Full Revelations of a Professional Rat-Catcher, after 25 Years' Experienceby Ike Matthews. 

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Introduction. 

In placing before my readers in the following pages the results of mytwenty-five years' experience of Rat-catching, Ferreting, etc. , I may saythat I have always done my best to accomplish every task that I haveundertaken, and I have in consequence received excellent testimonialsfrom many corporations, railway companies, and merchants. I have notonly made it my study to discover the different and the best methods ofcatching Rats, but I have also taken great interest in watching theirways and habits, and I come to the conclusion that there is no sure wayof completely exterminating the Rodents, especially in large towns. If Ihave in this work referred more particularly to Rat-catching inManchester that is only because my experience, although extending over amuch wider area, has been chiefly in that city, but the methods Idescribe are equally applicable to all large towns. 

Yours truly, IKE MATTHEWS. 

PROFESSIONAL RAT-CATCHER, PENDLETON, MANCHESTER. 

PART I. HOW TO CLEAR RATS FROM WAREHOUSES, OFFICES, STOREROOMS, ETC. 

In the first place my advice is--never poison Rats in any enclosedbuildings whatever. Why? Simply because the Rats that you poison areDrain Rats, or what you call Black Rats, and you can depend upon it thatthe Rats that you poison will not get back into the drains, but die underthe floor between the laths and plaster, and the consequence is that in afew days the stench that will arise will be most obnoxious. And there isnothing more injurious than the smell of a decomposed Rat. 

Having had a long experience in Manchester I am quite sure of this. Asan instance, I remember a private house where I was engaged catching Ratsunder a floor with ferrets. I went as far as possible on my belly underthe floor with two candles in my hands, and I saw the ferret kill a largebitch Rat, about six yards from me against a wall, where neither the dognor myself could get at it. I finished the job and made out my bill formy services, but in about two or three weeks after they again sent forme, declaring they could not stay in the sitting-room on account of thesmell that arose from beneath the flooring boards. They had inconsequence to send for a joiner; and as I knew the exact spot where theRat was killed I ordered him to take up the floor boards just where thedead Rat lay, and the stench that arose from the decomposed Rodent wasbad in the extreme. I disinfected the place, and I was never sent foragain. This was under a cold floor, and it is much worse where there isany heat. 

Now to deal with the different methods of catching Rats. The best way, in my opinion, is, TRAPPING THEM WITH STEEL SPRING TRAPS. 

Whenever you are trapping, never on any consideration put bait on thetraps; always put traps in their runs, but you will find Rats are socunning that in time, after a few have been caught, they will jump overthe traps, and then you must try another way. A good one is thefollowing, viz. :--Get a bag of fine, clean sawdust, and mix with it aboutone-sixth its weight of oatmeal. Obtain the sawdust fresh from under thesaw, without bits of stick in, as these would be liable to get into theteeth of the trap and stop them from closing. Where you see the runs puta handful in say about 30 different places, every night, just droppingthe sawdust and meal out of your hands in little heaps. That means 30different heaps. Do this for four nights, and you will see each morningthat the sawdust is all spread about. Now for four more nights you mustbury a set trap under every heap of sawdust. Thus you will have 30traps, on each of which there is a square centre plate; you must levelthe sawdust over the plate with a bit of stick, and set each trap as fineas you can on the catch spring, so that the weight of a mouse would setit off. They will play in the sawdust as usual, and you will have Ratsin almost every trap. You will find that this plan will capture a greatmany of the Rodents. I have trapped as many as 114 in one night in thisway. 

In time, however, the Rats will cease to go near sawdust. Then you mustprocure a bag of fine soot from any chimney sweep, and you will find thatthey will go at the soot just as keen as they did in the first instanceat the sawdust. When they get tired of soot (which they will in time)you must procure some soft tissue paper and cut it fine, and use that inthe same way as the sawdust and the soot. You can also use light chaffor hay seeds with the like result. 

