The Meeker herald., 1897-04-03

wiry-haired Scotch and Skye dogs are
priced in the world for their efficiency
as exterminators of the rodents. Large
sums are spent annually to the end
that the population of the iong-tailed
vermin be kept within bounds and
rarely is the thought entertained that
the rat has, like all of Gods creatures.
Its useful mission in the great economy
of nature.
What was the surprise, therefore, OF
the head Of great San Francisco
hardware firm recently to find in the
mail letter from the superintendent
of the famous Utica mine the follow
ing request:
Send me without delay fifty rats
for use In the Utica mines"
The recipient thought at first that
there was some mistake in the order,
that the word rats meant something
else, possibly rattail files. He puzzled
his brain for an hour and came NO
nearer solution. He called in his
partners and the clerks and the por-
tiers and invited them to take hand
in an impromptu missing word con-
test. The consensus of opinion was that
Rats spelled rats, and with sigh
that breathed a hope for the best. he
muttered: "Obey orders II you break
owners" and intrusted the fulfilling Of
fse strange order to the head porter.
Late that night the porter. accom-
panied by two professional rat catchers
armed with the dark lantersn and the
long tongs OF their craft, softly tip
toed into the dark cellar Of the hard
ware warehouse. The porter held .
large leather bag. They had not long
to wait in the dark silence, for within
a few minutes the patriarch of tho
rodent community. as was his custom.
poked his head gingerly through the
opening Of his sanctum, sent search
light in all directions from his black,
intelligent eyes, and then with q sat
isfied squeak returned to the bosom Of
his family to inform them all was WE'LL
Slowly. stealthily. cautiously they
emerged from their seclusion-the pa
triarch. his wife. children, grandchil-
dren and many times great-grandchil-
dren, and when the cool cellar air
reached their lungs, with exclamations,
aunt or cousin who, with profuse apol-
ogies. Joined In the fun.
The younger ones, more venture
some, enticed by the savory smells Of
bacon and old cheese, which eatables
were literally distributed in the ad-
joining room, rushed back excitedly
and informed their elders Of the unex-
pected discovery.
With hysteric Joy and increasing ap-
petites the rats went from every hole
and corner, little realizing the decep-
tion that was being practiced upon
them.
Suddenly. when the revel was at its
height, the doors to the room In which
the decoy feast was spread were closed.
The rat catchers flashed their lanterns.
Az is the habit of rats when thus over
taken suddenly by the circles of light,
they stood still in their tracks as II
paralyzed. With lightnins-like motion
the rat catchers. with their tongs,
seized the hypnotized rats and tossed
them into the bag. In less than FIVE
minutes squealing. struggling mass
OF fifty full-grown rodents were in the
bag. They were taken upstairs and /.
turned into tin-lined packing case
prepared beforehand. The next day
they were shipped to the mine and
turned loose to act as scavengers.
Rats are needed in the mines to eat
up refuse food or other matter that
would decompose. and the great Utica
mines previous colony was sufSocated
at the recent fire. That is why the
San Francisco firm received its queer
order and promptly filled It,
Yet 1t was only the other day that
a story came from France telling how
rats had held up a whole town. They
overran the cellars and the alleyways
OF buildings and scampered noncha-
lantly through the streets. Some one
set dog on the rodents, and, in the
melee, the dog went mad. The result
few hours later was an army of mad
rats. The citizens took fright, and
many Of them fed the town.