The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-20
RATS FOR A NICKEL EACH.
A BUSINESS THAT MAY BE PROFIT
ABLE BUT NOT POPULAR.
Catching Rodents for the market-feop'o
Who Have Rat Dogs Buy Them no"
Tho catch.r- Go About It-Talk with
One I'm the Business.

One IN tue
.Rats seem TO be- very plentiful when your
house l. infested with them, hut "ben you
nood them. and are willing TO pay cents
ooch for them, you find that they are scarce
e,oueh said a dealer in ferrets and other
small animals capable Of hunting or beng
hunted. who lives with biz mcompainonaole
stock in a cellar in Harlem 81 have only
eleven rats on hand at present, and one oil
Thorn has "A sore throat-a common disease
on,ono the tribe-and how | am to Oil an
order for fifty. TO be delivered in jersey Oity
the day after tomorrow. Is more than can
tell
"Vhat do | want them for Why, TO sell
them 10 the owners 81 rafting dogs, OF course
/ generally dispose Of only half dozen or 10
~ n time 10 some one who merely wants 20
test his terriers powers, or 10 treat MN 10
HftIe private exercise, but when a rafting
match As the sport Is called. Is 10 como on
often receive an order for couple OF nun
dred or more Each owner provides the rats
for an oppononts dog. and they all want the
boal,hioet. strongest and most vicious am
,esls they can get Il il not easy 10 supply
them and Ike 10 get notice about tort
nixht in advance. so that ! can secure the
services Of half dozen rat catchers
As the sport OF rafting grows more popn
lar i'm md around Now York. the trade OF
rat catching /, Increasing At present thsre
ere oly,uf n erorc of professional catchers IN
M. cit, Ttcy never io any other business
ana thay are not very industrious az thequeer
one they have ch0-en inu SEQ. ~ IS not an
occupation calculated to draw ont the hish
ess attrbutca and strongest forces OF man
n.tsre. auI those engaged in % soon TAN INTO
rat ike habits Of their own don't know
whether 10 g.. mere Imagination on my part
or n,s. but It certainly seems 20 re that rhen
faces gradually assume the contour OF the
rars countcuance When they are not a.
aor. they aredrunk sometimes too, they are
drunk When they are working, and they often
ore norrihl, bitten Rats iangs are >ali 10
be p1isonous. but never knew Of any harm
beyond Oh. pain. and, perhaps, little IN
/ aammati0n. 10 follow "A bite Perhaps the
alcohol IT, the sy-tem Of the catchers acis as
nm autilote. as IT. doos in the case OF wound
inflicted los "A snake
..Tke trade nigh, be made fairly remuner'
/ ativ. If il was pursued With more steadiness
There are two distinct profits in IL. The
catcher. II be should b. a sober, respectable
/ looking man. whom persons would not fear
| g. leave alone at night in their houses or
.,arss o., stables could always command
,o.l f,,. fr1m iuo.o ah, desired 10 free their
premises OF rata, and you can readily iMag
mo how large that class is In Ne" York.
/ Then thero i no trouble found IN selling the
animals caught The demand for them IS in
variably creator than the supply and good
prices arr obtained Tor them
Very fow rat catchcis have traps Some
49,. en- instrument ike lon.. slender pair OF
TONES. while others wear gloves. AMI trust
entirely % their hands Their mod0Of work.
in, is tho simplest thing in tho world They
iii down on the floor. which is strewu With
.ome food that rats ike Ihoy place near
Thorn ssucor - water Rats seem 20 be
to1nen,.I with perpetual thirst, and every
on, - them vii take drink before be- re-
uuus 10 hi. hoc While be- is drinking ls the
cetchers opportunity You may have no
tice,l. when sou have been watching a wild
rat. TINT So long as you DO not stir the brute
win show no terror frequently he will ap
uro-ch close % your feet for ho cannot
reeooniz. life in motionless body, but the
i-.,lnf YOU move. be 10 in ever SD slight de-
er.c. he tuui,Iei Ike d.eam ll' catcher
/. as still as death until bis victim Is within
fcu inches OF him. cit er with his head
turned away. or so occupied n dritkins a.
% ..c nothing hut tho water
Then the t0ngs. or the rlovci hand, silently
and ,tealthily descend. ard tlo rat is lifted
from the ioor and dropped lui1 bag be-
tween the catcher's knees n be- -lucals all
his fellows q i-1rDoar A. though 49, Earth had
swallowed them. as iair0I DO has But, how
over quickly the capture may bee made. one
DIP other of the rai- BOO tae room is tolerabiy
-ure O.. SEQ % aul Co.. cto Cine alarm Then
he ca...sr must i..lr % ntw vigil tie never
h.s .lug tn Nt.t. lDrllr = rat must actu
aliv view ur er .laa, to detect % Tie b.
utterly ur rsr-.ors. repeated warnings are
thrown a-sy upon lim. and nothing that
doe. NOT appeai directly to hi- Hn-s can
aTst dim il tine least if go nHi.e made
ncl.n,.. n.t 81 his nn.e 80 "a l.w miauica to
tsnnt his llsa.4.u catcher could. and
sometime, DOES rs "A hundred or a hundred
and ffty rats and clear the premises of the
pests in a single nlgls
In London. wLcro rafting Is much more
In vogue thon il &. here somo II Che fancy
tried Ia breed rats Ihoy succeeded 10 IA Ger
80" 60, H.. r,,.t N,
D'' d.. -. NJ, .f,.i.i =
..i ,f..,,.., ,. - ,,.,..,.,,,.,,.,
'''V H., t,r.ly foif hearted ,,av that
80 - ,,, ,l..f.,f o.i,,, t,o
,.. ID, a., eat Z. not olo,svs
Il H. ont p, to sl,,, aud t,dia
'''. ..-.....i. IT,, lo,..o f., s,,,.r rat
'.'..1..i,. ..,.rt.d and can neither r,,n nor
I'm, sol animal Thin and
-. ,.r'I.,lf, ,no hes, W., no il.
'....-'..l l. vil ,ffen = RING. ,,t ,.,. terrier
IL, ,,ior ti,a. i,.,nr f,,- o..t NJ ra,cb
=" t.1..i,f. n
~" ',' o. -,....,.,.' ~ ,,.,, 80
'i'' D's ~ 81. 49,.
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