Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-18
HAS A new PEST
San Francisco Has Original
Plan to Combat the Bu-
bonic Plague.
.WAGING WAR AGAINST RATS
Buying Them at 5 Cents a Head Be-
cause They Are Said to Garry
the Contagion.

San Francisco is one of the NEST
wonderful productions of civilization,
and its people are verify of 1t. In
less than year and a half it has been
scorrged by earthquakes. by fire, BIZ
riot. by strikes. by grafters. by vice. by
politicians. and. as if its cup were not
full enough. the bubonic plague has
now entered the gates, says San
Francisco special dispatch to the New
York World.
1t would seem to 4 stranger that this
latest scourge must be the last straw;
that the people could stand no more.
Eut that is not so. Go where one will
in the city there is no excitement, no
apprehension. The wheels Of business
60 on sereIely, and everybody does
earnestly the work that falls to his lot.
When the day is done the same care
less. free spirit of old plays in the thea
tiers. clubs and cafes and hotels. and
there is no crack in the laugh of those
who make merry. There is no shadow
on the feasting board.
But this is not because the people
are In ignorance of the fact that bu
bonic plague is among them. Every
body knows it. Nobody could blind
himself to it, 1t is one of the. first
things that n stranger learns OH arriv
Ing in the'city. There are yellow post
ers everywhere. If one does not pause
TO read them he will hear little while
later at his club or hotel all about it,
ANY today?" he will hear native
inquire nonchalautly of another native
Haven't heard CT any
Soon the stranger will be illuminat-
ed. What he had overheard meant
Have there been any deaths from the
plague" He may be inclined to take
the next train out. but that inclina-
ton will not last long. \ little yellow
leaflet will tell him all about how the
board of health and the government
physicians have taken hold of the sit
'uation: how San Francisco IS waging
n war against rats. because rats are
carriers and breeders of disease. Be
fore he knows it he has liberal edu-
cation on sanitation and health and
rodents.
Pay Dead or Alive.
He learns. for instance, that rats
are worth 5 cents apiece and that the
city will pay him that much for every
rat, dead or alive. that he can turn
into any of the stations which have
| been established throughout the city
| for the purpose. He forgets on the
spot that he ever thought of turning
, away.
Here IS an excerpt from one of the
board of health posters, headed Re
ward For Rats
/ A reward OF cents will be paid fol
| every rat dead or alive. delivered at any
| of the following stations of the health
| departments between the hours of S and
| 10 a. m: Portsmouth square Bay and
| Van Ness, Thirteenth avenue and Lake
street Nineteenth and Dolores streets
| Sixteenth and Bryant streets. Third street
| between Folsom and Howard, and OFar-
| rell street, near Scott. They must be de-
| livered to the stations in tightly covered
/ cans. labeled so a to show in what neigh
| borhood they have been caught.
| Caution.-Do not touch with the hands
but use tongs or a long stick. Traps
| should be picked UP with cloth saturated
with kerosene. Drop rats Immediately ir
kerosene or in the absence of this. into q
| bucket of water. where they should re-
main for an hour. after which they may
be placed in the cans for delivery.
Here is an example of the way the
1 Merchants association is dealing will
the situation and the rats:
| The health authorities have declares
that the existence of rats in the city al
| the present time is very serious menace
to the health of the community Unusual
| efforts are being made by the city and ma
| tonal authorities to procure their eXtinc-
4 ton, and to encourage their destruction
| a bounty of cents has been offered foI
each body delivered at the various offices
| of the board of health. The cooperation
| of every citizen is demanded at this time
Once we had Chinatown and a Bar
| barry Coast. where a danger of this kind
/ was concentrated. At The present time II
Is scattered broadcast throughout the city
/ and any rat anywhere may be the bearer
| of dangerous disease to be transmitted
| by fleas to human being.
+ Rupert Blue, passed assistant sur
+ geon, commanding the marine hospita
\ service and representing the govern
ment, has issued these directions anG
suggestions for determination:
i The employment of professional "a
catchers for large establishments; trap
u ping ana poisoning Dy employees. line
most reliable poisons for this purpose are
phosphorus paste, arsenic and Danysz':
rat virus. These should be placed in ra
holes and rat runs and the holes carefully
II closed
II Exclusion of rats from buildings b,
closing the holes and runs in the base
III ments and first floors. Rats enter. as
rule. by burrowing from below ant
through the openings in the walls Of
floors for the passage of plumbing
These openings should fit the pipes ex
actly and should be surrounded with ce
ii ment or brick. Tin or sheet metal o
II some kind should be used to cover hole:
In wooden floors. Exposed food is a grea
II attraction to rats and householders will
find that mo food. no rat is automatic
il And San Francisco Is killing rats ant
Eputting crooks and grating politicians
and corporation bride givers in jai
all Mt once and never for an instan