Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-01-24
WITH A RATCATCHER.
CLEARING A BIG RESTAURANT
CELLAR OF RODENTS.

At IL 80 O'Clock at night, three men
stood in a dark corner of the cellar un-
Ter a large downtown restaurant. One
IF the men carried a dark lantern. He
vas William Penney, a professional rat
catcher. The other two men IN the Gel
ar were William Isaacsen and a re-
porter, The ratcatcher's dog, Kit, had
WOrmed herself into a pile of baskets
allied with oysters, piled one above the
other IN the corner. One end of Kit
Rhined. The other end Vibrated like a
metronome. Kit smelled a rat.
"Catch him, Xiii" said Penney, as
he began lifting down the baskets one
by one. Kit became frantic. In 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 a -four barrel without
a head. Kit jumped into the bar1el and
began scratching at some fire bricks
chat 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 old table
leg, two empty tomato cans and worm
eaten bag. Isaacsen held the dark Ian
term so that its rays illumined the inside
of the barrel. Penney leaned over and
lifted a piece of sacking. The men held
their breath In sus pense. There was
Whisk of brown fur through a hole nelr
the bottom Of the barrel. Kits jaws
closed upon two inches of a long rail
and the rat disappeared. The dog
jumped OGt 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 darted. 1t
led into the masonry of the foundation.
''Fetch the ferret - said Penney.
The ferret was brought in a 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 a muscle of her
body GujVered. She stood as if carved
in bronze. Penney put the ferret upon
the concrete floor. The animal stood
still for an instant Then it got the
scent hot IN its nOstr.ls. With a slow,
sinuOus 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 its posi-
tiOn. The men waited. One 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
back, Kit; want to catch him alive. "
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-
element. Suddenly a rats head APP
pe1red at the mouth of the hoe and was
as quickly Withdrawn. The fingers of
Penney's right hand encircled the open
ing. Then another faint sqeal was
heard. The rat sprang outward and was
caught by Penney. His thumb and
fOre-hnger encircled its neck and the
other fingers were wIapre1 gently
around the rat S body. The ferret fol
lowed quickly and was picked up by
Isaacsen 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 a stout canvas bag and
the hunt was resumed.
Seventy traps, ca h about three inches
IN diameter, were set in the cellrT. To
each of these a small chain about two
feet long was ATTACHED. At the end of
the chain was a small ring which is
dropped oyer a peg driven in the ground
when the trap is set Oat Of doors or in
a barn. There was also a small iron peg
attached to the chain, which could be
driven into a era * IN the floor to hold
the trap. Penney set these traps almost
as fine as the hair trigger of a duelling
pistol. He placed the traps IN the run
ways Of the rats-aIong steam pipes, be-
hind barrels, in inches in the masonry
until seventy-hve OF them CAPPED for I'M
wary feet. By 2 o'clock twenty rats had
been caught. The legs of a few of them
were broken By the jaws of the traps.
Ali the rats were put alive into the can
vas bag.
At 8 o'clock this morning the party
left the restaurant and went to a room
only a short distance from the BROOKLYN
Bridge. The room was about u feet
square. There was no carpet on the
floor. The only articles of furniture
were a stove and two chains. The chairs
were placed outside the door.
The room was carefully examined and
all possible avenues of es ape closed.
The only light was furn shed by the
buI'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 bag, ana 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:
Gratis won't bite in the dark. -
The rat was q monster The eyTsarts