Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-03
THIS RAT A Terror
Arrives in Shipment of Date
Palms From Algeria.
FEAR OF BUB0NlC PLAGUE
Messenger Convinced He Is Doomed
to Be a Victim-Scientists
Really, Truly Agog.

They have bubonic plague down at the
Department Of Agriculture: that is, they
do not know whether they have it or not.
but they are hoping for the best. One
of the colored messengers is pretty sure
he has it or If he hasn't that he is going
to shortly. All the scientists not con-
cerned are highly elated over the acquisi-
ton, but DR.. David Fairchild, who i'm
ported the potential infection, does not
seem to be properly satisfied
1t all came about through the importa-
ton of lot of date palms that have just
been received by the department from
Algeria. A lot of husky assistants from
the classified service, all of whom are
qualified stenographers, but who have to
be employed at somelning productive,
were unpacking the date palms down in
the greenhouse when a rat. which is the
possible source of infection, strolled out
of one Of the packages. He was a sedate.
mild hammered rat. He climbed up on a
packing box and yawned after his close
confinement and then began to comb his
whiskers.
General Alarm Sent Out.
One Of the husky packers, or un-
packers. recognized the chances for in
lection latent in foreign rat and there
was a general alarm sent out. Chiefs OF
bureaus hurried from every direction.
DR.. Henry Henshaw, chief of the biolog-
ical survey, took a look at the rat
through an opera glass and declared 1t
was the black Egyptian variety, straight
from the pyramids. DIR. L. O. Howard.
chief of the bureau of entomology, said
ing prospect that the rat carried the
germs of bubonic plague. The circle
about the rat widened.
Prof. Hays, the assistant secretary,
said if this was officially demonstrated it
could be construed as an unfriendly act
and the matter would have to be re-
ferred to the State Department.
But to prove this involved catching the
rat, and there did not seem to be any
widespread enthusiasm on the subject.
One of the assistants, at $720 a year,
said he had not been hired to catch
either rats or bubonic plague, and he
intended to refer the whole matter to the
civil service commission. DR.. B. 7. Gal
loway. who had remained an interested
spectator, said that according to the de-
partment efficiency record experiences
either in rat or plague catching was d
valuable accomplishment in a stenog-
rapher. Thus encouraged, the circle
closed in. headed by Chief Gardener
Oliver, singing go to Death Without
Much Glory"
Question of Ownership.
The rat executed a flank movement,
and. seeing the enemy in retreat, the
hunt was renewed with increased vigor.
TIE rat was finally corralled with the aid
Of butterfly net and gas key from
iJa of hon MI ,,tc
and a lot of free seed envelopes Then
the question arose, To whom did he be-
long? DR.. Melvin said he was an ami
NAL and ought to go to the bureau OF
animal industry, DIR. Henshaw said that
there was no industry apparent in rat
and claimed him for the biological sur
vey. DR.. Wiley claimed him for the bu-
reau of chemistry on the ground that he
contained chemical constituents, but the
others said DR.. Wiley was always CAIN
that as the bureau of plant industry
had imported him. the rat naturally be-
longed to it. However, DR.. Howard de-
clared stoutly that no stretch of imagi-
nation could convert rat into a flower
ing plant, but that, since he undoubtedly
harbored fieas, he was an insect within
the ming of the act and thus belonged
to the bureau of entomology. He said
he would get Solicitor McCabe to write
an opinion unfolding this view. The
other claimants surrendered.
The rat was accordingly carried off to
the bureau of entomology and installed
in glass-fronted cage, where he was
combea for fleas at frequent intervals.
Make Bets on the Plague.
Rumors of the find having spread
around the department, bets were freely
made as to whether or not the rat car
ried any plague germs concealed about
him.
One Of the colored messengers having
expressed skepticism on the subject, a
number of the younger clerks declared
the only satisfactory way to prove the
question was to see whether he really
would innoculate the messenger with
plague. Accordingly, they rounded up the
old departmental cat in the basement and
collected a number of feline f1eas. Then
some graceless members of the base ball
team caught the messenger, and, first
displaying the f1eas, emptied a pinch Of
fine sand down the back of his neck. They
told him it would take about a week for
the germs to develop, but that II he be-
gan to break out at the end of that time
to let them know, as they were interested
to find whether the f1eas were real plague
f1eas or not.
Meantime the rat is incarcerated in
being fed on the choicest delicacies of
the season, and said today that he
thought he was in more danger of de-
veloping indigestion than bubonic plague
No plague fieas have been positively
identified yet. and one Of the marine
hospital surgeons who had a look at him
said it was not the sort of rat that