Catoctin clarion., 1900-11-01
THE RATS OF CHICAGO
Five Rodents to Every One of the
City's Population.
potson and Cats Are of Little Avail
to Rid the City of the Rap
idly Multiplying
Rodents.

When the Englishman who recently
wrote a bird book called the sparrow
the avian rat, doubtless he had the
great numbers Of the birds in mind as
we'll as their rodent-like habits OF lie.
Yet, as a matter of fact, the sparrows
though in multitude they are like the
leaves on the trees before the army
worm arrived, are in reality far less
numerous in this big city than are the
great gray rats. There are in Chicago
probably about five rats for every man,
woman and child within the city con-
fines.
Rats are repulsive at best, and nearly
everybody is afraid of them. Possibly
not much cheer will be derived from
this statement that there are living in
and about the city's houses, stores and
waste places some 10,000,O00 of these
cruel-toothed, sleek, sharp-eyed crea-
lures.
The rat probably has more enemies
than any other animal on earth. Its
prosecutors animate and inanimate,
come in the form of poison, traps, cats,
dogs, birds, ferrets and men. Some or
all of these agents are at work con-
stantly, and yet the city rat thrivcs,
wakes fat and raises large family.
1t is asserted by authorities that Chi
cago has more rats in proportion to its
size than any other city on earth. The
conditions here are peculiarly adapted
to the preservation of the species.
Under the wooden sidewalks, which are
still to be found at places even in the
heart of the city, the rats have haven
of refuge. When driven from buildings
10y cats or by ferrcts kept for the pur-
pose, the Chicago rat makes straight
for the nearest wooden pavement and
under it digs a burrow. The rat is
true gamin-sharp, cunning and, when
necessity requires it, bold. Boldness is
the Chicago rats birthright, for in its
veins flows Viking blood. Chicago's
rat came from Norway, and its first act
was to kill or drive out all the black rats
which were indigenous to the Amer
lean soil.
If anyone should wonder why it is
that despite all its enemies the city rat
manages to increase in numbers he may
satisfy his curiosity and gain wisdom
at the same time by taking spade and
digging out "a rat hole at almost any
time between MaYh l and October !.
These months are the family rearing
times, and during this period three
broods are sent out by each old pair TO
begin their predatory existence.
If the man with the spade succeeds
in reaching the end Of the hole he will
uncover family Of young rodents
which never numbers less than ten and
frequently exceeds Is members. TAX
ing IL nestliugs as the average family,
each good healthy pair of the whiskcrcd
gray rats will present to the world each
year sc of their kind. Now on a basis of
5000,0O0 pairs Of rats it will be seen
that each year there is added to the rat
population of Chicago something like
iS0,000O0O of young rodents.
In the face Of these figures il ceases
to be cause of surprise that poison
and cats and other things cannot ell
tirely do away with the city's rat pest.
1t is a matter of cOngratulatiOn to the
citizens Of Chicago that the cats and
other rat enemies do the work as well
as they do, otherwise the rat army
would not content itself with a COM
missariat of bread, meat and cheese
and scraps, but would turn, attack and
subsist on the Chicago citizen himself.
Chicago Tribune.