Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-24
MIGHTY RODENTS RUN
RIOT IN WASHINGTON

RIOT IN WASHINGTON
TT HE rat is now regarded as a most
dangerous proposition in every
country. and the estimate of the
damage done by rodents during the course
of a year is not less than 100000. The
only materials immune from these pests
are stone walls and iron. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that Washington is regarded
as the cleanest city on the American con-
tinent. a census of rats would show that
the National capital has about as many
of these pests as most of her sister cities.
1t is said that the surroundings are
peculiarly adapted to the preservation Of
the rodents. and there are merchants
around the Center market who are will
ing to make affidavit that there are rats
in that vicinity fully twenty years old.
and that they have thwarted every effort
to exterminate them. The rat has prob
ably more out-and-out enemies than any
other four-legged thing on earth. Its
prosecutors. animate and inanimate. come
in the form of poison traps, cats. dogs.
ferrets and men. Some all of these
agencies are at work constantly. and yet
the Washington rat thrives, wakes fat
and raises a large family.
Rats are repulsive at best. and nearly
everybody is afraid of them, especially
the great gray fellows which seem to
have taken possession of some sections
of the city. These monster rodents put
up a game fight when cornered. and they
are cruel-toothed. sharp-eyed creatures.
They are by nature true gamins-sharp.
cunning. and. when necessity requires It.
bold and fearless. fighting any and every
thing with a savageness seldom equaled.
There is no question but that the Nor
way or wharf rat-the big gray ones
drove off and killed the small black rat
which was so common In Washington two
decades ago.
A rat exterminator in Washington Is
authority for the statement that when a
rat is attacked he will first make a break
to scamper out of the way of his enemy.
but if he sees that successful retreat is
out of the question. then he boldly and
detiantly tries to put up a winning fight
for freedom and liberty. Rats have been
instances where they were not first as
saulted. Large rats are often rendered
bold through force of numbers and hun
cry through enforced abstinence.
The large gray rat is cannibal. the
male rat not hesitating when hungry to
make meal off his young. This. how
ever. he never does without first having
a battle with the mother rat, who always
fights for the babies.
Fierce Rat Battle.
A Louisiana avenue commission man
says that about the fiercest battle he
ever witnessed between animals was a
few weeks ago when he saw a large gray
rat kill young one. The mother rat
went to the rescue and for fifteen min
utes the two rodents engaged in a combat
which for ferocity would rival almost
anything ever witnessed in the arena 4
large crowd of men and boys gathered
around the fighting rats, but their pres
ence did not stop the battle, and 1t was
killed by the other. the mother rat re-
ceiving bite in its throat which resulted
in almost instant death.
If any one would wonder why 1t is that
despite all their enemies the city rate
manage to increase in number, he may
satisfy his curiosity and gain wisdom at
the same time by knowing that the gray
rat sends forth three broods q year to
begin their predatory existence. Seldom
1t is that each family numbers less than
ten babies and frequently exceeds six
teen Taking twelve nestlings as the aver
age family, each good healthy pair Of
whiskered gray rats will present to the
world each year thirtysix of their kind
Now on basis of LOCO. 900 pairs of rats
1t VIII be seen that each year there are
added to the rat population of WASH
ington 100000 young rodents
Rats send out sentinels to signal dan
ger, and they act soldiers on the alert
while other rats hustle around for some
thing to eat. When things are quiet dur
ing the day around the market it is not an
unusual thing to see rat quietly walk
out and take view O. the situation
walking around among the stalls. and If
everything is satisfactory for a foragine
expedition he will stand on duty while
others come out and begin pilferine.
Should a person go near the sentry rat
he will give a loud squeal and the entire
rat horde will disappear instanter.