Bismarck weekly tribune., 1885-10-09
eAMINs FISHING FOR RArs
& Favorite Amusement In Lonisville--
Caught on q Fish Hook.

a Nosorite& InuSemenG IN AOulSv1llo-aS
Caught on Fish Hook.
louisville Courier-Journal.I
A reporter who was strolling on Jefferson
street one morning, droppel to the sport BY
accident In front of q restaurant, on the
south side of the street, he saw q crowd Of
newsboys aud bootblacks STOPPING over the
iron grating which covers the cellarway.
On the outside Of the crowd Of boys an
interested circle of gamblers and loafers
circled, all deeply intent OH the move-
ments OF the small boys One Of the
latter held manfuliy on to q thick
cord, one end of which was lost in the
darkness Of the cellar below. Pushing his
way into the crowd, the reporter, ON in
quiry, learned that the boy with the line
was fishing for rats. The buildings on JEFF
ferson street, like most others in the city,
are infested with rodents Of huge pr por-
tions, some of them as large as kitten and
as fierce and hostile as wild animals, aud it
was this game the boy with the string was
seeking.
Keep still, Jimmie; there's one,n whis-
Pered one OF the youngsters who, with his
face pressed close to the grating, was peer
ing into the dark depths. "There, he's after
the bait" he continued while he excitsily
shivered in the expectancy of fat catch.
SNOW he's got it, he shouted in glee as he
jumped up and danced about in the height
Of his excitement
And then the boy with the string gave it
jerk and began to pull the struggling
rodent to the surface Soon it was close to
the grating and could be plainly seem It
was of the large gray species, very plump,
and 1t turned and twisted and kicked desper-
ste'y trying to free itself from big fish
aook that was stuck in its jaw.
The crowd pressed closer, until the boy
who was engineering the line had scarcely
standing room.
"Git outsn the way" he cried, sor the
thing'll git off" Then the lockers on fell
back, and then with the aid of a crooked
stick in the hands of a second boy, the ami
NAL was forced up between the bars and
was held up to the view Of the admiriny
throng. III FL :,
"Now git dorg," yelled one of the gam
ins, and in second a chorus of Whistles
emanated from dozen pairs of puckered
lips, while wild dash was made for bar
ber-shop. where Scotch terrier with a con-
shtutional hatred for rats has abode The
dog soon made its appearance, and the
crowd surged into the street. The rat still
kicked and struggled on the string. foot or
twoabove the ground, while the dog jumped
and barked around it swapping at IL and
seeming eager to sink his teeth into it's
flesh. A ring was soon formed, with the
boy, the rat, and the dog in the center
Then the rat was lowered to the earth,
and no sooner touched it than it made q
scamper for the gutter. The crowd fell
back, but the rodent never reached the
multitude of feet The terrier quick as q
flash, had pounced on it, and catching 1t by
the neck closed his teeth viciously and shook
his enemy savagely until life was extinct.
Then he dropped his ratship, shifted it to see
II it was dead, gave bark Of satisfaction,
and was trotted majestically back to his
hair. The gam,ns gave a yell of pleasure,
kicked the rat into the gutter, and then ad-
journed once more to the grating until
another one of the pests had been secured
and the same performance gone through
with. s..4.a ss.~&.aa = is$$ 60
From bystander the reporter learned
that this sort Of amusement was the delight
Of the street boys life, and that every day
they caught number of rats which wsrs
afterward killed by the fuzzy Scotch terrier
from the barber-snop.