Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-20
A QUEER BUSINESS.
A Bnftie-SearrSd Veteran Shows u
Novice How TO Catch Hats.

novice How TO Catch Hats.
"Waii TIL strike light" said an old
battle-scarred Tat.catcber TO a New YORK
Tribune reporter as b. dropped big bag
in the hallway Of large dwelling In Second
avenue. In a moment more the circular
CLEAN from the bulPs.eye lantern flashed IN
the darkness. Holding the light in front
be moved cautiously 10 the end Of the hail.
Coming to door he raped on IL smartIy,
dnd there was wild scampering and
sqUealing on the inside.
"Just bear tie beauties" exclaimed the
rat-catchcr. :" You want TO see how
pick item up! Well. II you'll not nc
frightened II one Of the lively fellows starts
up yOuf trousers leg and comes under your
shiTi.c0lar you'll have no trouble. just
sip in tcmnd me Ike a fll-h, and Keep
your feet moving. so that none OF tlem get
into the hall. Thei's the style. Not one
got cut. Just stand still aud watch the
iwn."
The large BAG was opened. and one side
Of il Vas loosely suspended from the rat
cfj'bct:- teeth. With one hand h, held the
fight and the other side of the bag. so that
4 could be- easily and quickly opened aud
closed. ana in the other he held large pair
of old.fishionCd TOMS. There were rats u
al .,ZeS and ages. from The gray-Whiskcred
grandfather down to The third and fourth
generations. They seemed to have io>i their
head. and ran IN every direction. tum-
bling over one another. The Oh fellows
followed around thc hasc.board, seeking q
convenient crack or hole 10 -lir aNaJ.
lh,v could lind the hole where they came
in. but it had been closed Dy IN ingenious
scli-aciing device. When they got settled
down IN q philosophical spir,t not to worry
until they found out what II was all about
the Tat-catchcr took hand in the fun.
Moving straight acTos. the room. with the
llaht turned INTO The shining ttllc eyes
on The foor, with the lOu-- 80 quickly
sraprd no rat after nt with great
XII. while gazing at The light tbo un'u-'
Meeting rodents dill not see the tong, and
were seized and IN tine bag. biiiny and
scratching their liieudS and Relatives, before
thcy had time 10 wink ihuir cy,-. And
such a Sgucaing NOf one Of them vt
imltcd 10 bite The rai.caichcr. but they
hovorcG around The silent spectator with a
-icat show Of familiarity. Tut no harm
Ha- done. and IN few minutes the li't a.
the ld. little fellow just on of short
clothes. had his ,Qucal stopped lpTeyer 10y
quick snap of the tong+
Now IT,, over" said the rat catcher.
Just nineteen. I'll told. There will be
more here tomorrow, and then the place
viii be pretty well cleaned ont. Where do
tIcsc rat, come from Originally from the
sever. and " hen the cellar iloor j. not made
+ cen cnt or stone they are sure 10 ct into
tie house. When the track j. once opened
iLcy keep il well beaten. They 20 from the
cellar al over the house. The lead pipes in
Ia H.. f..- IA
climb. They are excellent climbers. When
ahou,cl, 70 be cleaned the Tipc- arr grea.oi.
II ihcy ear be got ut. 50 Is to keep the rats in
one part OF the house. ii this cannot he done,
then wire net-, with sblrp-poutod sides,
are hung directly pear the holes. These
iicklc their Vhiskcrs. aud when tIey raise
the net and pass under il they cannot get
back 10 the hole. In thi. way they are all
corrallcd in one place. II takes time, a.
ilcy are cute. ana some 81 the Old fellows
cannot be I'D into any sort 81 traps.
II there j. anything in their way thcE will
20 a mile out OF their course 10 get
around il. When they Get in place
vbcIc cannot reach them with the
tole, generally shoot them With small
pi~tol. Soar of the old fellows have 4
fancy Of settling in the ccilin.. and are the
hardest to yet ~. The best thin2 | know
II with which 10 treat these obstinate ciii-
zcue i, good dose ~ burning cayenne
perpcr. hi. ,Iiliocates them. II they get
a large Whit az the start, and then TIE
house suddenly become. filed with sewer
ga. which disappears a. soon a. the car
case, dry mp and blow away. Rats breed
RAPIDLY. and IL all II them are not destroyed
hey will quickly oycrrun = house again.
Ever been biucn!" \ hundred times
and more. The bite doe, not usually
amount 10 anything. Rats have two mo-
tions Of the jaw IN biting. The first i. soft
and delicate. and the teeth iust scratch the
object they have hold Of Then follows q
quick, sharp powerful action Of the Jaw,
and the slender teeth sink up 20 the gum,
and STAY there. This bito i dangerous:
the first nip amounts 10 nothing.
II the teeth have gone deeply
into ny hand always suck tn
wound. Thi, seems 10 keep The swelling
down, but Away, good deal II pam Iol'
lows. Ny arm has swollen somctim :.
when hungry fellow has gi'ca me up,
10 twice is natural size. is strange, bul
thee j. 10 narm in the bio oi we'l-ird
ra1. A frightened raj will fight II corncrcd.
and yiciou-ly, too. The way TO grab rat-
SO that they cannot bite l. To sriZc them
e ith strong grip iu-t back 0i the neck.
They viii howl hHc tuck pig, bnt en-
not g,t away, aud a9t entirely under con
troll.
II used 10 have fcrrc;s 10 clean out
houses, lut gave them W. long age. TdcY
arc too tXp,u,ivcanj aIc diilicultto handle.
and il savage " III bite Wors than q rat. I'm
extra number have 10 le kept on hand ~
training all the time, for when turned loo,
i'm house where the rats are large one on
more will be- Killed. Thcvarc just like ra'-
n iLeir habits and about the same size, and
with good-sizcd Tat il j. only question Of
which gets The best hold iirsi. Neither will
ia 90. / have had icrrc,>' teeth fastened
in Ivy finger. and their jaws were set 50
firmly that they had 70 Dec pticd opcn win
an non lar.
.sNhat j. done with Tie yais; They are
cithor drowned or sold TO dog fancicrs,
10 train dogs 10 catch them, or for Use in
SONG 81 the spOrting-!ousc, n rii-hai.-.
some II the choice onts mgy crt into The
my,toriou. dishes .crycd up in Not street,
m he Chinese colony The business. how
ever, is growing less every year. Every
house ha- lis own tap, and on every shell
l. a piece Of some wcii-adycrti>ed rif-p0i-
SON This i undermining the business.
and where formerly | could q, $50 or 500
FOR keeping q house clear OF these inl,-
ciicyou> visitors | an glad now 10 do the
same work Tor go or go. There are only
three or four profess SIGNALS in the city. one
Of them still uses the feIrcis, but be was
telling me the other day that he had 50
little u,c Tor them that they die ON hl-
hands.
Yes. some rat.ratchcrs claim to be able
10 charm rats. never saw rat That
could be charmed. though I've often seen
il tried. The method used i Whi-tling or
singing q doleiul song. The rats VIII, Il is
true. exhibit establishment at shril wills
tie, but when the animal is said to be IN
der the mysterious influence OF the whistler
never saw one yet. If be was little hun
CIV. that would not send his teeth through
your finger just the same as il he had never
been charmed. This whole business is a
humbug. and Is The experiment l. trled
always with 4 tame rat. people get m IDEA
that there i something in il and are
duped."
The SimpiOn Alpine Tunnel
pu FaI a. I