I must not omit to tell my readers to always trap Rats in the night, andto go very quietly about it, for if you make much noise they will giveover feeding. You must not go about with too big a light whilsttrapping. You should stay at the building from dark until midnight, andevery time a Rat is caught in the trap you should go with a bull's eyelamp, take it out of the trap or kill it, and then set the trap again, asyou have the chance of another Rat in the same trap. From experience Ican say that you need not stay in any place after 12 o'clock at night, asI think that the first feed is the best, and that the first three hoursare worth all the other part of the night. You can go home at 12o'clock, and be sure to be in the place by 6 or 7 a. M. , for many a Ratcaught in the trap by the front leg will, if it gets time, eat off itsleg and get away again, and they are very cunning to catch afterwards. 

NEVER HAVE YOUR TRAPS SET IN THE DAYTIME. 

Handle them as little as possible. Always catch as many Rats as you canin your buildings in January and February, as they begin to breed inMarch, and every bitch Rat means, on the average, eight more. Also getas much ferreting done as possible before breeding time, for a young Ratcan get into the ends of the joisting under a floor, where a ferretcannot get near it, and the consequence is that a ferret is unable tocope with its task. The best thing I can advise for clearing young Ratsis a good cat, one that must not be handled nor made a pet of, butallowed to live in almost a wild state. A good cat can do as much, in myopinion, in one night, when Rats are breeding, as two ferrets can do in aday, especially in a building where there are cavity walls, as it isimpossible for a ferret to follow a Rat in such walls. 

This is all the information I am able to give on the trapping of Rats--amethod I have proved by 25 years' experience to excel all others. Stillanother way of clearing the pests is as follows:--The majority of Ratsare Black, or what we call Drain Rats; if they are in a building theywill in most cases come from a water-closet. Sometimes you will see fromthe drain pipes in the water-closet, say, a six-inch pipe fitted into anine-inch pipe, and the joint covered round with clay, through which theRats eat and scratch and get into the building in great numbers in thenight, but most of them return into the drains during the day. Now, ifit is the breeding season (about eight months out of the twelve) theywill do much damage to silk, cotton, leather, lace, and, in fact, allother light goods. And one would be surprised to see the quantity ofcloth, paper, etc. , they will procure for their nests whilst breeding. 

The way to get clear of these is to go in the day with two or threeferrets and leave the drain pipe open. Ferret them all back into thedrain; don't put a net over the drain for fear you might miss one or two. If they got back into the building they would be hard to catch, as theywould not face the net again. Then, after ferreting, make the draingood, and if there be an odd Rat or two left in the building you will getthem in a few nights by baiting the trap. 

There is another way of catching the Brown Rat which breeds under thefloor in large buildings where there are no drains. They are veryawkward to catch. Always have a trap or two set, but do not set themwhere they feed; place them in their runs. But there are other methodsfor other Rat-infested places. For instance, take a restaurant, wherethey feed in the cooking kitchen; we will suppose they have eaten fourholes through either floor or skirting boards. The best way to catchthese--however many holes they have leading into the kitchen--is to blockup (with tin or similar material) all the holes with the exception ofone, and let them use that one for two nights. Then put a plateful ofgood food, such as oatmeal and oil of aniseed, as far from the hole asyou can in the same kitchen; then run a small train of meal and aniseedfrom the hole to the plate. Next drive two six-inch nails in the wall, with a long piece of string tied to the nail heads. Put on these nails abrick or piece of board right above the hole 2 inches up the wall. Besure the nails are quite loose in the wall over the hole, and leave inthat position for two nights, so that the Rats will get used to it. Onthe night that you are going to catch them, before leaving the placecarry the string from the nail heads to the door or window; let the dooror window be closed within an inch, with the end of the string outside. After the place has been quiet for thirty minutes return to the door orwindow very quietly, and you will hear the Rats feeding. Pull thestring, the loose nails come out of the wall and the brick or board dropsover the hole. You can then go in, close the door, turn up the gas andcatch or kill them at your leisure, as they cannot get back again. 

