Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-26
RAr BATTING IN WASHINGTON.
Ferrets and Terriers In the Postofhcs
and Treasury Buildings


and Treasury Buildings
There was great sport up at the
Postofiice Department the other day.
IL 1t could have been advertised be-
fore hand and an admission fee charged
the box office would probably have
done big business. Even without
this the audience was distinguished
one, being headed by a cabinet officer,
no less parsonage than Postmaster
General Wannamaker, and compris-
ing also several assistant Postmaster
| Generals-there are four in the de-
partment-and a number of other
officials.
Twenty-seven big rats, gray old pa
triarchs of the rodent tribe, that had
infested the dark vaults OF the build
ing for years and grown willy and
| fierce, were cornered in a room and
did battle royal with three under
sized but pluckY terriers, They say
it was great fight. No one had an
opportunity to referee the rounds.
From the beginning until the end
there was a scrambling, scurrying
bunch Of angry rats mixed up with
the three dogs, vicious Squeals inter
rupted by triumphant barks, crunch
ing OF backbones between sharp little
teeth, an occasional angry yelp from
a bitten terrier, and above all the din
rising the applause of the spectators
who stood in the doorway watching
the scene.
The rats were outclassed, but they
made the best fight they could. They
were finally knocked out by the ter
rierS One Of the witnesses, with a
tinge of sporting blood in his veins,
said afterward that it beat a cock
fight all hollow, and as for dog
flght-well, dog fight wasn't in it.
For several days previous pro-
feSsional rat catcher had been oper-
ating in the basement, aided by a
couple OF ferrets and the terriers.
The rats were destroying the files and
I it was necessary to get rid OF them.
This modern pied piper of Hamelin
put the ferrets in the rat holes. They
would disappear and pretty soon
there would be heard great scam
| pering under the floor. A dog would
then be stationed beside the hole to
kill any rats that came that way.
Usually the rats were driven before
the ferrets and would come out at the
opposite end Of the building. That's
how SO many were cornered in one
| room. At least 500 rats were killed
and it is thought the building is rid
of them altogether
The fame of this exploit spread
abroad. The Treasury Department
people heard Of it and sent for the
pied piper Hamelin. He agreed to
clear out the rats and promised to do
| all he could to duplicate the sport
which had been enjoyed at the Post
| Office Department. A messenger
stood ready to summon the expecuant
officials as soon as "time" should be
called. The clerks who knew of it
| kept their eyes on their chiefs, ready
to follow them when they were called
to witness the fun,
One day the latter part Of last
week, at the noon hour, q number CT
women clerks were promenading up
and down one Of the long corridors,
taking little exercise and exchang-
ing little feminine secrets and bits
Of department gossip during this
midday recess. There were probably
fifteen or twenty in the length of the
corridor. Suddenly at the upper end
Of the corridor there were heard sew
eral sharp yelps, squeal or two and
down the corridor rushed three big
gray rats, hotly pursued by terrier.
| Onward they came like the charge Of
the light brigade. Women to the
right OF them, women to the left of
them, on came came the threc rats.
Well, man who was there says it
was sight! There was one long con-
certed feminine shrek, several flashes
OF white, and in about twelve seconds
the corridor was empty.
The rat killer operated in the
building for several days and killed a
large number Of rats, but he did not
succeed in cornering any; and now
the officials are kicking because they
didn't get as much fun as the Post
office Department sports. Washing
ton Star.