The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-01-15
CATCHES RATS FOR CASH
HOW HOUSES AEE CLEARED OF
THE PEST IN NEW YORK.
Traps Which Charm Their Victims
end Deadly Foes whose Work is

now. But as many sportsmen fail to So
cure any game with their expensive guns
snd methods, perhaps they will be glad
to hear of fine ,nting opportunities
right in New York The only draw
backs that the game consists altogether
Of rats, but apart frem that there Is
lot of excitement and satisfaction to bc
had, aud count OF heads will generally
show surprising results. Such a hunt
was recently held in the Stats Zei,unJ
Building, and one hundred fine large
fellows were bagged. This wholesale
destruction of the unpleasant animals
has called attention to an odd and COM
paratively unknown but thriving bust
ness, that Of the professional rat catcher.
The man who took the contract for
the determination ot the Siaats Zeitun9
rats WAS "born into the business" and
for the last thirty-ii years he has kept
aquaint little place in Fulton street.
Adolph Inacsen is his name, aud he is
still to- be found in his store daily,
though his son Charles has succeeded
him in active business. Surrounded by
his traps, fcrrets and fox terriers, the old
man is full Of interesting "reminiscences,
aud is always happy when he can tell OF
some OF his experiences in his rat
catching trips, which have taken him
all Owe. the country from coast to coast.
"What is the first thing you do when
you go to place to kill OF the rats7" lie
was asked the other day. tAh, that i,
good question. | see wo must bagiu
at the beginning. Well. we ask KITE
where the rats are. You know wL1
Kate isl Well, Kate is the finest fox
terrier for that purpose in the whole
country. Fvc owned her for ten years,
and she is eleven years old, and what
she doesn know about rats isn't worth
knowing. As soon IA she gets in the
place she shifts around. When she To-
Gates u place where the rats have come
out, she just turns her head to INC and
wags her tail. Then / know sho has
found the place. She doesn't bark or
growl, for she knows rs we'll rs | do that
we mustn't make bit uf n)se or get eX-
cited. We want to kill the rats not to
scare them. Then when we locate all
the holes, we set traps ut each one, il
there are many rats. IL there are not so
many rats we use different method,
which wilLcxplain later. The trap we
use is the doublc-jaw game trap wh;ch
is used for snail game. AS soon as rat
is caught We kill it and take it out and
set the trap for another, for we watch
the place all through the night 1--WE
always work a. night wheu we catcl
rats.
"But how do you bait the trapsl'
owe don't. Now, I'll tell You .
secret OF the ira ic. We use rat oil,
which We make as follows: We boil
about 100 rats in II large kettle, anl
skim oil the oil which rises to the top.
This oil is very pungcnt, and proves a
great attraction. We oil each trap with
just few drops of it, aud that is quite
enough to lure them on"
And then this modern pied piper said:
"Do you know that we can make the
rats go to the traps? Well, we cau.
We walk across the room and, after
while, the rats follow in our footsteps
But il isn't so wonderful when you know
the trick. We simply rub II few drops
ot the oil on the so!es Of our shoes, aaI
drag our feet as We walk toward tn
traps. Scc!"
"'rcll me what yol do when there
aren't many rats"
"Wcll, we take icrrets along in Il case
like TINT. After Kate Iind5 the holes we
stop up all but two. Kate, she watches
one. She's as go)l rs man, she is
And one of my men watches the other.
Thcu the ferrcts are put in, and pretty
soon the rats begin to move out. Any
rat that comes out at ketc's place is u
dead rat that instant. One bite settles
it. Bat the man can't bite them. Do
you know what he does! Why, he
simply hold; hi hand nra? tl.e hpic and
The rat walks right into it. lie
.ocsa't grab il then, or hit it. That
would makc it slueal AMI bite. No
sir; he simply lifts his hand gently with
the rat in ii, boiling the Nnimal As 1ent.
" as he would bird. And the rat
never moves nor gets frightened. 1t will
lie in hand and never show tight OF fear.
lie can stroke it aud pet it rs if it wcro
nittcu. ou uont believe, that young
man, do you9 Come now, that smile
shows me you think this is Il whopper.
But | assure you it's quite true. There's
something about some men vino have
handled wild aud shy animals all their
lives which gives them Il peculiar power.
Why, I've often done it myself, though,
mind you, don't say could do it now,
OH iand, because | haven't tried it for y
lon time, and it all depends on the art
lul touch. But my son Charley here can
do it. Can't you, Charley9 And my
four men can do it. They never think
anything Of it. Now, don't you see
what an advantage this isi There is no
noise of clubbing or slucaling. The rat
is simply tossed to Kate, aud she never
gives 1t "A chance to squcl'. She scnis
il 20 IA: heaven too quickly for that.
This is important, for il there is any
noise or excitement it settles rat catching
for that night. They're cute fellows,
these rats. Nae Tort Heyhd.