Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-07-11
A WAR RECORD
IN KILLING RATS
One Small Irish Terrier Has Ac.
counted For More
Than 74,119
Rodents.
From Answers, London,

From Answers. Londcn,
Dogs of war" are again liz the fore
front OF the news from ths battlefields
in France. 1t is timely, accordingly. to
toll OF a dog which holds one OF the
most interesting records that has been
made ON the western front since the
war began. 1t is the rat killing record.
inc dog that holds it Is a little brown
yellow Irish terrier, of the feminine
sex, whose name. though 1t ought to he
equally warlike. is the eminently maid
emily III of Norah.
Norah, until her return to England 4
few weeks ago. had been in France for
Two years and 10 months. and in that
time she accounted for moro than 1OO.-
900 rats.
Over as Pup.
Norah, who is 3 years Old. Wen. TO
France with Il British soldier when she
was a puppy 8 weeks old. Before she
was 3 weeks old she had killed her first
rat, and she has been killing them
days record that she put up in that
time was 628 rodents accounted for.
Ihat was near st. Omer In August last.
Her naturally proud owner, Private
Thoma Radford. of the Canadian vet
Urinary corps. kept u record of her
performances. rat by rat, up to last
August. at which time Norah's total
WAS the astonishing one of 74.l19. Since
then her record has been kept largely
by estimate.
There are many other useful canine
rat catchers on the western 'front.', but
there isn't-so far AZ known-a single
one with a record that even approaches
Norah's; and probably there Is no other
dog thai Is recognized promptly and
with delight by so man distinguished
rs no end OF other British and allied
soldiers OF less exalted rank.
10 begin NOrah's history Al the be-
ginning. h was born in the kennels OF
Major Richardson, famous breeder Of
police and sentry" dogs, at Harrow.
owner and taken by him to France Just
as a pet.
Is Well Trained.
AS soon as 1 saw her 1 krew mat
she would make a fine ratter," Rad
ford says. nv had quite a lot of az
terriers and bulls. and 'huskies,' TOO.
In western Canada II in the United
States. So l set out to train Norah,
and she made good right from the
start. First of all. | taught her to
shake a bunch OF rags. Then 1 gave
q string tied to one Of It's hind legs.
terrets that i got her acquainted with
ferets, and finally made her let one
of them bite her.
That was to get the dog accus-
toned to working with strange for
rets and to keep her from going for
them instead of the rats. We send tie
f%errets into the rat holes, II they go
Tor the rats. which pour up to the
surface. when the dogs kill them.
Everybody knows that cornered rats
will fight" the soldier went ON. and
I've often seen Norah with half a dozen
OF 'em hanging to her head. The day
at ST. Omcr. when she accounted for
623 Of them. she was working from
noon until Z O'Clock at night. and for
five days after she could scarcely open
her mouth and | had to feed her on
milk and eggs. Most Of her work was
done at the base camps where. as a
member of the G. v. c., !: was most
OF the time-tnough 1 die s.retcher
bearing for a while. too.
Here. you see,' added kadford,
opening an official document "is a
letter testifying to the valuable work
done by my dog that was written by
Lieut.. CO.. John Stewart, of Halifax.
the surgeon who operated on King
Edward. and who is now head of the
DalhOusie hospital. OF tn. Canadian
overseas forces. IL was another menu
Der of the staff OF the same hospital.
DIR. Mckay, who analysed a lot of rats
killed by Norah. and frequently found
them carrying the germs os danger
u diseases.
ScSCidi VI NOtau > pups nave uOO0
good work. too. Ssh had seven in her
first litter and six in her second. One
of her pups killed his first rat when
he was only z weeks old"
The strong probability is that
Norah's career on the western front
is at an end. for her owner may be-
discharged from the army. In shat
case he means to return to his littls
homestead in Alberta.
Am 1 going to IA Norah back to
Canada with me?" said Private Rad
ford. Sure thing! II would take n lot
to make me part with Norah. She's
one of the greatest little dogs in tho
world"