Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-08
Rats! Rats!! Rats!!!

New YORK City is just now In the
midst of a strenuous rat-catching
campaign. There are sixteen men,
long experienced in this work, whose
activities extend to every part of
that great city.
| The famous "Pied Piper Of Ham
elm" if the story is to be trusted,
succeeded in Kidding the city of all
| the rats but one. But there are mil
lions of rats in New York City and
the service this rat-catching brigade
| renders to the city is priceless.
Since ships are constantly enter
ing New York from many parts OF
the world, dangerous diseases are
always given chance to come in.
Diseased conditions prevail, as we
know, in certain eastern parts of
Europe and Asia.
| The rats are known to be the COM
mon carriers of bubonic plague.
| There are many places throughout
the world today where this plague
is more or less common. Freight and
passenger ships are continually en-.
| tering the harbor Of New York, and
usually rat-infested.
The splendid work of this expert
enced rat squad is a great help to
quarantine researches.
1t is said that the sanitary condi-
tions of the ships from the parts Of
| the globe here mentioned are more
than bad. trr
The bubonic plague has by far
fore fatalities than any other disesae
known to doctors.
According to medical statistics, SO
per cent of those afflicted die. In
case it connects up with pneumonia
100 per cent die.
On the water front in New York
there are metal disks attached to
the ships hawsers to guard against
the rats leaving the ships. The disks
are said to be more than, two feet
in diameter and fastened tightly to
the ropes Of the hawsers. The rat
squad are vigilant officials. The
rats are all shreWd that ever cross
that metal barrier. Other, ports
are guarded in the same way. 1t
is surprising that our people do not
realize the very obvious danger to
all Of us.
But for this active surveillance at
the ports there is no telling what
rats would afflict US with from
ocean to ocean. These city rat-catch-
ers may be truthfully called the out
posts, facing the silent enemy. The
rat catchers working on the docks
understand that a single rat with
bubonic plague germs, which reaches
land, will consort with home grown
rats and do an immense amount of
mischief. The rats caught in ships
are Immediately tested by the rat
catching squad, and the health sof
the people is largely. protected in
this way. aa-0 -, a5- ,e- .-.s
| Now let me tell you a little, about
Georgia. I have had trouble with
rats ever since could recollect. and
with mice, perhaps I've been served
even worse.
| Living on farms the most of the
time the damage to corn and wheat
has been immense. Inside the house
the destruction has been very great.
For instances: When graduated
at well known Georgia college
eeventy years ago I was given my
diploma according to the custom
given to a pupil who took the en-
tire course. When I accompanied
my husband to Washington city in
the 70's, 1 placed this diploma
! (printed on real parchmenD in a
| Il1CS 1OIlS pOPSl WA, SlOoCly SllSAl SAClt
by it's own wide blue ribbon, on a
1 things are stored. When L reached
home after an eight months absence,
/ found the mice had nibbled the
parchment into absolute bits, and
had destroyed a whole lot of valu.
able letters in the same way.
! We all used to. fringe our counter
panes or bedspreads, and the mice
had nibbled off fringe enough to
make big downy bed for the young
ones. Having it all their own way,
they nibbled all they could reach.
with ease and thoroughness.
I have had a sharp spell of illness
taken down on May rs, in 1922, and
feeble for some weeks.
After I was we'll enough to go to
I my kitcnenette / was surprised to
see rat galloping across the floor,
in the early morning, and found u
I fresh loaf Of bread badly used up
I proceeded to bait some mice traps
(the little ones), and next morning
the traps had Vamoosed. / take it
for granted the bait was attractive
to rats and they were collaged by the
spring of the traps and are wearing
them for ornaments, perhaps, If they
/ did not die, as I hope. | concluded
to find kitten to help along in this
extremity, and the kitten is coming
right along fine. She simply adores
the old lady, and believes I am the
greatest thing in all the world. She
is a marvel of agility.
AS write I find her on the cushion
of chair, watching my every move
ment. She is inky black, but has
white gloves on her forefeet and
white stockings on her hind legs,
She sports white whiskerss also. She
is happy all the day long, unless 2