By this method I may mention that I have caught a great number of Rats, and it is quite possible to clear a place in this manner: that is, ifthey do not come out of the drains. I have caught upwards of 103 in sixnights in this way. The best time to catch Rats in any building isalways at night, and always about half-an-hour after the place has beenclosed, as Rats are generally more adventurous to come for their firstfeed. Always go about as quietly as possible. 

In some of the very old Manchester buildings that were built in the daysbefore drain plans had to be submitted to the corporation, one findsunder the cellar floors old-fashioned brick and flag drains (better knownas "spit" drains), that were left in when the place was built. Once theRats get in these disused drains all the professional Rat-catchers inEngland could not clear them without pulling the building down. The Ratshave, by some means, got out of the main sewer, probably by the burstingof a sewer into one of these disused dry brick drains. It is thenimpossible to get underground to see where they have got into the drydrain, and the only thing that can be done in a case of this sort is toengage a professional Rat-catcher occasionally, and keep two or threegood cats to keep the Rats down. These places as a rule are more plaguedwith them when it is very wet weather and there are floods running. Thisis the best time to catch them, as they are all under the floor of thebuilding, and are very easy to catch in the night with the traps. 

As a rule the Black or Drain Rats feed only in the night, very rarely inthe day, as they are of a dirty nature, and prefer being in the drains. In my opinion the Black Rat is more vicious than the Brown. 

There is another Rat I call the Red Rat, which is akin to the Brown Rat. You will always catch these at a tannery, or about kennels, where houndsare kept, and they generally feed on horseflesh or offal. Red Rats arethe "gameist" Rats I know, for whatever kind of Rats are put into thestore cage, these Red Rats kill them the first night they are left quiet. 

I may describe another mode of catching Rats. In any Rat-overrunwarehouse, storeroom, or cellar, where there is a deal of rubbish such aspacking cases, wrappers, waste paper, etc. , throw a lot of food, sayoatmeal or soaked bread, carelessly amongst the cases or rubbish and letthe Rats have a full week's feeding at their leisure, and then if youknow the holes round the floor wherefrom they come, go in some night asquick as possible, turn up the lights, run to the three or four holes, and block them up with pieces of rag, etc. Now as all the Rats will notrun out of the packing cases or waste paper, but will hide amongst thesame, this is the time to take a good terrier dog or two with you, and tohave a bit of sport. Let one dog hunt among the cases, etc. , and holdthe other, for the Rats will soon make for the holes, but the ragspreventing their escape you will catch and kill a great many by thismeans. 

It should be stated here that as Rats are very cunning, it takes a lot ofstudy, dodging, and experience to be able to rid them entirely. When youare feeding Rats anywhere, never feed them with other than soft stuff, which you can squeeze through your fingers, for if you feed them withanything lumpy, they will carry pieces into their holes and eat at theirleisure. 

FERRETING. 

Ferreting is a very good plan for destroying Rats in cottage houses, stables, hotels, etc. , as it can be done in the day, but in buildings, say five or six storeys high you cannot ferret very well as you cannottell where to set your nets. The only way to ferret a large building isto ferret one floor at once, and always start at the top storey first. The majority of floors are laths and plaster. This is what the Ratlikes, especially the Brown Rat, and there are more nests found in theseplaces than anywhere else. To ferret thoroughly in such places you willrequire to have a board up at each end of the floor: the two end boardsthat run crossways with the joist; then you must have a man to put theferret in at one end, and ferret one joist at a time; have a net set atthe other end. The best way at the catching end is to have a long sheetnet about a yard wide, and the full length of the boards that are up, forsometimes under the boards the Rats can get out of one joist intoanother, and if you use the long net you can catch them whichever joistthey bolt at. 

