Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-09-18

Talks Atout the Habits. and Peculiarly
tass % the psstiforous Rodents.

Talks About the Habits and Reculiari-
ties % the Psstiforous Rodents.
-Where do the rats coma FROM said
the rat-catcher. Originally from the
sewer, and when the cellar iloor is not
made of cement or stone they are sure
to get into the house. When the track
is once opened they keep 1t well beaten.
They go from the cellar all over the
house, The lead pipes in the wall make
EXCELLENT ladders for them to climb. They
ire excellent climbers. When house is
o be cleaned the pipes are creased, if
hey can be got at, so as to keep the rats
n one part of the house. II this can not
re done, then wire nets, with sharp
pointed sides, are hung directly near the
roles. These tickle their whiskers, and
when they raise the net and pass under
i they can not get back to the hole, In
5his way they are all corralled in one
place. 1t takes time, as they are cute,
and some of the old fellows can not be
led into any sort Of traps. II there is
anything in their way they will so mile
out of their course to get around it.
When they get in places where
can not reach them with the tongs |
generally shoot them with small pistol.
Some Of the old fellows have fancy Of
settling m the ceiling and are the hard
est to get at. The best thing i know of
! with which to treat these obstinate citi-
zens is a good dose of burning cayenne
pepper. This suffocates them, II they
get a large Whit at the start and
then the house suddenly becomes filed
with sewer gas, which disappears as soon
as the carcasses dry up and blow away.
Rats breed rapidly, and if all Of them are
not destroyed they will quickly overrun
house again. H#@ 8a
Ever been bitten? A hundred times
and more. The bite does not usually
amount to anything. Rats have two
motions of the jaw in biting. The first
is soft and delicate, and the teeth just
scratch the object they have hold of
Then follows quick, sharp powerful
action of the jaw, and the slender teeth
sink up 30 the gums and stay there. This
bite is dangerous; the first nip amount:
to nothing. II tho teeth have gone deeply
into my hand I always suck the wound
This seems to keep the swelling down,
but always good deal OF pain follows
Ny arm has swollen sometimes when {
hungry fellow has given me nip tx
twice its natural size. It's strange, bu
there is no harm in the bite Of a well-feC
rat. A frightened rat will fight, if cor
nered, and viciously, too. The way t.
grab rats so that they can not bite is t.
seize them with strong grip just bacl
of the neck. They will howl like stucl
pigs, but can not get away and are en-
tirely under control.
Il used to have feFrets to clean on
houses, but gave them up long ago
They are TOO expensive and are Difficult
TO handle, and If savage viii bite wors
than rat An extra number have to b
kept on hand in training all the time
for when turned loose in she house wher
the rats are large one or more will b
killed They are just like rats in thei
habits and sbout he same size, and wit
a good-sised rat it h only question Q
which gets the best held first. Neithe
will et go. have had ferrets' teet
fastened in my fingers, aAd their jaw
were set SO firmly that they had to b
pried open VITA an iron bar.
What h done with the rats? The
are either drowned OF sold 10 dog-far
ciers, 10 train dogs 20 catch them, or fo
use in some Of the sporGng-houses at re
bats. Sonas of tbs choice ones may g
into TIE mystsxious dishes served up
Mott street m the Chinese colony. Th
business, however, rs growing less ever
} year. Every houss has its own trap, an
on every shelf is piece OF some wei
advertised ret poison. This is underniI
ing the business, and whore formerl
l could get 80 or S10o for keeping
house clear CT these mischievous visi
: ors, / am glad now to do the same wsr
' for $40 or $40. Thsze are only three {
I four professionals in the city. One {
{ them s6ll uses the fsrrsts, but he w;
: telling ms the other day that he had 4
little use for Shem that they die on h
hands New York Tribune.
, The Pivs KiASs Of Canal-Boats.
: g1'bero's five Kinds of canal-hoat