The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-30
POISON AND CLUBS
FAIL TO EXTERMINATE
House Owned by Great
children Of
Patrick Henry

Aylett, Va, April Montville,
one Of the most famous and historic
places in Virginia. is to burned to
the ground by its owners the great
grandchildren Of Patrick Henry, be-
cause 1t is overrun with bats.
Since the warm weather began here
there is no living in or near the place.
Bats by the thousands hang about the
grand parlors and spacious bedrooms
of the colossal mansion. Attempts to
exterminate them by poislon and with
clubs have failed They are In every
room They hang in long strings. as
rs their habit. from the furniture, from
the ceiling. from the walls, and they
are 10 such numbers that they form
curtains before the wondows, darken-
ing the house during the day.
At lightfall they loosen themselves
from each other and dart to the yards
in such numbers that they strike each
other in their flight.
Only recently PhiVp Aylett. one Of
the owners Of the place and an en-
sineer OF reputation IN Richmond,
came here and attempted TO make the
house bat proof" Every crack, every
door. every chimney was stopped up,
but the bats found a way to enter
They could get through cracks which
would hardly admit a roach.
Montvlle was built about the time
the Americans drove the English out
of the country and It's woodwork is
old and brittle The wcrkmen were
hardly through with the job when the
bats took possession. They seemed to
be able to get into air-tight rooms.
There was no keeping them out 4.
Montvlle Is now owned by the six
children of the late William Aylett.
They Inherited the home from their
father, who had inherited IT from his
grahdmother Elizabeth Henry, who
had married an Aylett
After the death of William Aylett.
half n dozen years ago his sons and
daughters married and moved away
and Montylle was rented for the first
time since IT vas decided in 1870 to
the first Aylett who came to America
! by Charles II.
From the day the lease was signed
bats began to invade the place, The
lessee tried living in Me mansion with
his family but It was impossible Dur
ing the day there were strings Of bats
yards long. The first of the grresomo
creatures would cling to a piece Of
woodwork. to the wall. the window sill
or to stick Of furniture and his fcl-
lovs would cling TO him. forming q
string OF squaking. repulslve objects
The moment the sun set the striog
would dssove and the bats would seeh
the open. squeezing through the craers
a windows or doors and through tho
floors and walls
The lessee and his family toof cue
tors in n cottage ! 900 Yards away and
the mansion was abandoned.
The Aylctt children Altered prizes tc
the negroes who would kill the most
bats. A child stood in the front dool
one afternoon and with tennis racke
knocked down 1000 bats The neg
lroes for q time came from every direc
ition hoping to win ihe hat nrize" bu
after thousands and thousands of thl
creatures had been put TO death there
was no appreciable diminution. Pois
on was tfen placed in every part o
the house, but the bats only seeme'
70 thrive on &C.
This spring the bats have beoom
a pest to the neighborhood and th
owners Of the old mansion have dc
termined 10 burn 1t 10 Is foundation
The bats can be got rid of In no othe
way.
Mcntville Is one Of the last of tn
Revolutionary homes ia King William
lecuntv During the life of William A,
lett Il was the most hospitabIe hom
IN that section OF the state Ther
the bellies and beaux OF Virginia wer
accustomed TO gather and the grea
parlcrs and broad halls now given a
20 bats we're the scenes OF some OF tn
most noted social gatherings Virgini
has known since the Revolution. Tn
original MonUille was burned down D.
the British during the Revolntionar
war The present house was built a
most immediately afierward
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