Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-10-11
A TERROR TO RATS.
An Odd Character of tho Pacific
Coast.
Like tho Pied riper of unmelin IT.
Yields Strange Influence Over
tho Rodents-IIis Peculiar
business.

~ VI tHc Ilcl
Piper OF Hnmelin has been visiting the
seaports OF the Pacific coast lately,
driving or drawing ho<dcs of rats from
inc SHIPS ut the whar7cs and OCCASION
ely from the warehouses and big
lotcis. lie seems to have n strange
influence over rats and readily tanes
anu makes pets Of strange rats. He is
not Il ratratclicr. for, while there is no
doubt OF the ~thorouglncss with which
he ribs Il ship or IL house of ats, he does
no catch tliem, nor does he care what
becomes OF them. lie only undertakes
10 drive them away. More than this,
hc claims 10 I've able TO bring the rats
lack again, and it, is said lie has done
this in two or three instances where's
ships captain Inns played him false.
md being rid of the rats, has failed TO
live up TO his bargain with the rat
'harmrr.
lie IL, or has been, a scnfaring mnn.
Ills name is Joe Peoples. though he l.
known along the whnrvcs as Iiough-on-
Rats. Usually he has his pockets full
of rats-not pets of long acquaintance
but ordinary rats which he has caught
recently, and which he keeps 10 use in
his peculiar business. lie says there IT.
no art about handling rats. and tina
they will not bite IL properly handled.
hut either he exercises some strange
power over the animals. or else he has
learned n secret of handling them that
is not likely to become common prop
rrty. IT, is the same with n rat us Will,
Il nctilc, he says. II you pick mp n rat
as though not afraid of IL the animal
will not bite: and If you place il bach
on the ground and let it, run away Of
its WI accord il will bc equally harm
less. iiut If. having gone SO far MS to
get hold OF a rat, you place it, on the
.lOor aud draw your hand away sharply.
the rat will. as likely rs not. take u
i'ircr of YOUR hand away with il. At
amy rate. this is part of Mr.. Peoples
peculiar theories.
How he drives out the rats he is will
ing Ia "Nplain in part, but the main
secret hr naturally reserves. He selects
Il lively old rat, ties u little bell, like n
: sleigh bell. with wire around its neck.
rnitits its back with phosphorus. then
dr"nchcs it in some liquid not divulgcl.
and turns IL loose. The rat runs
through all It's accustomed hnunts, but
all It's late comrades run ahead OF il.
They don't like it's blazing bach and its
alarm bell. But mors han anything
else, Mr., Peoples suyS. they don't like
the smell it brings with him.
Mr.. Peoples doctorcd rats smell like
n whole Cag"ful OF %fcrTctS. Rats par
ticularly dislike ~fcrrcts. and never stop
To investigate when there is the slight
est suggestion Of one being near. Or
binary rat CatdicrS ~Orroboratr Mr..
Peoples in this. The consequence II,
and H. is u consequence in fact as well
Us in logic, that the doctorcd rat drives
every other rat before il, aud where
the dOriOrd rat has once been no rat
will venture aftcIwnrd while the smell
lasts. and Mr.. Peoples guarantees h
smell for one year. The unfortunate
ra; with the bell. It's illuminated back.
and its terrible smell. seeks it's old
friends in every hole and corner, and
wherever IL goes H. is the last rat that
will 90 there in u year. Mr.. Peoples
saws he has frequently known rats tai
Jump overheard from II ship in their
efforts TO escape from q dociorcd rat,
and Inany witnesses bear him out In
This statement. There is no question
OF his success in entirely clearing a
number OF ships and warehouses nj
Seattle. Tacoma. Portland. Port Town.
send and other ports on the coast which
were formerly Oycrrmn with rats.
For his claim that he can bring back
the rats there seems to bc only Mr..
Peoples word. lie names two or three
ships plying up md down the coast
on which he had played his second trick.
The captains told him. after the rnts
had all left their SHIPS, that they
guessed he hadn't done much toward II
and offered to compromise. Mr.. Pco-
pies says he just doctorch half n dozen
rata with n different linu Of medicine
and set them free on these ships, md
scattered some OF the same kind Of
stun about the holds. and he AYERS that
In n little while there viii lc four iimca
IA many rnts on the ships rs formerly.
nnh he will charge four tincs IN much
to charm them uway.-N. y. Sun.