The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-04
PIED PIPER NEEDED
IN SALT LAKE CITY
Rats Becoming Serious Men,
ace in Various Districts of
Municipality.
THEY RAID CHICKEN CO0PS
Rodents Destroy Much Property and
Are Said to Garry
Disease Germs.

Rats,
Certain portions OF the city. south
and west. are infested with them.
There are not only 2 Few Of them.
either. There are thousands. Refer
once is not made o. the rats used
by the fair sex TO make up the some
times large and enchanting effect Of
the couture. but to real live. agrees
sive rodents. distinguished by the name
81 Norway rats. the kind capable OF
giving the ordinary house cat san
culinary battle. and not be on the short
end in the betting.
They are FUN sized and healthy.
though not hcalthful. and their pres
cncc i'm the city will explain the mys-
terious Disappearance OF many arti-
Cios ranging from needles and thread
90 bales IF hay and chickens.
Some years ago the idea was adj
vnnced that there were rats I'm the
city. 10 was sconed at. Today it rs
stern reality. as many storekeepers
and grain merchants and also chicken
'anciers testify. The brewers also
have information on the subject and
they point to ruined sacks and de-
pleted stocks OF malt and other ma
torial used IN the manufacture Of the
amber duid with froth on &c. as evil
vaded and many articles carried away.
lt was said years ago that rats could
not invade these valleys. because the
destructive creatures could not cross
the mountains. Some said they could
not stand che altitude. while others ex-
pressed the opinion that they could
rot get here. because there were no
great waterways leading into this sec
ton or tho country
Rats Are Here.
But the rats are here Just when
or how the pioneers or the rat colony
arrived is not known A well known
local grain merchant declares ne
knows they were brought here i'm ship
meuts Of beers. leaving the inference
that the rats ave not only thieves. but
druukards as we'll He SAYS they are
prone Co seek refuge I'm the packing
used In beer shipments. and that the
odor from beer tickles their olfactory
organs.
For several months produce mer-
chants. warehouse keepers. small store
/ keepers and chicken rauciers have be-
walled On" destruction Of grain sacks.
7 the ruinatiou OF veTeta bles. tho loss Of
/ supplies and the disappearance OF
young chickens. and the loss II hum
crcd~ of eggs. an caused BY rats The
I coal Ear7us are yet to be heard from
NJ. =. Rock. proprietor OF a store al
I 1901 Ninth East street. has been a
\ heavy loser from the depredations OF
rodents during the past week He lost
more than fifty young chickens. and
I nearly as many dozen eggs. He was
I at n loss to account FOR the strange
disa ppearance. but when certain sup.
I plies began to 60 through other thar
ordinary channels he decided 20 do =
iutle slcuthinE. He did so. with the
result that he discovered the rat peril
] Mr.. Rock was surprised 10 discover
rats foot long i'm his barn and her
coop He tried poison. but the rat.
So emcd 90 thrive ON f. Then. armiug
himself with n .22-caliber rifle. ~,
procce Ted 20 go after tho n1arllSnan
ship record. with the result that D.,
brought down twenty-five rats durinr
the past week. His driver. Tony HoI
ter. killed fifteen during the week
IT did not realize the cause Of tn,
disappearance OF my chickens" SAT,
Mr. Rock. but 7 was not long I'm doub
when / saw three or four rats. vor-
rat and about foot long. at my place
Poison did not seem to do the work
eo I began shooting them with a rifle
This week the rats killed fifty voun.
chickens and carried Off dozens am,
dozens OF eggs"
Shoots Rodents.
A grain merchant on the west sid
b admitted that he killed about fit
! rats with poison during the past fey
J weeks. but that the process was SLOW,
ana ne had killed more than 200 witt
"a -22-caiher rifle.
II don't want my name used" sail
ne. -because ] was guilty Of discharg
. inc firearms within the CITY limit,
However. my place was overruu wifi
rats. I have killed more than 200 wit
ic- The pests cut open grain sack.
carried of what supplies they couIr
+ and then appropriated half q bale q
? luccrn for their nests Some Of a,
rets 7 killed were the regular r-ra
wharf rat. while some were spotte
: and were apparently "A cross bctyvoe
- the gray and the white rats. The 1af
ter seem more bold than the era
q rat"
10 is claimed that last spring. durin
z the high water. many rats were vvaehe
. from the grain elevators and drifto
p 20 the west side and % the souther
part Or the city. where their uuu1bor
a were rapidly increa Sod.
h Aside from the economic feature Z
p the rat problem. there IS the sanitar
phase 70 be considered. and the prof.
: lem rs n serious one when 20 IS take
into consideration that CaIiforui
spent hundreds Of thousands of dollar
70 destroy the pests. Rats were kiIIe
there by the million. but they sprea
rapidly and eminent authorities hay
gene on record as saying they were r.,
S sponsible for the bubonic plague an
, other diseases.
Serious Menace.
Z on this subject. DR.. #. p. Beatty sal
Z yesterday.
some time ago called attentio
r. TO the seriousness o. this question. IN
presence or the rodents in this CITY
n n serious menace. as they propagai
b. rapidly. and once they are entrenche
rs they are in other cities. 70 will be
n difficult matter TO get rid Of them.
the event Of an epidemic Of any al
case there would be great danger. Z