The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-27
RAT CATCHER
AN ODD NEW YORK cHARJcTER
TALKS or HIS PROFESSION.

~" Aosthess hias uone to tne Ao8Av Wesa-
phoricaliy spca<ing--In the Good Old
Days Before the 8. r. O. A.-Ths Pro-
fcssor Tells sometiling OF His Methods.
There are but six professional rat
patchers in Now York city, and only
Two Of these have regular places Of bust
boss. Tho profession has gone to the
Hogs This statemenk while used as
lietaphor, is alsoa paradox AS mat
or of fact, the business has not gone to
the dogs, but simply declined because
lhe state laws against rat batting are
merry severe aHd are rigidly enforced by
The officers OF the S. p O. A.
In the "good old days" there was
money in rat catching. The professor, :"
.lrmed with his lantern and tongs and
accompanied by humble apprentice
70 ''hold tho bag" would sally forth
and make IN arrangement with some
restaurant or stable proprietor to relieve
the premises OF portion OF its popula-
tion Of rodents at so much per rat, gen.
brally 40 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 ovnor Of it cheerfully paying 25
Cents each, or Ave for 81. for them.
William A. Heitler, who claims to
be "the original Bill the Rat Catcher,
b title gained in i8 years service with
Harry Jennings, whose memory is kept
Ereen among the fancy" said, In dis
cussing the decadpnce of his profession:
"The business isn't what IL used to
be. Then we made our own terms and
made, money at both ends. Then we
Healt with tho people direct. Now we
have got 60 deal with the agents. If q
flat is ovarrun with reAs, the tenant
threatens 10 move Then the agent writes
I'm postsl card, ELL. rid this fiat of
tats. Th,t is mostly daylight work. i
go up to tho fiat and set my traps and
Keep a-setting them until there isn't
anything to catch. F"
''Donit yo: use ferretsy"
"Yes. l ufe ferrets in my business,
but not in fiat houses. Don't you know
fhat rat killed by ferret is inst the
tamo as poisoned rat under the floor
tr in tho wall? sell ferrots, but what
hood are they? Now, when we clean out
p fat. why. then. we sell the lady some
ttuff to kenp them out. 1t does the work
= II right, only it drives them into some
bther fat
The real art in this here profession
Is night work. II amt really what you
tyould call artistic, but it is more like
tleight of hand. In the daytime you go
70 the place and 60 all over the halls
hnd nail pieces of tin over most Of the
holes. A house is to the rats just like a
town is to people. There are avenues
md alleys.
Now, just imagine that some night
d lot of policemen would start from the
North river and tho East river, stimuli
faneouslike. and chase everybody into
Broadway AID then set 'em all GO
ing to tho Battery. Well, that's the
Eay wo do with rats. We plug up all
be ends Of the side streets, you might
Bay, and get thcm on to Broadway.
"Wo do this by turning several fer
tets loose 60 stir them up. The cellar is
where i want them. There l am with
tny little bullseyo lantern and my long
ongs. Tho rat starts across the floor /
bear him ami flash the lanterns The
minute tho round light spot strikes him
he comes to n dead standstill. He seems
paralyzed, and he won't move under
i've seconds. Then is my chance.
IF wait to save him to try dog
with, reach forward, and with my
fones grab him by the tail. If don't
want a 1.-Two rat--and there amt much
tail for them now-I break his back
with tho tonSs
The biggest nights work lever done
was killing 9jo rats at Wizards hotel
In Washington. When / got through
that job, felt like proposing TO the
CovernIent 10 rid the wharves ard
lsocls of the country OF rats. Now, that
y all th 70 is to rat catching. The work
Ism { dangerous, except whom you tackle
:he rats on a ship. When the Spanish
training ship was here, took 1855 rats
off her They We're rot like the house
rats wo have here. They were slim and
ray, with tails twice as long as their
bodies They were as active as monkeys.
ITO givo you an idca have lit.
lle dog that has killed 90 rats in lS
minutes. Iput 20 CT these ship rats into
! PIT with him, and at tho cnd iof 80 /,
minutes he had only killed seven. They
did rot Gght him, but thoy simply kept
pat of his way. jumping over him when
he would rush.
But, as ! was a-sayinr, the tino
'Ias when Il rat catcher had money to
lurn. TWAS dell night that ho didn't
! ear his 500 or $50. Now he can't
lalso that il o week III the busy season,
Including what he gets for trimming
ugs' cars. solling ferrets and things
Ike that. When YOU havc TO deal with
oal estate agol,t Is. You amt going to get
lono tho best uf It, +"
Did you ever try tho scheme of bell
ng rat? They shy that will scare all
ho other rats away?'
Il only know th.s, If yoa put bell
IN a rat. hc will be ioand dead in the
J.. A. 4. -