Now we will suppose you are ferreting a seven-storey building, whichmight occupy three or four days. If you have ferreted two stories thefirst day, during the night the Rats that have not been ferreted on thelower stories may get back again to the top storey. 

How to prevent this happening I will give you a plan of my own, which Idon't think any Rat-catcher but myself has ever employed. The course ofaction--a rather expensive one I admit--is the following: While you havethe boards up you must go to the druggist and get two shillings' worth ofcayenne pepper, and put it into a pepper duster. Scatter the cayennealong the boards and joist where you have had the long sheet net, andalso along the other end of the joist where you put the ferrets in, andyou will find that under no consideration will Rats face the cayennepepper. Cayenne is alright for any dry place and will last a long time, but it will not do in any water closets or any damp places, as dampnesstakes all the nature out of the cayenne. 

After ferreting in any kind of building, always go carefully round theoutside, and see that there are no broken air grids, or broken cellarwindows, as these are likely ways that the Rats get into the building atfirst. When ferreting always be careful how you set your nets, and beextremely quick on the Rats when they bolt, for sometimes if they getback they will face the ferret before they will bolt again; then theferrets kill them under the floors, and this as in the case of poisoningthem is liable to cause an abominable smell, more especially where heatis near. 

In the whole of my experience of Rat-catching, which is a lengthy one, Inever gave a guarantee to clear a place completely, in Manchester or anyother town where so many large buildings are so close together. And letme show the reason for this. Take Cannon Street, Manchester, as anillustration. Here are six or eight different firms in one block ofbuildings. Now, suppose four of these firms are suffering from thedamage the Rats are doing. Well, one or two of these firms may go to theexpense of having the Rats cleared away. But between the two buildingsthere may be a hardware business or ironmonger's shop, where Rats cannotdo any harm to their goods. The owners of these shops will not go to theexpense of having Rats caught, nor will they let us go into their shopsat midnight; therefore the result is the Rat-catcher in his trapping andferreting is limited to these two places, and all he can do is to catchsome and drive the rest into the hardware shop. When under the floors insuch places one finds there has been so many alterations made atdifferent times that one joist may be a foot or six inches below theother, and when the Rats are completely driven out of these places itwould require joiners and bricksetters to work for weeks under the floorsto stop the Rats returning. And most firms will not go to this expense. I only give my readers this as an illustration of what has often happenedwith me, and to show why I never guarantee to clear Rats completely inlarge towns. If they are in a private house, stable, greenhouse, or anyblock of houses, of say five or six, I might then, after looking through, give a guarantee to clear them completely. 

These are the fullest details I can give you, and if you will put any ofthe ways I have mentioned into practice you will find that they are allsuccessful, especially the covering of traps. I can give you just onemore instance in Manchester, where I was engaged. The workpeople hadbeen tormenting the Rats with traps, not knowing how to set them. Theysent for me, and on my looking round the place I knew there was a lot ofRats. I submitted my price to do the job, and when I went down one nightwith 40 traps, dog, and two ferrets I thought I should catch 20 or 30Rats, but I found that they had plagued them so much with their attemptedtrapping that I only caught three in the whole night. This placebelonged to a limited company, and when I went before the committee thenext morning they were not satisfied. I told them that their ownworkpeople had tormented the Rats so much with traps that the Rats wouldnot go near one. I then told the committee that I would still stick tomy terms, but I would leave the job over for a fortnight. Now duringthat fortnight I went down a good many times, and laid the sawdust as Ihave already described, and thus got the Rats used to it. The firstnight that I went catching I took with me 33 traps. I had them all setby 8-30 p. M. , and by 12-30 a. M. I had trapped 45 Rats; the next night 31Rats; and before I completed the job, with the trapping and the otherways that I have mentioned, I caught 183 Rats! This I give merely as anillustration to show the necessity of engaging an experienced man tocatch Rats--that is, if you want them caught. And to confirm thestatements above, I shall be most happy to supply privately the name andplace of the firm, and also to give a personal interview if necessary. 

