The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-16
TELLS IF RACE WAR AMONG SHIP RATS Navy Department Has an Off,
 CiaI Exterminator GETS THEM VERY THIRSTY When They Get Almost overcome With Thirst They Go Over
 board-Admiral Rodent"
 Tells Ills Experience.
 
1ETS THEM VERY THIRSTY

something of a wizard among them. He rates as the rat exterminator and anni- hilator extraordinary to the War and Dayy Departments at Washington. "Ad- miral Rodent is his title by courtesy. He's the modern Pied Piper of Hamelin when 1t comes to yanlxing a scourge of rats out of a ship or barracks where their company is not wanted. But histl It's a secret. So there's no use asking the "Admiral' to tell how he charms the rats.
 When one of Uncle Sam's men-of-war has shipped big crew of rats the Navy Department calls on the old "AdmiraP' to dislodge them. If an army or marine barracks Is overrun with the pest there are loud cries for old pr. McCann. He thinks, however, that he is never sent for until the rats begin to picket muskets from the soldiers and marines.
 The "Admirar' has just completed the job of ridding the cruiser Minneapolis of her army corps of rats at the Brooklyn navy yard. Incidentally he had to use his mystic powers on, he ayers, two billion and seventeen reaches that were in win ter quarters on the ship. He says he invoiced the reaches and refuses to abate a single roach from his official count. The ward room thought he ought to have knocked off the seventeen for cash, but there was no moving him.
 "Sorr, I have to report that I have given shore liberty to 5,217 of your crew of rats," said the "AdmiraI' to the off cer of the deck of the Minneapolis, prop erly scraping the brim of his hat with his hand.
 Did some of them sneak into your whskers for refuge?" asked the officer who is fond of joke. ''If there are any hiding there, chase 'em out and we'll sic the ships cat on em.'
 Quite certain you got the count cor rect, are you?' asked the chief engineer, who came along and heard the "Ad- mirals" official report.
 "Yes, sorr 5,217 is the number. count ed 'em as they went over the side'
 The secret that the "Admiral' hugs so closely lies in the medicine" he gives to the rates. It is a fine white powder of his own connection. He mixes up a lot of 1t in a corn of eornmeal paste and places small pots of 1t all over the ship where the rats are most likely to find it.. And now let him tell what the mixture will do to them:
 Like the "Admiral's" Cooking.
 Rats are always hungry and they are particularly fond of the stuff I mix up for them. SOFT. They fill themselves up tight with it, and then the very next 1 thing they want is drink of water. With every pot of the stuff I put another little
 
 their thirst. They drink that all in no time at all, and in about five minutes they get such thirst as they never had | in their lives before. That's my secret beginning to get in it's work. We'll sorr that thirst grows most amazing, and pretty soon the rats are running madly all over the ship looking for the water wagon. But there is no water, and so the whole crew starts for the open port | hO1a rd | When the "Admirar' boards a ship nothing is sacred from his touch and he ! is the commander. He invades the cap- l tain's cabin with the same freedom he exercises in the tackles quarters off, cers and men alike are shy of him and his pungent powder. He scared all hands on the Minneapolis badly when he started on his roach hunt. The officers fled from their cabins while he squirted his exterminator and annihilator into every | thing. He soa',ed their uniforms with | the powder and sent cloudy volleys of 1t irto bundles of love letters that were tied up with blue ribbons And from every nook and cranny of the old cruis- CT there was a general entymological ex- odus.
 The presence of the "Admirar' on the Minneapolis put the ward room in a reminiscent mood. He was the inspira- ton for all sorts of strange yarns about what rats will do at sea. The Junior Lieutenant spun one about an exciting time he had with them on a long cruise l back in 1892.
 "I was an ensign on the old frigate l Constellation said the Lieutenant. ''We were detailed to bring over a lot of the exhibits for the Worlds fair at Chica- l go from European ports. We landed | first at a French port and laid up there | for week or more. taking on junk for the show. The old frigate was tied up close to a pie. and we hadn't heen there day till all the rats in the place got on to us. At night they came aboard in brigades and even in broad day they would try to slip aboard.
 Race War Among Rats.
 From there we sailed to a German port to pick up more exhibits. And there | again we shipped all the rats that were not otherwise engaged. Our next stop was at an Italian port, and there again the Guinea rats piled aboard and en- ! listed for the cruise.
 Well. you may not believe it. but it's a solemn fact that we had a race war on that old wooden tub that lasted all the I way across the Atlantic. and may be go- | ing on yet for all I know about It. The trouble started between the French and German rats. They slSirmished with each | other for a day or two. and then they got into war in dead earnest. One day the French rats lined up and went at the Germans hot and heavy. At last they drove the enemy down ih the hold. But the Germans rallied the next day and | routed the French.
 "Then the Italians took a hand in the war They made a hostile demonstration against the Germans and attempted a flank movement At that critical stage the American rats got into action. Being out of communication with Washington, the Navy Department and the board of strategy had no chance to make them hike out of the danger belt and wait till some one came along and gave them a kick It was certainly the hottest war it has ever been my luck to witness. Hos tilities were still in progress when I was ordered to another berth. was rather glad of 1t, for with the marching and countermarching of the four armies all night long. there was no sleeping in our | cabins"
 And one by one the junior lieutenants brother officers faded into their cabins.
 Completing Bridge.