The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
SHREWD CTSTOM NOISE RATS.
Their Abode In the Only Room From which
Federal Building Cats Are Excluded.
From NE Providence Jorrnoi.

y ftfl NV y f''t'' ~ '''f t'Nr
II was no; 50 very long ago that there were
| certain officials connected with the local Custom
House who expressed the opinion that they
were wiser than the rats which infcst the build
ing They have had reason lately 10 change their
their minds. for certain things have come up
which have DEMONSTRATED to the Custom House
officials that the rodents in the Post ONCE
building are the c~raitiesI on record. and that
their ingenuity in dcyising and carry ing out
plans of mischief Is nothing short of satanic.
The officials who wer" fond of drlndlng lhem-
selves with the idea that II took more than q
horde OF rats 10 got the better Of them. intro
duCod the cat ~ stom of rat catching IN tbs
Post ONCE with good results. The rodents dis
app cared from their accustomed hHIni~ IN tho
building, and were replaced bi three cats. each
a ratter Of pronounced ability. The officials
rubbed their hand el""'nll>. and IN a III OF
generosity sent on n request 10 Washington that
the Treasury Department make a monthly ar
preparation Of 90 TO lroyld" .ood ior the cats.
This suggestion the Treasury department.
treated with more or loss -corn To the chagrin
Of the local officials ia" Department Informed
them that II had placed III" letter on tile. Tho
officials kept NJ the merry dig into their pockets
tor loose change with which 10 purchase cat
meat, aud spent their spare moments IN ~al ING
unkind things about IA" Treasury Department,
But they did not forget Ia rloat over the iact
that they had gained III" mastery, OF, IA" rat
problem That's, they didn't until Thursday.
But Nny 10 lWN. VIII ~ d"wn. On record n us
tom House crcl"~ much ~ Black Friday mas
throughout the civilized world tn" deputy
collectors all locked ~ad Yesterday, and even
the car ~ Eat Providence. who dcigu- To- DC
cups the Collectors char. was sGbducd IN -plr-
n II appears That there g., on" APARTMENT in
the Post Onl"H hUldlnG ~ which the cat- do not
hav" aCC"-- That j. III" lIno" IN winch tho
bonded good are stored in tn" ba-rn"nt.
Th,- l. kept locked fer There = a sufficient
stock of choicr wines and brand,cs stored thcro
10 set ny several saloons
II did not take the rat long tO discover That
IN" eats W"r" not permitted rpcutcr this "n"rod
.pOt They Ia. their plans accordingly. and
by exercising much yer ."VrrauCr and MANY
sharp teeth m mayed to- bore "A hul" through
ia" VA and prn"tr 4" 10 the r"mutr~t depths
Of tho ~tur" room. ! "~tcrtay an importer called
TO take some uf has choice brandy rom the
wnrrhCus' II" l. a careful man and noticed
that the 'u>tum House -tHwp usually affixed
TO tho caek hy the gaug'r was missing. He
called III" attention ot the proper officials Ia
this fact. and an investigation was instituted
II Tas discovered that IN" stamps have been
removed rom u numl"r ~ the casks. Further
search showed that Il must have been the rO-
d 'nt- which do III" trick. The resumption is
that they liked the paste with whlCh the stamps
wer" affixed ~ IN" casks and 80 removed thr
insignia Of - royal in order thar they might
get NJ the paste.
Duplicat" STAMP. had 10 be furnished. and
II Is now y question whether the Department
AZ Washington will choose 10 furnish stamps
or whether Il will show a preference" for appro-
Trlntlng 50 Tor cat meat At any rate the rats
threaten 10 beCOm" n public nuisance instead
or n departmental nuisance. fer If the Casks
had gone ont without the stamps. their con
tents would have been liable 20 seizure. and
then the expense attendant upon this would
have fallen upon the importer. Further pro-
ceedings Will be awaited with interest