Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1894-06-25
JOE BYERs, RArloclNATIoN.
IT. Logical Result Was the Exteranina ton
of tire f4nden4s


originators of "a % rat tail's supper
There may have been rats by the thou
sands on the prairie in the days of the.
pld Indian warrior Tecumseh, chief of
the Shawnees, but even his genius was
not great enough to invent such plan
for the determination of the rodent as
that adopted by the Shawnee tillers Of
the soil, Where land was worth from.
eighty dollars to one hundred dollars
per acre, and was in imminent danger
9f being deprecated in value at least
50 per cent by reason of a visitation of
fats; it.was weE pighstime that seme-
ahing should be done to put them out.
Of existence! Whether he was in
Hpired is not KNOWING but Joe Byers'
gave to the prairie farmers the plan by
which the rat kingdom suffered
After the plan was put into execution
the rats which were not Iifeless were
homeless and tailless. 1t was a des-:
perate remedy. The entire prairie
swarmed with rats. They inhabited !
the hedges barns, corn cribs, and in !
many instances dwelling houses. Their !
numbers had become SO greatthat theys
grew bold andyvicious. The crops werel
being laid waste by their onslaughts,
and the grams - -
smptied of their stores. - -
notice found posted on all the prom. !,
nent mileposts one morning after break
fast had pleasing effect:
ITO arrns4 The rat must ge The day Of
srecIonipg iasat handi Eureka Men, women {
sHd childrens On the last SATURDAY. night ing
teIy there will besa rat tailasupper given at5
Centre schoolhouse Oyster soup viii be served
1T twenty-five cents bowl, and to the person.
bringing the largest number of rats tails the
entire proceeds will be given Go forth to slay
- JOSEPH BYERs."
Before nightfall every man, womani
and child in the township knew the
contents of the announcement 1t was
The family circle until late AT might.
The farmers Areamed of srats and
chased them in their sleep. Fourth Of
July celebrations and country pienics
faded into insigniicance. Every night.
became season of widest delight, and
thousands of rats met their death. {
Others lost their tails andsrau. here and (
there barren of that appendage. The,
prairie at night was dotted with Ian,
terms and torchlights, the cracks of
revolvers, rifles, and shotguns were
heard on every hand, and the shouts of
the people lent charm to a scene which.
the writer will never forget, The wo-.
men; went about armed with BROOM
sticks and scissors, the latter being
used to clip the tails from the dead or
dying rodents. Amputated was the
tail that extended through the crack
ofs a barn or corn cribs and which the
rat, seeking. safety, failed to pull into.
Ahe hole after him
4 For months after the raid it was no
Uncommon sight to see a rodent run
ming about without his tail Both men
and women, bent upon obtaining the
greatest number of tails, resorted to-
cheating. eSueh persons never missed
an opportunity to clip off tail with
knife or a pair Of scissors. For more
than six weeks the battle ragged in all
its fury, only subsiding when the day
for the supper and the browning of the
victor arrived. Every hedge field had
nearly been uprooted, corn cribs re-
moved, and rat holes followed to their
ternini by spades and barking terriers.
When the day on which; he lannon's.
supper was given arrived a rat was a
scarce article in jackson township.
Precious Jewels never disappeared be-
fore an army of hunters with greater
rapidity than did the rodents in this
Sseason 3 a invasion-the sunkindest
8cut his Izingdorn5 has, perhaps. ever.
Sexperfenced Those which were not
zkflledof manned aed across the prairie
and sought refuge in holes in friendlier
soil. The prairie has not been infested
with rats since then, and Joe BYers is
to-day the most beloved and honored
farmer in the township. Parents point
him out to their children as the model
by which they are to shape their lives
and characters. He stands like the
monarch oak in the forest-the proud
est of them ALL receiving the blessings
of all for his timely interference with
the marvellous progress of the rat
kingdom, and the generalship which
he displayed in bringing ruin and dis
i aster upon the rodents a. ~
!. On the night Of the supper there was:
great JOY. Young men and young wo-
men walked along the public highways
leading to the schoolhouse, arm in arm,
each carrying and swinging TO and fro
QuASH u GdbS bdlIb IL UA1oil
Parents came with their children, and
rats tails tied up in punches, inwagons
and buggies. Shouts and peals of laugh
ter filed the air Arriving at the.school-'
house. Joe Byers made the speech of his
life to the people assembled The win
dows were raised that the people who
had been unable to gain admission
znightlis to the oratory. He spoke
of the great good that had been accom-.
plished, adding that it=vas due to such
people as the Inhabitants of Shawnee
Prairie thatblid England was whipped
In revolutionary times He was fires
quently interrupted by applause
After the speech everybody washed
their hands in large basin Of water,
which had been set up in one corner of
! the sschoolhouse Then the oysters
were served on two long tables which
extended the entire length and on the.
other side of the schoolroom. After
the supper committee of five was APP
pointed to count the rats tails and de-
eide to which the proceeds. Of the sup
per should be awarded. Harry Malloce,
young Irish farmer, won the prize,
and the presentation speech was made
by Daniel Mehaney, whose death oc-
feurY,ed recentlv In later wears Young