Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-15
RAT BATTING IN WASHINGTON
Ferrets and Terriers in the Postofiics
and Treasury Buildings.

Ferrsts and Terriers in the Postomcs
and Treasury Buildings.
There was great sport up at the
Postotfice Department the other day.
II it could have been advertised be-
fore hand and an admission fee charged
the box office would probably have
done a big business. Even without
this the audience was distinguished
one, being headed Oy a cabinet officer,
no less a parsonage than Postmaster
General Wannamaker and compris-
ing also several assistant Postmaster
GeneralS-there are four in the de.
partmeut-aud a number of otbe'
officials.
TwentY-sevcn 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 piuCky terriers, They say
it was a great fight. No one had an
opportunity TO referee the rounds.
From the beginning until the end
there was scramblinE, scurrying
bunch of angry rats mixed up with
the three dogs, vicious squeals inter
rupted 10y 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 we're oUtclasSed, but the,
! 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 a dog
| dght-well, dog fight wasn't in it.
For several days previous a 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
! it was necessary TO get rid of them.
! This modern pied piper of Hamelin
: put the ferTetS in the rat holes. They
would disappear and iprettY soon
| there would be heard a great scam
| pering under the floor. A dog would
! then be stationed beside the hole tc
! 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:
! 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 t
! clear out the rats and promised to dc
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 il
kept their eyes on their chiefs, ready
| to follow them when they were called
! to witness the fun,
One day the latter part OF las,
! week, at the noon hour, number Cl
! women clerks were prOmenading VI
| 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 tire corridor rushed three bis
gray rats, hotly pursued by a terrier
Onward they came like the charge oI
the light brigade. Women to the
right of them, women to the left o.
) them, on came came the three rats
: Well, a man who was there says il
! was 1 sight! There was one long con
certed feminine Shrek, several fiashe:
of white, and in about twelve second.
! the corridor was empty.
The rat killer operated in tn,
building for several days and killed {
large number of rats, but he did moi
succeed in cornering any; and nov
the officials are kicking because thel
! didn't get as much fun as the Post
Office Department sports Washing
ton Star.
NOBODY knows better how tht
Christian ought to carry himself thar
| hN