Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-28

food out Of the windows, and the raiN,
way rats come out by night and de
lNour IL, The electrihcation OF the
IniStict and Circle" lines has greatly
diminished the rats in those parts Of
underground London, They are not
only very iuQuiSiuve, but naturally
and hahtMalN touch every object they
come near first, With their whtskers,
and then with their nose, No other
lantmal uses its whiskers as teelegs
SO Professionally They are not stia for
a moment but always kept Ia motion
like u hyhsher's rod With "live"
rails down in the tunnels, which emit
the peculiar smell accompanying high.
lily charged conductors, this inuutrtng
habit OF the rats leads them to dis,
astcr They smell that the tive" rail
| is not quite like an ordinary length OF
steel, put thor whiskers against Il.
and finally lay their noses ON II,
This causes death in moment, the
rats falling backwards, and expiring
after one or two kicks.
Indifference, and not any particular
difficulty in destroying them. accounts
for the multiplication of the plague In
the open fields, banks, preserves ana
corn stacks, Rats In such places can
Away be killed by poisoning them IN
their burrows, and rs they usually die
underground, no risk is incurred after
their death either from the decay OF
OF the bodies, or from other and yalu,
able animals eating the poisoned car.
casses. Meal is put into the holes
with a long spoon for two or three
nights, Then tho supply Is omitted
for a night, ana finally poisoned meal
Is put IN and the holes stopped out
side, This Is not possible In houses,
or even near them. but Il Ia very
enectual IN the fields and one peculia,
feature of the recent rat invasion IA
that they are mainly confined to tho
rural districts and 10 the open country.
In towns. owing TO better sanitation,
and the removal OF all dusthole rub
Dish, they have greatly diminished 1t
Is fact that the surroundings or
Ordinary London houses are enormous
Ily more clean and healthy than those
of the ordinary country house. where
there are no Instructors" and refuse
acoumulates In some corner or other
where, so long rs Il is out of sight
1t Is usually out of mind,
That there is something absolutely
repulsive in the at per SO is partly
proved by the instructive horror IN
which Il Ia held alike by men, women,
Ichildren and most other animals
Horses will often refuse to feed, and
are unable 10 sleep II there " rat
In the stable by night. Birds OF MI
kinds hold them In horror exccpt
those which, like the now almost OK
ltinct bnz2ard, make them thor prin-
cipal food, A hen Is quite helpless
faginst them. and Is often killed on tho
nest: and though a partridge would
defeat rat by day, and drive II on,
1t can do nothing against II mt night
Rats are said TO have broken up ana
caused the removal OF the cutlery
from Sedge Fen at lIoyoton. near Nor
wich, to its present secure position ia
the sedges OF the Little Board, where
the water protects them effeetually
even from the most enterprlsing rat.
Some time ago medical cor
respondent OF the Spectator wrote to
draw attention 10 the way In which
rats directly cause sickness and
death by poisoning shallow wells with
their docaying bodies, They are thirsty
creatures, and In their oagerness 10
reach water fall into the wells aud
are drowned. Several fatal cases or
so'called septicpneumonIa' were
found to be due TO drinking water so
poisoned That they carry plague In
well known, But, In addition. they are
dissemlnators Of every kind OF disease
which can be conveyed into dralns
and from drains; for of all highways
the rat loves drain the best.
IL Is one of the curioslties OF animal
temperament that while the brown rat
iG 80 universally detested. the closely
related AlexandrIan rat--the white or
piebnld varieties are we'll known IN
this country--is almost fayorite. II
Is very quiet, doclle little animal,
almost affectionate In its relations
with man, and constantly kept ms 4
pct by children. II Is clean and very
gentle, never by an chance Offering
70 bite, and IL as intent on storing up
food az II II had never forgotten the
experience Of It's ancestors In the
lean years" when Joseph ruled under
: Pharaoh. II is the humblest or ali
domestic pets, but often quite inter.
esting In It's ways. the only drawback
to It's company being the close re.
semblance In appearance TO the
criminal brown rat.