The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-09
FERRETs as RAr.oArcHERs.
How One Slim Beast Follows Another
Into It's Hole.

Into It's Hole.
From the Philadelphia Press
Two pounds and quarter
YES, sir. two pounds and quarter. He
was the heaviest rat ever handled"
The speaker was Louis Bessie, who calls
himself, Louis, the champion rat catcher OF
the United States" and the place, LOUIS
store, up town, which he says is ''the only
shop Of the kind in Philadelphia" Lots
or men think they can catch rats. but lam
the only one hereabou:s who actually han
dies them. And I've had some pretty hard
fights with them. tell you" said Lou"
But how do you clear rats out of a
house" asked the reporter, to whom he was
telling all this.
First, l let my ferrets loose in the walls.
Then / set my traps and my dogs, and
sometimes net like this all around show
ing long, loosely woven hanmock-like
nett. And then Pm there myself The
traps are baited with fluid having an I'M
usual odor, but one which never fails TO
attract the rats. See, here it is" And he
held small bottle under the reporters
nose. What do you think it isi"
Smells like peppermint"
YES, and camphor and many othcr
things The recipe for that fluid l got
from an old Liverpool rat-catcher, and nc
one but myself knows what ingredients
there are in it. Well, as | was SAYING, the
traps are set, the ferrets are loose, and
and my little dogs are watching for the
rats. Presently they come. and if they are
not attracted into the cages by the odor.
the dogs and go for them"
RATS KNOW A GOOD THING.
"How long will 1t taken
mat depends, of course on a good many
things. | caught fifty-seven in two hours
big fellows they were, too, every one oil
them-last winter at Evans drug store.
But that was quick work. What buildings
are most infested with ratss Business
houses, markets, restaurants and particu-
larry newspaper Offices" The reporter
gave jump. Lou laughed.
There aren't many professional rat
catchers in the country. Some people say
there are eight, but think that's TOO many
There are two others, besides myself, here
in Philadelphia. but Pm the champion"
HOW he MISSED THE WHITE HOUSE JOB.
Then why aren't you going to clear out
the white houses" asked the reporter.
A shadow fell over Louis" face as he
said: Il ought to- and if / had known
that it was going to DO done and I'd had
any scholar by me to write to the Presi
dent OF the United States for me I'd have
had 1t. But you wait and see. That fol.
low can't do 1t. The white house is per.
fecuy overrun with rats, aud the man
they've engaged has only four ferrets. I've
got thirty. I'm the champion, and ought
to have the job"
FEEDING RATS TO FERRETs.
What becomes of the rats that you
catch in the traps.n
ooh, some are fed to the ferrets, and
IyiiloI -, tLo
shooting galleries, instead of pigeons. You
know the law is a galnS5 shooting pigeons,
but there isn't any against shooting rats
These that have in this Gag Pm going to
give those hungry ferrets in the window,
SO as to show you some fun"
A crowd had gathered about the window,
and as the reporter went outside to view
the slaughter Lou" opened the window
from within, shook two rats out of the
cage down to the ferrets In an instant the
latter made for the rats. and caught one of
them, the other escaping temporarily.
Running to the other end of the window he
made the most frantic efforts to climb its
glass surface, while the ferrets at the other
end dined off of his unfortunate CON-
rade.
A TREAT FOR THE OLD BLIND ONE.
The inner window was slid aside and a
poor old blind ferret was dropped in. The
rat made a jump at the ferret, who re-
treated stumbling about in a thoroughly
blind manner. Mr.. Rat tried again tc
climb the CLASSY surface, and as he fell back
the ferret was on him. The rat shook him
off, and, having the advantage of sight,
and seeming to relize this, made jump at
the ferret. so it went on for good forty
seconds, first the rat seemingly triumphant
until the ferret would make turn and a
shake which for the moment gave him the
victory. At last the rat got such a hold
that it seemed as though that ferret's life
WASN'T worth much, when suddenly he
made spring, and, winding his long body
about the rat, proceeded to demolish him.
The reporter fled, haunted by visions of
rats and ferrets, and moved with COM
passion for the former that he had never be-
fore felt for them.