New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-27
RATS ELECTROCUTED.
Electricity Used to Kill RoIents in
Rochester Warehouse.



great loss and annoyance by the depreda-
tons of the rats that usually lnfest such
places, and as yet no effective means
have been devised OF getting rid of them.
A firm Of Warehousemen at Rochester, N.
Y. in whose place of business the recent
family has been particularly numerous
and destructive, has devised a method
OF getting rid of them that has proved
eminently successful. Since the intro
duction of scientific methods, however,
the rats have been killed of so rapidly
that within short time they will be
practically extinct.
When the rats first began to overrun
this particular warehouse the aid of their
time-honored enemies, cats, was first
called in. The cats meant well and were
energetic. But they could not follow the
rats down their holes, and the rodents
were so sly, as well as numerous, that it
was soon evident cats could not solve the
problem of getting rid of them.
Traps of various kinds were then
after little time the rats came to I'M
derstand and avoid them The same
proved true of poison.
Then clerk with an inventive turn Of
mind tackled and solved the rat ques-
ton. The warehouse is lighted with in
candescent electric lights, which, how
ever, are seldom used at night First,
the clerk placed fiat piece of copper on
the floor in one of the corners of the
building and a wire was run to it from the
incandescent light circuit. On this cop
per plate was placed a large and appetite
ing piece of cheese. Then second cop
per plate was placed on the floor almost,
but not quite, touching the first copper
The return wire of the incandescent light
circuit was connected with this second
plate.
The cheese, Of course was in full view
on the floor and nothing could have
looked more innocent. But to reach it
rat would first step on the copper plate
connected with the return wire. So far
nothing would happen to disturb the
peace Of mind OF his ratship. His next
move, however, would be to place his
forefeet on copper place No. 1. on which
the cheese had been placed. The instant
the front feet Of the rat touched this
piece OF copper, as his hind feet would
still be on the second copper, he would
complete the electric circuit. The cur
rent would shoot through his body and
he would drop dead before he had time
to utter a squeak.
There was nothing about the contriv-
ance to indicate trap, even to the oldest
and wisest rat. The cheese was in plain
sight, and apparently easy to get, and by
its smell attracted rats from all over the
warehouse. The whole arrangement
looked SO innocent that even the sight
of the bodies of their predecessors did
not frighten away the hungry rats On
the morning after the rat electrocution
trap was first tried over score of dead
rats were found. The next evening half
a dozen similar traps were set, all meet
ing with the success of the first. It was
plain that the rat question was settled,
so far as that warehouse was concerned.
II think | ought to get out patent
for my electric chair for thieving rats
said the inventor of the novel trap,
proudly. 'And, besides any money which
my scheme might bring me, I think I
am entitled to large medal from the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. For the rats don't suffer the
least pain. They are dead before they
know what has happened"