Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-23
Am Oid-tine Rat Batting.

A genuine oldtime rat batting took place
Wednesday afternoon ia the resr cf a well
known sporting resort not five blocks from
the City Hall, New York. Tha old time
round pit was dispensed with small
room, eight feet square, was stripped Of fur
niturc and used instead OF pit. On two
sidts of the little room are large, square
glass wiDdows. The door is also Of glass.
The spectators stood on the outside CT the
room and watched the fun through the glass
wiudows and door. at precisely 2:05 o'clock
tie master OF ceremonies approached with 8
large, square wooden box. One of the win.
dows was opened, the box was thrust
through it and at ths same time the lid
was pulled up. Fifty round, fat rodents
ieaped into the room. They went ecamper.
ing away in every direction, thinking they
were at liberty. After making several cir.
cults of the room they finally nestled in
groups in the four corners. Five minutes
after the rats had been dumped into the
room the owner Of the dog came IN with
knock-kneed, long. bodied and diminutive-
legged back-and-tan dachshund which be
caiu ed, Notwithstanding bis ungainly pro-
portions, "cud eat dc hul of dem in tir-
teen minutes n not ha'f try" The
crowd of spectators was considerably
disappointed in the appearance of the dog.
They expected to see clean cut, sprghtly
little Scotch terrier. They gave evidences
OF their disgust in pretty round terms. Thir-
teen minutes was the time in which "Peter,"
the dog, was to kill the rats. The window
was again raised and Peter caught sight
of huge rat as it ran across the room. He
became almost uncomfortable. His long
flap ears assumed rampant appearance
his eyes shown like beads and his body
quivered with inten8c excitement. His
owner dropped him into the room. At
2:10 o'clock he literally bounded on to the
rat, caught i! il his mouth, shook il just
once tossed il ia!o the air, and sprang for
bunch of the rodents which were huddied
together in ore corner. Such scamperipg
and squealing. Rat after rat was seized by
the clumsy little Peter and tossed into
the sir. only 10 come down desd The little
room was perfect pendemoniun. Not
sound issued from little Peter es he wad-
died with might and main up and down and
around the room. In five minutes the
bodies Of twenty five dead rats and two
wounded ones bestrewed the floor AS
Peter made dash at cofnered rat the lat
ter jumped foot from the floor and grabbed
Peter by the side ofthe heaG with his mouth,
duu ueJt Ou ilhS grim cShlD. hc was Such
en- of, but jumped at the dog again. Peter
was too sDry for him this time, and caught
the ret in his mouth Gu the fly. That was
the end of thst rat. The enthusiasm of the
ole sports by this time knew no bounds.
Many were the compliments heaped upon
the little dog. Bully boy !" they shouted
"Shakim up.' "Hooray. thas'sit." Great
Scott how does he do it," and amid clap.
ping of hands and cheers the apuuky little
dachshund went on with his war On the
rats Two more big fellows were cornered
and showed fight. They sprang at Peter
and hung to his sides with their teeth like
leeches. Unmindful OF them, the little dog
jumped into nest of rate, tossing them in
the air es fast as be could catch them in his
mouth. The two rats which ciuns TO his
side were shaken ofrand dispatched in short
order. The last one was tossed in the air ct
precisely twenty-one minutes and twenty
seconds past 2 o'clock, making the time in
killing the fifty rats II minutes and 20 sec
onds. After the last one was killed the lit
tie dog waddled over the battle ground to
sec that life was extinct in every body. He
was then taken out. Blood wss streaming
from his mouth, but it was from the rats.
He received several bites OF his sides and
head, which were bleeding. They were
doctored, and he appeared to be anxious to
resume tho warfare.-N. Y. Erening Sun.