Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-02-15
Ferrets in Warehouses.

~ am going down to buy some
trained ferrets," said White street
dry-goods merchant to reporter for
the New York Star.
s.What forp"
"Well, my store from basement tc
roof is infested with rats, and they do
incalculable mischief. For instance,
this morning we found piece of silk
worth $50 completely destroyed by the
rats having gnawed through it. Ihave
had cats and dogs In the building, but
they have proved useless, as they can
not 60 where rat can. / was in Eng
land this summer, and visited in Lon
don several of the largest dry-goods
stores. In the course of the CONVERSE
ton with the proprietors learned from
them that they have in their employ d
ferret-keeper, whose duties are to tend
to the animals and keep the ware
houses clear of rats.
~In one large house, which is liter
ally packed from cellar to roof with
cases of silk, satins, and general dry
goods, was taken to the garnet, where
found in specially-designed space
several small kennels surrounded
by finely-wired fences. Here / saw
some thirty ferrets, curled up asleep
or moving around in that snake-lik e
manner characteristic of them.
al wouldn't take 9100 for these,
remarked the gentleman who accom-
panied me, for they have saved me
many thousands of pounds since ]
have had them He then sent for the
keeper, who entered the enclosure; he
called the ferrets by name and each
answered him by running toward him.
He here explained how they were
trained to answer his call or wills.
tie, and always after killing rat to
drag it out Of its hole and leave ii
where It could be readily found. The
gentleman. then directed the keeper to
get a few rats, which he soon brought
from big cage in which they were
kept. They were, truly speaking,
thorough out-and-out ugly, vicious
specimens of the London rat. The
keeper threw half dozen into the
inclosure, and quicker than thought
the ferrets had pounced upon them
and killed them.
ssWhen / returned from Europe de-
termined to initiate my English cousin,
and have had a similar pen construct
ed on the top floor of my building, and
am now going to see about the fer
refs"
The Star reporter accompanied the
merchant to a Fulton street vermin-
DESTROYER store. There in large wired
cages and kennels were ferrets OF all
colors and cost Some were to be had
for IS pair. others for 800 and even
more. The latter were of sun-brown
color, of great strength and extraor-
binary rapidity of movement. Tney
answered the keepers call and seemed
pleased at his petting them.
An attendant who was spoken to
brought out what, when put together,
made regular rat-pit, the sides o.
which were smeared with blood. At q
signal he dropped in half dozen
fierce-looking rats, and then the two
ferrets were thrown in. In less than
two minutes the rats were stretched
lifeless and bleeding. Other ferret:
were then tried, but the younger and
less experienced and trained ones could
not xiii as quickly as the older and
better trained ones. The merchant
bought half dozen of the older ones,
which after they have got accustomed
to their new home, will be allowed e
wander through the great warehouses
at night.
.sTheY will soon learn to know tht
place and answer to the call said the
seller. sand I will wager they Will sool
make rats SCARCE in the building.