The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-11

wiry-halred Scotch and Skye dogs ara
priced In the world for their efficiency
az exterminators Of the rodents. Large
sums are spent annually to the end
that the population Of the long-taiied
vermin be kept within bounds and
rarely IL the thought entertained that
the rat has. like all OF Gods creatures.
It's useful mission In the great economy
| OF nature.
What was the surprise. therefore, OF
the head Of a great San Francisco
hardware frm recently 20 find In tho
mail letter from the superintendent
OF the famous Utica mine the follow
ing request:
Send me wlthou, delay hfty rats
for use In the Utica mines"
The recipient thought at hrst that
there was some mistake In the order,
that the word rats meant something
else possibly rattail files. lie puzzled
his brain for an hour and came no
nearer a solution. Ne called In his
partners and the clerks and the por-
ters and Invited them 10 take a hand
In an impromptu missing word con-
test The Consensus Of opinion was that
rats spelled rats. and with n sigh
that breaihed a hope for the best. he
muuored: Obey orders n you break
owners and intrusted the fulfilling OF
the strange order 10 the head porter.
Late that night the porter. accom-
panied by two professional rat catchera
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 q
large leather bag They had not Ions
20 wait Ia the dark silence for within
a few minutes the patriarch Of the
rodent community. az was his custom
poked his head Eingerly through the
opening Of his sanctum. sent a search
light In all directions from his black
intelligent eyes. and then with a sat.
ished squeak returned 20 the bosom oI
his family 20 inform them all was we'll
Slowly. stealthlly. cautiously they
emerged from their secluslon-the pa
triareh. his wife. children. grandchil
dren and many times great-grandchil
dren. and when the cool cellar ali
reached their lungs. with ordinations
! humping occasionally against an uncle
aunt or cousin who. with proiuse apol
, ogics. Joined In the fun.
The younger ones. more venture
: some. entleed by the savory smells {
! bacon and old cheese. which eaiabls
p were literally distributed In the a,
/ Joining room. rushed back excited
9 and informed their elders OF the unel
- pecied discovery.
/. With hystcrlC Joy and increasing al
2 petites the rats vent from every no
d and corner. little realizing the decel
+ ton that was being pracilccd upo
p them
q Suddenly. when the revel was at q
!. height. the doors 20 the room IN While
q the decoy feast was spread were close
a The raj caichers flashed their lantern
!, As Is the habit Of rats when thus owe
IL taken suddenly by the circles Of llgh
L they stood siill IN their tracks a.
o paralyEed. with llgh,ning-llke motto
Il the rat catchers. with their tong
). seized the hypnotlzed rats and toss6
u them into the bag. In less than n,
n minutes a squealing. struggling ma
r Of hfiy full-grown rodents were IN q
q bag. They we're taken upstairs an
y turned into a un-lned packing ca
prepared beforehand. The next a.
they were shipped TO the mine AZ
turned loose TO act as scavengers.
IN Rats are needed In the mines TO e
Y. up refuse food or other matter N
a. would decompose. and the great Utl
no mines previous colony was sunocat
II az the recent Ere That Is Why 4
In san Francisco arm received its que
" order and promptly Allied Il.
ar Yet Il was only the other DAY N
TO a story came from France telling he
~ rats had held up a whole town. Tn
To- overran the cellars and the alleywa
% Of buildings and scampercd noneh
a lantly through the streets. Some o
er. set a dog on the rodents. and. In [
ed melee the dos went mad. The resl
he a few hours later was an army OF m
rats The cltizehs took fright a
mt many Of them fed the town.