn-
delphia Record.