New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-19
'cR|ES QUITS ON RATS
Philadelphia Official Gets More
than He Wants.
BROUGHT BY THE HUNDRED
Cats Find Them in His Office
and a Battle Royal Makes
Things Lively.

by Telegraph to The Tribune.
Philadelphia, July lS-"We don't want
any more rats" and bang went the tele-
phone receiver. as Director Neff Of the
Department of Health and Charities
dashed to typewriter to write mes
| sage resembling his request that all rats
| caught. dead or alive, be brought to the
City Hall.
Director Neh issued three days ago q
request that all rats captured In PhiladeI-
pha be brought to the City Hall so they
could be examined for traces OF bubonic
plague. He didn't think there were many
rats in Philadelphia. This afternoon he
is under the impression that every busi-
ness house and home here has its own
pet family of rats.
Within six hours after the directors
request for "bubonic plague rats was
published, two hundred persons were
lined up outside his Office in City Hall.
All of them had rats. @
Some of the rats were in traps, fat,
healthy and lively. Others, having been
caught in spring traps that crushed the
life out Of them, were wrapped in brown
paper Some OF the rat catchers wanted
bonus, and the director spent hours in
explaining that they were catching rats
for the good OF humanity and not for
personal financial gain.
Gradually the nice big cages which tins
director had provided in which to keep
the rats unit, they could be examined
became very full of lively fighting rats.
The first night the director put two pad
locks on the door of each cage and went
home, sure that he had corraiIed all the
rats in Philadelphia. He hadn't He
learned this yesterday morning when
twice two hundred rat catchers were
lined up at his office waiting fer him.
One man had barrel full OF rats. He
also had three rat terriers which he
guaranteed would kill every rat in tho
barrel in record time. Director Neff sta
toned a porter beside the barrel to ses
that the rats did not gnaw their way out
A large number Of cats are kept In the
City Hall 10 rid the building of mice
not rats. These cats learned last night
OF the presence Of the rats, and there
was one lively battle. The cats stopped
not at the manner of their getting into
the office Of Director Neff. The transom
was the easiest method Of entrance, and
they jumped through it.
When the director and his assistants
arrived this morning they found the cats
in part possession Of the Office, but the
rats had been fighters and they stsll neld
the fort. Apparently the cats had found
Il was unhealthy TO stick a paw in those
cages OF rats, and once in the office they
were unable 10 take the transom route
out
Also the director and his assistants
found more rat catchers. There were
about eight hundred rats and their catch
ers In line this morning, and the tele-
phone bell rang every minute announc-
ing the coming of more. Then IL was
the director dashed off the order that he
wanted no more rats. Also he refused
to answer rat calls on the telephone.
All the director wants now IS wharf
rats He may want a rat terrier or
two. but ne doesn't want any more house
rats from the suburbs.
MY, MY" exclaimed Director Neff, Il
never saw so many rats. | had no idea
there were so many rats. l don't want
any more rats, not house rats, at least
lust wharf rats"
The idea OF fumigaang all arriving
freight steamships had TO be abandoned
for the time being this morning. owing
10 the fact that one steamship arriving
was laden with bananas and the sulphur
fumes would have ruined the fruit.