The Washington herald., 1907-09-19
uy FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

uy FREDERIC J. HAsKIT.
The introduction Of the bUbonic plague
into San Francisco has revived the ia
terest of health officers in the fight
against rats II Is known now that they
are responsible FOR the spread OF the
dread disease, and severe measures Of
some kind must sooner or later be taken
70 put au end to them and to their work.
Many large seacoast cities already re-
quire ships coming from foreign ports 70
be specially fumigated for the purpose Of
destroying rats. a lighter or .ug with q
fumigating outfit on board comes along
side the ocean liner and feeds deadly sui
phur dioXide into the hold. where every
every exit has been closed. After such
treatment hundreds Of dead rats and
cockroaches lie about on the floors. This
fumigating is done az the expense Of the
ships companies However, such work
is only . step in the right direction. The
rat is a most prolific breeder. and one OF
the most artfuI dodgers known 20 man.
For every one killed there is soon "a score
to take mis- place.
Eager TO see If there is an altruistic
side 10 ratdOm as well as 10 the rest OF
the world, I went 10 one of the leading
scientists Of the United States Depart
meut of Agriculture What can YOU say
OF rats that is good? What can YOU oifer
iu their defense?" l asked. Nothing. o"
was the prompt reply. Absolutely moth
ing, except that they are good food for
some predatory birds and animals which
might otherwise live Oh more useful crea-
tgras.' The worst pest among mammals
in this country, the rat costs the United
states many millions of dollars a year "a
cost that exceeds the combined loss
caused by all other destructive mammals
Everything is grist that comes 10 his mill
OF destruction, and he can live anywhere
and eat anything with an equal degre e
OF ease and efficiency.
Their Costly DepredatIOns.
He carly begins IN attack on the crops
OF the farmer. He burrows down and
steals the newly planted grain from the
fields, DE attacks 1t wuen it is growing. he
iOots all he needs from the barns or
stacks, and after il Is on its way 70
other places De commits such depreda-
uons on IL in elevators and ia steam
ship holds that its value is greatly depre-
ciated. When hungry for meat he gnaws
his way into the nearest butcher shop or
cold storage plant and. selecting the most
choice pieces, eats all he likes anG ruins
ten times as much By contamination
Vegetables and fruits always taste go0d
10 him, and nothing ia the pantry is ever
safe when he Is about. Even when the
country housewife in desperation has
hung great shelf from the ceiling and
placed her butter jars and ham or bacon
there as safeguard against his deure-
datiOus, he has climbed down the ropes
with the ease of trained acrobat and
gurged himself 10 replction, often throw
ing the rest 10 the floor for his less ac-
tive comrades. As ten rats can eat as
much as one able-bodied man, the extent
of their deprcdati0ns can be always cx-
pressed in large figures.
And they don't stop with food. They
have heen found I'm stores and warehouses
iu great numbers, eating their way
through bales Of costly furs. priceless
laces. carpets, leather goods. and silks.
/ Diligently gnaWing the wax ends of
matches, they have often caused great
couhagrations They have eaten through
. lead water pipes and flooded houses, they
have destroyed gas pipes and made dan
gerous and poisonous leaks. they have
undermined tmbankments and retaining
banks. and destroyed fountains in flower
gardens. Birds poultry. eggs, and even
little pigs are never safe If there is a rat
In the ueighborhood. 4 recent writer
chronicles the fact that rats have been
known 20 invade q horses stalt and eat
the hoofs almost from his feet, and once
q sleeping dog was approached by "a hun
gry crew ana the callous part from the
soles of his feet consumed before he
awokc 20 the humilating fact
Very Undesirable Immigrants.
Like many Of Americas destructive
la agencies, rats are an importation They
came by accident. taking passage on
board some ship. and after walking out
over the ropes and gang planks 20 the
new shores, they liked it and stayed The
black. OF English rats, came first, then
about l775 came the Danish, or brown
ones, which have in a measure conquered
and Outgr0wn the others Long ago
jamaica made the mistake Of importing
the brown rat to drive out a small native
one that was notoriOusly destructive It
was "a venture that cost the island many
millions of dollars The brown rats took
n 4 D.. H.