The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-02
HE HAS MANY ENEMIES. BIT FLOUR
IsHEs IL SPITE OF THEM
some Interesting Points the His
tory of Rats-Their Enormous
Rate of Increase.



grown men look with loathing upon it..
while women. who will climb. regardless ct
all the laws Of artistic posing, over chairs,
sofas. and tables if little mouse runs
across the floor. regard this quadruped as
little less than wild and dangerous beast.
or other animals OF similar appearance and
size. such as the weasels. stOats and minks
and ferrets they have little dread and will
even praise them and admire their glossy
skins and bright eyes. But the rat earns
neither praise nor admiration Although II
Is I'm reality not without beauty OF form
and fine traits of character. this little
teastie" is doomed ever in the eyes of man
as a creature TO be extiTpated if possible
and killed on every possible occasion.
And beyond a doubt the rat deserves the
lad character we give it. Its habits of lie
at home; its fondness for living In sewers
dungeons and filthy drains; its cannibal
reputation and its known and dreaded
audacity in attacking infants and even the
lord OF creation himself in his full visor OF
manhood all combine TO make it an object
OF Ioathins. In addition TO these qualihca-
lions the enormous depredations it commits
on grain stores and all kinds OF tood' TO-
gether with the prolific propagation of It's
consideration OF man as a domestic pet or
q creature TO be allowed TO live.
There are two sorts OF rats-the plaSh
and the brown. The black rat used to be
very plentiful indeed in former years, Dut
- now very rare. and naturaltStS are OF
opinion that il has been gradually killed,
off by the larger. stronger and more ie-
called the old English rat-was by no
means such bad lOs as its hrst cousin.
the brown rat. The black fellow was very
= Il haf, md 0nf
[ a depredator. Ii held its food between the
fore feet and was always very careful TO
remove any dirt that attached 10 It's rect
or it's food. IL was, nevertheless, lremeh-
dously vOraciOus and never failed 10 pro-
duce less than eight at a birth. But the
brown rat, which has so effectually extir-
pated this species. is by no means anxious
or willing 10 be killed off. In spite OF all
the efforts of man, whether with dogs,
poison or traps, this animal has increased
with such prOdigiOuS rapldlty that IN many
places-especially the older cities OF
Europe-it is looked upon as positive
HOW THEY TRAVEL
It was not known in Great Britain till
1870 and was supposed to have been intro
duced from Persia and the East Indies and
TO have spread TO America through the
commercial intercourse that existed be-
tween the two countries. 1t made it's home
in sewers and drains through which it
gained access to houses and from it's nests
in old wharves and piers it easily got
possession of the holds of the many ships
that lay for days alongside. Rats are very
fond of sea voyage and ship that Is
once invaded by these animals with their
extraordinary powers OF multiplying soon
becomes uninha bitabe. During the first
days of the voyage the sailors make enor-
nous traps out of large packing cases
which they place over the holes with one
side open. But. though many may be
caught in this manner, the rats are too
clever TO be fooled long and this plan Is
only enectual for a short time. The ma
jority of captains are afraid TO have re-
sort TO the most effective of all killing
methCds-poison; for as soon as the beasts
feel the results OF the poison they retire to
the corners of the hold and dying there by
hundreds their bodies decOmpose and
cause a stencil that in a tropical voyage
may easily cause an epidemic on board.
French writer tells us that the English
companies who own the packet boats run
nlnS between England and South America
employ regular official rat killer who. on
the arrival of the boats, performs his duty
of Kidding the vessel of these pests. With
lie aid OF experience. dogs and sticks he
forces the rats TO retire to a closed space.
where with much bloodshed and fighting
ne succeeds in killing all but a very few
Yet these very few are sufficient TO people
the vessel again with hundreds of rats
Tor when she returns after the voyage.
me PROUD rat-kllier Is sure 10 be just as
busiiy employed again.
IN cities these animals feed chiefly on
carrlon, though they will not despise any
eggs, destroy chickens and devour large
quantities Of tallow candles and cloth
Nothing is indtgestible for them and moth
ing Is too good. Yet their vast eating and
destroying capacity is of no use to man
Tor they never kill any other animals that
are are INJURIOUS nor do they appear to be of
eats their flesh Willingly, although il is I'M
doubtedly good and dgestible vet il is
well known that in the poorer portions of
Paris. where these quadrupeds abound the
common people swallow as much rat flesh
as they do any other kind of meat 1t is
made up In the shape OF pies, sausages and
cheap meat cakes. and il is very djfficuIt
TO detect the difference between IL and the
pork. beef or veal it is intended 10 repre-
I'm Paris" says Milne Edwards. rats
are very common I'm the sewers situated
near the markets and the slaughter houses.
tne puonc latrlnes and, especially. the
Strengthening establishment OF Montfaucon
wnere, toward evening. they are seen coy
b tns tnS Sarcasses or the horses that have
In this instance. however II would an
pear That the rats were actually OF some
puonc service. At any rate their impor-
lance was not beneath notice for I'm a re-
port made 10 the government with eoar6s
10 me removal of these sarae slaughtering
houses 10 greater distance from Paris
the chief objection lay in the danger of
deprlving these voracious vermin of their
many as tb,r sustenan n Sometimes as
day and the next morning were found
picked clean 10 the bone
ASTONISHING NUMBERS.
y Frenchman named Dusaussois once
made some interesting and even ASTONISHING.
experiments with rats in order to determine
Wnat numbers might make their abode In a
single house lie put the carcasses of two
dead horses into an Enclosure surrounded by
solid walls with holes in plenty for the in
gress and egress OF the rats. Toward mid
night he noiselessly stopped up these holes
and, with several other men carrying sticks
and lanterns, entered the inclcsurc A
massacre thai called into play all their ac-
tlvity and strength OF arm at once ensued
The place was alive with rats They coy
cred the floor i'm hundreds swarminc nm
the walls. burrowing into and underneat n
the dead horses and even in some cases
Nenturing 10 attack their deStrO-ers bv
leaping up their legs and trousers No ac-
curacy OF aim was necessary. every blow
Knocked half dozen OF the swarmfng
screening multitude senselcss and those
VINO tried TO escape By climbing up the
walls We're easily Knocked down again and
quickly dispa tched The carnage was ter
rible- This experiment was repcatcd at
intervals OF a few DAYS. and in one single
month no less than 5000 rats were de-
night-the dead amounted 10 $50 and tn.
aggregate OF four hunts was . l0 This Wa
pretty rough on the rats. hut was at tho
came time both useful and an interestir !,
experiment.
IL is A peculiar fact that vernin possess
almost invariably the greatest povers OF
reproduction Indeed. the less arrerahIe Ia