The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06
RATS And RAF-CATCHERS
Both DWindling in Number Under
Modern Destructive Plans.
Guccr Professional Characters
Whose LnbOrs We're Designed to
Sweep Rodents ont of Civilian
toms Limits-Sonc Who Have IA
Claim 20 Remembrance in History.

Rough on-rats and similar deadly con-
coctions. Joined TO patent traps, have moi
only succeeded in driving off those crea-
lures for which they are more especially
designed, but TO large extent. the pro-
fessional rat-catcher as we'll The latter
was a parsonage very well known and
very useful in his day, and even at pres
ent. in some of our large cities, he is tc
be met around the big merchants ware
houses with a brass plate upon his breast
adorned with a portrait of a rat, to in
dictate his profession.
This. apparently. somewhat unpleasant
calling is an old and universal one. In
Italy, in the seventeenth century as we
learn from Annibal Caraccis illustrations
| of the cries of Bologn-., the rat-catcner
| went about with a pole bearing a square
flag on which were representations OF
rats and mice. The Chinese rat-catcher
carries, as the outward ensign of his
craft. cat in a bag. One of the many
dainty and exquisite engravings of Corne-
Illus Vischer (born at HARLEM, 1910,
shows us the Dutch rat-catcher of that
day with all his paraphernalia and while
representing n parsonage eminently gro
tesque in his general makeup the sketch
| is so lifelike and characteristic that its
fidelity cannot be doubted The print is
| further adorned by Latin inscription,
which may be rendered as follows: by
the cat you put rats TO flight. II you
| drive away little thieves by great ones.
| it Is utter folly. Look at me; provided
| only little coin is forthcoming, l Will
put both rats and cats to flight"
! Undoubtedly, the most famous rat
catcher known to history is the pied
! Piper of Hamelein." The existence of
! this parsonage and the accomplishment of
/ his wonderful feat are not. as many sup
! pose, merely legendary. but are as well
attested and circumstantially youched
| for as any recorded occurrence. Tho
! following is the account given by old
] Verfstegan. and is translated literally
from the original German:
| There came into the town of Hamel
an cod kind OF companion who, for the
fanta 'tical coat which he WORE being
! wrought with sundry colors, was called
the Pied Piper. This fellow. forsooth,
| offered the townsmen. for a certain sum
of money. to rid the town of all the rats
| that were in it flor at that time the
| burghers were with that vermin greatly
anne yed) The accord, in fine. being made
the Pied Piper. with shrill pipe, went
ali Inc streets, ana fOrtlTitn the
rats came all running out OF the houses
in great numbers after him; all which
he led into the river OF Weaser, and
therein drowned them. This done, and
no rats more perceived to be left in the
town. he afterward came to demand his
reward according to his bargain; but be-
ing told that the bargain was not made
with him in good earnest, to wit, with
an opinion that he could be able to do
such feta. they cared not what they
accorded unto, when they imagined IL
could never be deserved, and SO never
be demanded; but, nevertheless. seeing he
had done such an unlikely thing. in
deed, they were content to give him a
good reward, and so offered him far less
than he looked for. He Herewith dis
contented. said he would have his full
recompense according to his bargain;
but they utterly denied to give it him.
He threatened them with revenge;
they babe him do his worst, whereupon
he betakes him again TO his pipe, and GO
ing through the streets as before was fol-
lowed by a number OF boys out of one OF
the gates of the city. and coming to a
little hill. there opened in the side there
of wide hole. into the which himself and
all the children did enter; and being en-
tered. the hill did close up again, and be-
fore. A boy that being lame came some
what tagging behind the rest. seeing this
that happened. returned presently back
and told what he had seen; forthwith be-
gan great lamentation among the parents
for their children, and the men were sent
out with all diligence. both by land and
by water, to enquire II aught could be
heard of them; but with all the enquiry
they could possibly make use. nothing
more than is aforesaid could OF them be
understood. And this great wonder hap
pened on the 22d OF July. in the year of
Our Lord 1876"
The rat seems. indeed a mystical sort
Of creature-at least. very strange stories
are current everywhere regarding 1t.
There are certain parts of different coun-
tries where, it is said, rats will not dwell,
and cannot be introduced This. some nat
uralists explain by affirming that in these
places the rat does not find his fayorite
foods. The country people in many parts
of Scotland have the same conviction re-
garding the impossibility OF rats existing
there as the irish have in regard TO SNAKES
in the Emeral Isle. The eminent scien-
tist. Sir Robert Gordon. shared the former
belief regarding the province OF Suther-
landshire.
1t was a prevalent notion in past ages.
that rats might be extirpated by a perse-
vering course of anathematisIng In
rhyme Reginald Scot says that the Irish
thought they could rhyme any beast to
death: bur the notion was, in general,
restricted to the rat. 1t is with refer
ence to this belief practice rather.
that Rosalind In las You Like IT. says:
Il never was so berhymed since Pytha-
goras' time. that was Irish rat. which
! can hardly remember"
Another prevalent notion regarding rats
was that they had 4 presentiment OF com
ing evil. and always deserted IN time q
ship about to be wrecked or a house
about to be flooded or burned. So late as
1854 II was seriously reported in & certain
newspaper that the night before a town
mill wa2 burned. the rats belonging to the
establishment were met migrating in a
body to a neighboring 3easeieid.
II would appear from the statement of
a certain Mr. Berwick that the rats them
selves are a very supersttious gentry. for
scarcely otherwise can be explained the
phenomena he rar~ates that the skins
OF such OF them as have been devoured in
their holes (for they are cannlbals TO
sad eXtenO have been frequently found
curiously turned inside out, every part OF
them being completely inverted even to
the ends o., the toes"
il may be added as more pleasing trait
OF these much despised animals that they
are, nevertheless. OF a social turn. and
have tneir sports and pastimes by them
selves. ''They play at hide-and-seek with
each other, and have been known to hide
themselves in the folds Of linen. where
they have remained quite still until their
piaymates have discovered them, in The
same manner as kittens"
Sin iI. Shirt BoSoms.
(Frorn the Providence Journal)
II is interesting to Learn that even In New
York the pleated shirt for evening wear Is maxi