Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-01-16
WITH A RATCNCHER.
CLEARING a BIG nrsrAunAsr
CELLAR OF RoDGNTS.
How Rats Are Caughtl and How
They Are Killed BY Profession
al-Weasel Against Rodent.


der d large downtown restaurant. One
Of the men carried dark lantern. He
was William Penney, professional rat
catcher. The other two men in the eel
lar were William Isaacsen and q 1e-
porter, The rat, atcher's dog, Kit, had
wormed herself into pile of baskets
filled with oysters, piled one above the
other in the corner. One end of Kit
whined. The other end vihrated like a
metronofiie. Kit smelled rat.
"Catch him, XIII" sac Penney, as
he began lifting down the baskets one
by one. Kit bee ame frantic. Iu few
minutes Penney was covered with cob
webs and oyster juice from the baskets.
The sweat trickeled down his face in
streams. Each basket weighed seventy
pounds. 1t was hard work for the rat
catcher. In the cousre of ten minutes
Penney uncovered -four barrel without
a head. Kit jumped into the ba,1el and
began SCRATCHING at some fire b. icks
that partially filed it.
swatch him, Kit 70 sad the rat
catcher, as he began lift ng out the
bricks one at a time. The scent became
hotter as Penney lifted out an oldtable-
leg, two empty tomato ems and worm
eaten bag. Isaacsen held the dark lam
tern so that its rays illumihed the inside
of the barrel. Penney leaned over and
lifted piece of sacking. The men held
their breath in sus pense. There was a
whisk of brown fur through hole ne III
the bottom Of the barrel Kits Jaws
closed upon two inches of long rail
and the rat disappeared. The dog
jumped out of the barrel and ran whin-
ing around the cellar. A joyful bark
told the men that she had found the
hole into which the rat had dartel. 1t
led into the ma onfy of the foundation.
'Fetch the ferret p said Penney.
The ferret WAS brought in small
wooden box. Penney took the animal
in his hand and stroked its silky neck.
Its eyes shone like beads in the light
OF the dark lantern. The ferret weighed
eleven ounces. 1t had been starved for
three days. 1t was hungry and thirsty,
Kit stood with dilated nostrils at the
mouth of the hole Not muscle of her
body quivered. She stood as if carved
in bronze. Penney put the ferret upon
the concrete flo or. The animal stood
St II for an instant. Then it got the
scent hot i'll its nostrils. With a slow,
s1nuous movement, and waving its head
from side to side the ferret crept toward
the hole. Penney pulled the dog away.
The ferret entered the hole. The light
OF the lantern was turned full upon the
aperture. The dog resumed it's posi-
ton. The men waited =9ne minute
went by and the second hand of the
open faced watch held by the reporter
was fast consuming another minute when
a faint squeal came from the wall.
"He's coming said Penney. "Get
Kit retired reluctantly. Penney drew
on pair of buckskin gloves. The sus-
pense was trying. Overhead could be
heard the shuttle of feet in the restau-
rant. Kit painted with suppressed ex-
citement. Suddenly rats head APP
pelred at the mouth of the hole and wa S
as quickly Withdrawn. The fingers of
Penney's right hand encircled the open
ing. Then another faint sqeal was
heard. The rat splang outward and was
caught by Penney. His thumb and
fore-tinger encircled its neck and the
other fingers were wIapred gently
around the rats body. The ferret fol-
lowed quickly and was picked up by
lsaacsen and placed in the box. The
rat was in wise. 1t could not move.
1t palpitated with fear and exposed it's
sharp teeth in Intellectual remonstrance.
1t was placed in stout canvas bag and
the hunt was resumed.
Seventy traps, ca ,h about three inches
in diameter, were set in the cellrr. To
each of these small chain about two
feet long was attached. At the end of
the chain was small ring which is
dropped over a peg driven in the ground
when the trap is set out of doors or in
a barn. There was also small iron peg
attached to the chain, which could be
driven into a crack IN the floor to hold
the trap. Penney set these traps almost
as fine as the hair trigger of duelling
pistol. He placed the traps in the run
ways Of the rats along steam pipes, be-
hind barrels, in inches in the masonry
until seventy five of them CAPPED for un-
wary feet. BY clock twenty rats had
been caught. The legs of few of them
were broken by the jaws of the traps.
ALI the rats were put alive into the can
vas bag.
AT 3 o'clock this morning the party
left the restaurant and went to a room
only short distance from the Brooklyn
Bridge. The room was about 10 feet
square. There was no carpet on the
floor. The only articles of fnrnitu, Q
we're stove and two chairs. The chairs
were placed outside the door.
The room was cal efully examined and |
all possible avenues of escape closed. |
The only light was furnished by the |
bull's-eye lantern which was placed |
upon the mantel. Each man tucked his |
trousers into his stockings. The bag
was kept in motion to prevent the rats |
from gnawing their way through the
canvas
BY this time Isaacsen had procured a |
young fox terrier. He wanted to try the
mettle of the animal Penney opened |
The mouth of the canvas lag, and put
ting his hand into the aperture he felt
around among the animals until he had |
caught one by the back of the neck.
He said, as he drew out the squealing
animal:
rats won't bite in the dark"
The rat was monster. The experts
aid it would weigh eighteen ounces, |
which is at least four ounces more than