Arizona republican., 1901-10-01
RAT CATCHER TO ROYALTY.
Unattractive Occupation of One John
 Black Who Inherited Profession.

Within a stones throw of Euston station, in the basement of a small house. lives a man who, according to T notice board outside, is "rat-catcher by appointment to royalty"
 John Black, for such is his nam-. comes Of race of rat catchers. His business has descended from father to son, and at the death of that king of rat catchers." John Newton. he added that worthy's clients to his own.
 Black is a man of middle age. and his room is a veritable "rattery." Under the bed. under the table, to the right. to the left, are cages containing rats. They are kept supplied with a liberal quantity of food, for when hungry, the captive rodent does not hesitate to eat his brother rat. In some cases as many as twenty rats share . cage, but Black is open also to take paying guests The latter have private apartments to themselves, are specially fed, and are sleek and comfortable looking. For the most part they belong to young gentle men of sporting tastes, and the cost oi their board and lodging largely depends upon the sum of the particular owners pocket money
 Dogs and ferrets also live in neigh borly love on the premises, and a three legged terrier (the fourth limb fell q prey to rats many years ago) hobbies always at his masters heels.
 John Blacks most treasured posses sion is his official belt of office" Thfs was presented to his father by Queen Victoria, and the broad black leather circlet bears the royal monogram in silver fanked on either side by large silver rats. Another valued belonging is an old oil painting O. the original John Black. taken in Regents park in his Official costume" many years agJ. Standing erect, attired in a black coar, colored waistcoat, the official belt. high boots and silk hat, he cuts quite an imposing figure. Sad to relate, the rats have wrecked postmortem vengeance on their foe, for one night they ate large holes in the canvas. and the pie ture has never been repaired. In addition to royalty, Black numbers many noblemen and the heads of county families among his patrons. Last month he caught no fewer than fS0 rats in large house in Hertford
 shire, which, after being long unten- anted, is now in the hands of the dec orators fer the occupation of an Amerl- can millionaire.
 While engaged in similar work in aa E,izabs than mansion down in Dorset shire Black numbered among his
 catch" several pure white rats. These he subsequently, sold to good advan-
 tage.
 The price he generally obtains for his rodents varies from shillings to { shilhngs, or even shillings per dozen.
 'all according to size and quality" Brown rats are worth one shilling each. Blacks chief customers are the own CTS of terriers and other dogs with q partiality for rating. Now and again,
 when setting out for a nights wori. Black is accompanied by young gentle men fond of excitement" who pay liberally for the privilege of assist ing" Armed with a species of butter fly net secured at the end of very
 long stick, the rat catcher seats hint self on a chair in the center of the
 apartment under operation" Black works mora by ear than by eye. for long practice has given him the faculty of netting a 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 a specially constructed cage.
 For this Black insits 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 al 1eges that he is proof against rat poi son. for when Gas does sometimes hap ! pen) lis arm swells up after being bit- 1 ten, he reduces it in an hour or so by
 q herbal preparation of his own. i In addition to his aristocratic patrons Black is under contract with the pro- | prietors of many of the leading restau-
 rants, shops and theaters to keep their
 premises free from vermin of every 1 kind.
 According to his official rard.'' Black
 undertakes as "side lines" to his rat
 ting business the wholesale destruction of ants, cockroaches and black beetles. London Tit-Bits.