The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-23
RAT CATCHER 70 royalty.
unattractive Occupation of One John
Black Who Inherited Profession.
(London Tit-Bits


Within a stones throw of Euston
station. in the basement of A small
mousse lives a man who, according to a
notice board outside. is 'rat-catcher nv
appointment to royalty"
John Black, for such is his name
ZONES OF race of rat catchers His
business has descended from father to
son, and at the death of that ssl<ine 81
rat catchers." John Newton ne sSded
mat Worthy's clients to his own.
ro I,lck Is man OF middle age, and his
room IS veritable 'rattery" Under
the ped under the table to the right. to
tne leII, are cages containing rats They
are Kept supplied with a liberal GUAM
uty OF food, for, when hungry the cap
i've rodent does not hesitate to eat his
DIOCner rat n some cases as many as
aMeIity rats snare cage, but Black is
Dl, 5 also TO take paying guests. The
latter have private apartments to them
serves, are specially fed. and are sleek
anu cqnIortabie looking For the most
part they belong to young gentlemen of
sporting tastes, and the cost of their
BOARD ana lodging largely depends upon
Ihe sum OF the particular owners pocket
Dogs and ferrets also live in neigh
9orly love on the premises. and a three
prey to rats many years ago) hobbies
always at his masters heels.
John Blacks most treasured possess
sion is his official belt of office This
was presented to his father by Queen
victoria, and the broad black leather
circlet bears the royal monogram in sill
yer, fianked on either side bv large Sill
yer rats Another valued belongine, is
an cd oil painting of the original John
official costume many years ago.
Standing erect. attired in a black coat
colored waistcoat, the official belt high
Doots and Silk hat. he cuts quite an i'm
posing figure Sad to relate, the rats
have wreaked postmortem vengeance on
thelr Zoe, for one night they ate large
never been repaired.
In addition to royalty Black numb ers
families among mis- patrons. Last month
ne caught no fewer than 4S0 rats in a
large house in Hertfordshire, which, after
hands of the decorators for the occupa-
ton OF an American millionaire.
W lille engaged in similar work in an
Elizabethan mansion down in Dorsetshire
Black numbered among his catch" sew
eral pure white rats These he subse-
The price he generally obtains for his
rodents varies from shillings to shill-
lngs, or even shillings per dozen. "all
according to size and quality" Brown
rats are worth ! shilling each.
Biack chief customers are the owners
OF terriers and other dogs with a par
TALLY for rafting. Now and again. when
setting out for a nights work. Black is
accompanied by young gentlemen fond
OF excitement, who pay literally for the
privilege of assisting :" Armed with a
species OF butterfly-net secured at the
enu OF very long stick, the rat catcher
seats himself on chair in the center of
the apartment under operation" Black
works more by ear than by eye. for long
practice has given him the faculty Of
netting rat at the first suspicion of a
squeak. although the rodent may at the
time be many feet away. When once
IN the tolls the rat Is quickly transferred
TO . specially constructed cage.
For this Black insists on using his bare
hands, and in consequence he has been
bitten many times-So many times in
fact, that both his arms and hands are
a mass of scars. Black alleges that. he
IS proof against rat poison, for when Gas
does sometimes happen) his arm swells
up after being bitten, he reduces it in an
hour or SO by means of a herbal prepar-
alton of his own.
Black is under contract with the pro-
prletors of many of the leading restau-
rants, shops and theatres to keep their
premises free from vermin of every kind
According to his official card" Black
undertakes as side lines to his rafting
business the wholesale destruction OF
ants, cockroaches and black beetles