The Tupelo journal., 1908-06-26

on the American continent, 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 mer-
chants around the Center market who
are willing to make affidavit that there
are rats in that vicinity fully 20 years
old, and that they have thwarted every
effort to exterminate them.
The rat has probably more out and
out enemies than any other four
legged thing on earth. It's prosecutors,
animate and inanimate, come in the
form of poison, traps, cats, dogs, fer
agencies are at work constantly, and
yet the Washington rat thrives, wakes
fat and raises a large family.
Rats are repulsive at best, and near
ly everybody is afraid of them, espe-
cially 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 that
the Norway 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
q break to scamper out of the way of
the enemy, but If he sees that success
full retreat is out of the question then
he boldly and defiantly tries to put up
a winning fight for freedom and lib
erty. Rats have been known to attack
human beings in many instances
where they were not first assaulted.
Large rats are often rendered bold
through force of numbers and when
hungry through enforced abstinence.
The large gray rat is a cannibal, the
male rat not hesitating when hungry
to make a meal off his young. This,
however, he does without first
having a battle with the mother rat,
who always fights for the babies.
A louisiana avenue commission
nan says that about the fiercest battle
he ever witnessed between animals
was a few weeks ago, when he saw a
large gray rat kill a young one. The
mother rat went to the rescue, and
for Is minutes the two rodents en-
gagged in a combat which for ~ferocity
would rival almost anything ever wit
messed in the arena. A large crowd
of men and boys gathered around the
fighting rats, but their presence did
not stop the battle, and it was not
ended until one of the rats was killed
by the other, the mother rat receiv-
ing a bite in it's throat which re-
suited in almost instant death.
If any n would wonder why it is
that despite all their enemies the city
rats 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 a year to begin their predatory
existence. Seldom it is that each fam
lily numbers less than ten babies and
frequently it exceeds 16.
Taking II nestlings as the average
family, each good, healthy pair of whis-
kered gray rats will present to the
world each year SO of it's kind. Now,
on a basis of 1000, 900 pairs of rats
it will be see that each year there
are added to the rat population of
Washington II. 900, 900 young rodents.
Rats send out sentinels to signal
danger, and they act as soldiers on
the alert while other rats hustle
around for something to eat. When
things are quiet during the day around
the market it is not an unusual thing
to see a rat quietly walk out and
take a view of the misunderstanding
around among the stalls, and if every
thing is satisfactory for a foraging ex-
petition he will stand on duty while
others come out and begin pilfering.
Should a person go near the sentry
rat he will give a loud squeal and the
entire rat horde will diSappear in