Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-28
RAT CATCHER TO
KING REVEALS
TRADE SECRETS
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL
Especial Gable to the Chicago Daily News
Foreign Service, by Leased Wire to
e The Atlanta Journal.)
(Couyright 10o01


Copyright. 1920
LONDON, England.-George F..
Overhill, rat catcher to the British
king, is big man of lively wit and
jovial nature. He has fought rats
for thirty-seven years, is credited
with staying 100000 of them and
now feels entitled to retire to his
Buckinghamshire farm, though he is
IF Chicago needs my services
he fondled "a. huge yellow ferret
which. he said, was the father of
loo + ferr Sts;. Really, my only re-
my piece of freehold is to do some
thing in the states. 1 regret refus-
ing an invitation from America last
year. but 1 was held back by a fiat
tering offer from one Of the big Lon
don stores besieged by rats"
Mr.. Overhill does not like the way
the British rulers reward, or rather
fail to reward. their really great
men. IF I were a retired tea mer-
CHANT CHANT carpet maker. actor or music
hall hal 1 magnatSe to- he declared. my
ago in the postwar lists of kings
honors. This is a proper pantomime
country. The majority of our lead
ing public men should be driving
taxicabs. They are pitchforked into
their jobs and made K. G. BIS. Our
rat manipulations go with me-"
Rat catching, as Mr. Overhill ex-
plains it, is difficult and arduous
business. Rats run" at night, and
consequently rat catchers must work
During thirty-seven years Of ac-
tive SERVICE" said Mr.. Overhill, az
have seen only four years of day
light. The average number Of day
light hours we enjoy is twenty-one
per week. In winter-September to
English journalism has been kind
to me- It threw much light upon my
work during the great war. Through
average rest was from five to six
fighting rats in hospitals, munitions
factories. public institutions and the
like. We had an awful shortage of
foodstuffs and our rats were famish-
ing. They became holder and more
destructive than ever before. Not
until this war had we any idea Of the
appalling number of rats living I'M
foreground. Then they were compel1-
ed to come to the surface in quest
Only five men in Great Britain,
according to Mr.. Overhill. are in the
first rank Of rat catchers.
I'VE keep our methods to our
selves" he said. though if we were
flttingly honored we should be less
should not have thought of letting
any one outside the business watch
our methods. However, if go to
America, and If America gives me
a large, opportunity, I shall disclose
Though so many scores of millions
staggering number still at liberty.
Il have nine assistants. all ex-sol-
diers. and thoroughly broken into
the t4e.,b business ness - but ,,u they do only
know the subtler touches. Still they
muster something like 5000 rats q
week-black, white. brown and gray.
My annual total of more than 100000
rats is worlds record. There is
only one man in this country who is
my equal-Jack Jarvis. Of Gambler
well. Jarvis is a rat catcher of the
old type and the real article. We
are both on government and London
county council work, and we reduce
nually by well over Million
There were two rats in Noah's ark,
If Mr.. Overhill has not been misled
They were put there, is seems, by
Noah's mace bearer one Sebastian
Pirbo. a relation of Mr.. OverhilPs
on his mothers side.
"It was Pirbo-rest his soulw said
Mr.. Overhill, who put the rats in
the ark. Jarvis and 1 owe our bus
mess to Pirbo. If he had not been
a thoughtful gentleman, 1 might
hay have had had a ao knight to OF course
al 1.-The rats. It is only natural'-
there was a twinkle in Mr.. Over
hills eye-"that I should make a
point of putting back a couple of
the likeliest rats in order to preserve
the Species and stimulate trade. Rats
multiply quickly. and it is only a
short time until my services are re-
quired again. OF course, this was
well understood by my ancestor
London and an associate of the Yer
min. Repression society, to which I
am also the chief practical expert. I
am popular in church circles. 1t is
important to me, therefore, to explain
clearly, the honorable origin and
character of my profession"
Mr.. Overhill has wonderful col
lection of ferrets and trained owls
and weird traps. His ferrets and
owls are one of the most fascinat-
ing shows in London. They may be
seen at his extensive laboratory-the
Abbott laboratory in Whitecross
place, Wilson street, Finsbury, Lon
don.
Would you like to see the nip
piest scrap you ever have SEEM" Mr..
Overhill inquired. I replied that I
should. Then" said he, lone day
will bring seven rats and wea-
sci to your office and give you the
entertainment of your life. In this
way / have entertained some of the
greatest personages and some of the
most famous sports of England"