The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-05
NEW YORK is EATING RATS.
swamp Rodents Frequently Served
ms "Rabbif.v
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
sSea Isle City, N. j., Dec 2S.-Those
thousands of acres of swamp and meadow
land in Southern New Jersey especially
in the lower county, Cape May, are not
the valueless waste many people suppose
them to be. For years the Cape May coun-
ty meadows have been source of liveli-
hood to the natives. The revenue from
the harvesting of the salt hay crop has
been large every year, but the most i'm
portant crop gathered is the muskrat
crop.
The season for harvesting muskrats Is
here. The meadow that stretches from the
village of Dennisville, in the western end
of the county, to the shore of Delaware
bay. is the most prolific rafting ground
in New Jersey.
Shipbuildng used to be the chief indus
try at Dennisville, but now the mainstay
of many of the towns is muskrats. The
place is as famous for its ''ratters' as Il
once was for its swift sailing ships. The
men engaged in this operation are an odd
set of fellows. Somers Hickman, the acK-
nowledged champion "ratter" of South
Jersey, has been rafting" for a living
ever since he was a boy. He has made
a good living. too. He has raised a large
family well on his income.
There arc a number of ways Of catch
ing rats, besides trapping them The most
popular, yet the most.difficult, is to use a
fiVe-pronged spear. Hickman is an expert
at spearing. He can kill more rats in
day with MS spear imam any TWO men In
Cape May county can trap in a week. In
the early fall the muskrat prepares for
the approach of winter by building for
itself a house out on the meadow along
the banks of small stream. These rat
houses" resemble small haystacks. There
is but one opening, and that is from
passage-way leading to the water
Any cold, windy day in winter, Hick-
man, Peter Barteson and other expert
"ratters" can be seen out on the mead
ows, plying their vocation. A short-han-
made
a bag constitute the implements required
to capture the rats. Only windy days are
selected for sDearing rats, as they can
hear the softest fOotstep on a calm day.
before the hunter gets within striking
distance of their homes. The spearsmen
always keep to the windWard of a rat
house" They travel steathiy along, and
when within a foot or two of the DOME
shaped structure raise their spear and
within. "Ratters" like Hickman seldom
fail to impale four or five rate at a sin
gle thrust, and catch as high as sixty or
seventy in a days hunt
Before they are ready for market the
skins are stretched over the shingle-shap-
ed board and dried. "Ratters'' often have
ended a seasons rafting with $500 or $500
in their pockets. Things are changed
now. for skins are bringing only SIT a
hundred, while during the. war they
brought as high as $36 a hundred.
Occasionally a "ratter' will kill an al
bino. Then all his followers flock to his
home to stroke the little "off-color." as
good luck comes to the man who strokes
the back of such an animal.
Better times are coming for the South
Jersey muskrat hunters, as the flesh of
the animal which a few years ago was
considered Valueless, is becoming luxu-
~ Muskrat meat has been favorite
dish in many homes in this section for
years. 1t is even more deIicately flavor
ed than rabbit meat and just as clean
Few animals are cheaper in their habits
than the muskrat They never eat any
thing until they have given it a thorough
washing. Many restaurants I'm New
York and Philadelphia are daily serving
their customers with rabbit pies and rab-
bit stews, whose real identity lies in the
word %muskrat." OF course the restau-
rant keepers are fully aware Of what they
are selling. They can buy muskrat meat
at all times Of the winter and at q much
lower price than they pay for rabbit
naaf-