The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-11-14

ton Of rodents at SO much per rat, gen.
orally $50 cents per. An hour later
these same rats would figure in some
Center street or Bowery pit as objects
Of the prowess of some fancy black and
tan or rough haired terrier, the admir-
ing owner Of it cheerfully paying 25
cents each, or five for 81, for them
William A. Heitler, who claims to
be sthe original Bill the Rat Catcher,
title gained in 18 years service with
Harry Jennings, whose memory is kept
green among tsthe fancy said, in dis
cussing the decadence Of his professions:
ssThe business isn't what it used to
be. Then we made our own terms and
made money at both ends. Then we
dealt with the people direct. Now we
have got to deal with the agents # a
flat is overrun with rats, the tenant
threatens to move. Then the agent writes
ON postal card, BILL rid this fiat Of
rats. That is mostly daylight work. l
so up to the fat and set my traps and
keep a-setting them until there isn't
anything to catch .
DON It you use ferretse'
ssYes, use ierrets in my. business,
but not in fat houses. Don't you know
that rat killed by a ferret is just the
same as poisoned rat under the floor
or IN the wall? Isen ferrets, but what
good are they? Now, when we clean out
fat, why, then, we sell the lady some
stuff to keep them out. It does the work
all right only it drives them into some
other fat.
ssThe real art in this here profession
is night work. It amt really what you
would deaH artistic, but it is more like
sleight az hand In the daytime you go
to HE place and go all over the halls
and nail pieces of tin over most of the
holes. A house is to the rats just like
town is to people. There are avenues
and alleys.
Now, just imagine that some night
lot of policemen would start from the
North river and the East river, stimuli
taneouslike, and chase everybody into
Broadway, and then set 'em all go
ing to the Battery. Well, that's the
way we do with rats. We plug up all
the ends of the side streets, you might
say, and get them on to Broadway.
1sWe do this by turning several fer
rets loose to stir them up. The cellar is
where I want them. There I am with
my little bullseye lantern and my long
tongs. The rat starts across the floor.
hear him and fash the lanterns. The
minute the round light spot strikes him
he comes to dead standstill. He seems
paralyzed, and he won't move under
five seconds. Then is my chance.
eff want to save him to try dog
with, reach forward, and with my
tones grab him by the tail. IF I don't
want live rat-and there amt much
call for them now-I break his back
with the tongs,.
sThe biggest nights work ever done
was killing $50 rats at Wizards hotel
in Washington. When I got through
that Job, felt like proposing to the
government to rid the wharyes and
docks of the country of rats. Now, that
is all there is to rat catching. The work
isn't dangerous, except when you tackle
the rats on ship. When the Spanish
training ship was here, I took 156 rats
off her. They were not like the house
rats we have here. They were slim and
gray, with tails twice as long as their
bodies. They were as active as monkeys.
1.To give you an idea. I have a lit
tie dog that has killed so rats in 1S
minutes. Iput 20 Of these ship rats into
a pit with him, and at the end Of 50
minutes he had only killed seven. They
did not fight him, but they simply kept
out of his way. jumping over him when
he would rush.
4sBut, as I was a-saying, the time
was when rat catcher had money to
burn. Itwas dull night that he didn't
clear his $25 or $35. Now he cant
make that in week in the busy season,
including what he gets for trimming
dogs ears, selling ferrets and things
like that. When you have to deal with
real estate agents, you amt going to get
none the best Of it. -
OQu yOU OfO1 VI 14O cSASAA0 VI 6SAH
ing:a rat? They say that will scare all
the other rats away?"
4sI.only know this: If you put bell
On q rat, he will be found dead in the
walls inside Of two days. It is my be-
lief that the other rats kill him; but,
say, il you ever want to stir up a rat
colony, catch one old fellow. smear him
with phosphorous paste and send him on
his travels.
.sIn the winter I sell great many
live rats to the medical colleges. They
use them in experiments. There is big
tannery over in Newark that gives 8
cents apiece for rat hides. The SKIN
must be perfect, however.
1.The least tear makes it no good, and
it is hardly worth while skinning them'
so many are rejected. They tan the
skin soft, like kid, and tan it With the
hair on. The skins are not used to make
kid gloves. They told me the last time
7 took 12 dozen over there that they