Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-10
RODENTS IMPERIL
TREASURY PAPERS
Dogs and FerretS Are Engaged to
Clear Washington Depart
mentS of Pests

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-One of the
most crowded rooms in the treasury
building, room wherein dozens of
young women sit counting money, was
thrown into chaos the other day by
small, slender, Misunderstanding ami
NAL. 1t was yellow in color and had
pink eyes, and when it appeared on
f1at-topped desk an aged negro mes
senger and a young feminine clerk saw
it at the same time. They jumped at
once. The negro emitted a pious
"Gawd mighty" from his ashen lips.
The young woman let out a wordless
Shrek and fed.
Chief Clerk Ludlow of the treasury,
coming to the rescue, saw the little
beat blinking in the unaccustomed
light and burst out laughing. Where
upon the women grew calmer and an
grier.
"Why, that's only one of Barclays
ferrets," said Ludlow. HE has been
hunting rats in here for a week"
"Heavens!" said one of the women
"Id rather have the rats"
The ferret was shooed back into the
rat hole from which he had emerged
and order was restored.
1.-THE rats have become so bad in the
treasury" Mr.. Ludlow explained,
that we had to send for old man Bar
clay and his ferrets and dogs. He is
busy working the building now ana
expects to have the rats out in week
or So
Edward E. Barclay and his son,
Clarence, and their ferrets and dogs
are the last resort in rat catching in
Washington. They have cleaned up
almost every public building, including
the White House, and are about ready
to make the rounds again.
RECORDS EATEN BY RATS
Recently certain records in the trea-
sury were destroyed by the rats which
infest the subterranean vaults and
Chief Clerk Ludlow became uneasy.
Poison was put everywhere, but the
rats continued as prevalent as ever
They even became bold enough to
come to the upper floors and MADE IN
cursions upon the lunch of the clerks
in the daytime. This the department
would stand. 1t is not partial to lunch
eating in the building. anyhow.
But the safety of the records was
different matter, so Mr.. Ludlow sent
for Barclay. And Barclay agreed to
clean out all the rats in the treasury
department for $50. Ludlow accepted
his proposition and Old Man Barclay
turned the job over to his son, Car
ence.
Nov, I know all about dogs said
Barclay. "but Clarence is the one who
knows ferrets backward. When that
bow hasn't got a ferret around he's
lonesome. He can handle 'em as no
body else can, and 1 want to tell you
handling ferrets is no joke. You've
got to be careful"
The conversation occurred in Bar
clay's dog and pet shop, In the rear
of the postoffice department and 'front.'
ing on the open space, where all the
nearby hucksters congregate TO loau
up from the Centre market
The Barclay shop is a wonderful
nlace. covered with wonderful signs.
Barclay describes himself as Barclay
the Dog and Ferret Man" Besides, ne
takes nets of all sorts to board. And
he has a rare collection.
STRANGE COLLECTION OF PETS
On a nerch. from which it hurls out
maledictions upon the casual
visitor, is a green parrot. In corner
is. what Barclay says, the only smooth-
coatel ST. Bernard dog in existence
Wandering about at VIII are IoX YER
riers. bird dogs and nondescript rat
dogs and, last but not least. Tom,
the gray cat, who wandered in out
of the wet one winters night about
three wears ago and became the Bar
~There amt but one thing in this
building that Tom is afraid of, said
old man Barclay, as the old gray cat
entered the window, a fresh caught
rat in his mouth, "and that's the goat.
I'VE had that goat for sale here for
about two months and in that time she
has become ruler of the roost.
"Sometimes these rat dogs and bird
dogs that 1 let wander loose get gay
with Tom. And Tom cleans up for
'em. He's a hefty specimen, Tom is,
as you can see for yourself, and car
ries as much damage in either hand as
Jack Johnson. But the goat has got
Toms goat, all right.
ONE BUTT WAS ENOUGH
"One day not long after the goat
came in here Tom went over and rub
bed against her. The goat gave Tom
a mild butt and Tom got sassy. He
scratched the goat on the nose Where
upon the goat got busy. She arose on
her hind legs and brought her head
forward, sort of putting the reverse
English on an uppercut, as you might
say. Tom went sailing across the
room and brought up, limp, against
the wall.
IT worked over Tom for half an
hour before I Strengthened him out
He doesn't bother the goat any more.
But you came mere 10 TAIN ipoN'
Well, it is a lot of fun,
but there is lot Of skill in it, too.
"Now when take a contract to
clean out big building of any sort,
and I have cleaned out nearly every
big government building in Washing
ton. / don't agree to kill single rat.
sometimes we kill hundreds, then
again we get only one or two, But
when my boy Clarence and his ferrets
and dogs have been working in a big
building a couple of weeks, night after
night, the rats leave that puildlng ana
stav away from it for months to come. ."