And now a word or two respecting the different ways in which Rat-catchersare treated. Many people think that a Rat-catcher is favoured if theygive him permission to catch Rats on their farms or round the banks oftheir corn or wheat fields. Well, on some occasions I grant this may bea favour, for I have seen when I have had an order in hand for about 10dozen Rats, and have had only a day or two in which to get them. Suchare the only times and circumstances when a Rat-catcher gives hisservices gratis, and simply because he wants the live Rats. Most farmerswill send you word when they are threshing their corn, and then the valueof the Rats are worth the day's work to the Rat-catcher. 

This is all right as far as it goes, but when one comes to consider theyearly expenses of the Rat-catcher it will be found that they are veryheavy. Now, first of all it will cost, at the least, 5 pounds annuallyfor the wear and tear of traps alone, then there is the wear and tear ofnets; two dog licences; always three or four ferrets to keep (and ferretsare often lost down drains or killed by Rats); also sundry otherexpenses, such as store cages, etc. Then, again, the Rat-catcher alwayshas to pay a man to help him. 

I don't call Rat-catching a trade only: I maintain that it is aprofession, and one that requires much learning and courage. I havefound this out when I have been under a warehouse floor, where a lot ofRats were in the traps, and I could not get one man out of 50 to comeunder the floor and hold the candle for me, not to mention helping me totake the live Rats out of the traps. I just relate this because at someplaces where we go and where we catch perhaps 30 Rats, the first thingthey say when the bill is presented is "Why, you have got 15s. Worth oflive Rats!" They don't think of the damage 30 Rats can do to fancygoods, nor do they consider the evil smells that men have to tolerateunder the floors or from the bad drains. 

I could relate many interesting anecdotes of what I have seen and heardabout Rats, but I fear its perusal might take up too much of my readers'time. There is, however, one thing I will mention. I dare say you haveheard of Rats running about in "swarms" in the night. Do not believe it. In my whole experience I have never been so fortunate as to meet a"swarm" of these, when I have had an empty cage on my back, and an orderfor 12 dozen live Rats at 5s. Per dozen. When trapping at farms on amoonlight night I have seen a train of Rats almost in single file goingfrom a barn to a pit or brook to drink, and then I have simply run a longnet all along the barn very quickly, sent my dog round the pit and caughtall the Rats in the net when they ran back to get in the barn. For inthese places you must be as cunning as the Rats to catch them. Thequickest way for a farmer to get rid of Rats is to run a long trail ofgood oatmeal outside his barn doors, and shoot them on a moonlight night. I have seen 11 killed at a shot in this way. They will stay eating theoatmeal because they cannot carry it away. At farms or out-houses youmight poison Rats round a pit or along brook sides where they go todrink, although I don't believe in poisoning, as one never knows where itends--the Rats being likely to carry the poisoned food about, and thendogs, hens, pigs, pigeons, etc. , may pick it up. 

There may be a few more ways of catching Rats than I have enumerated, butI think I have given the best ways in detail. Some people think that touse

THE MONGOOSE

is very good, but I think that the mongoose is no better than a good foxterrier dog or a good cat, the only advantage in the mongoose being thatall the Rats it kills it will bring back dead to its habitation, and thatstops the dead Rats from smelling under the floors. I think that themongoose is not half so sly or sharp as a good cat, and a mongoose, moreover, has to be taught how to kill a Rat (just the same as a dog). Iam fortunate in having actually seen a mongoose and a Rat put alive in atub together, and the mongoose would not even look at the Rat. And Imaintain that the mongoose cannot compare with the ferret anytime, forthe simple reason that a small ferret can get anywhere that a Rat can, whilst the mongoose must wait until the Rat comes out to feed. Forinstance, if a board of a floor be left up for a mongoose to get underthe floor, it can only get into one of the joists; but a ferret canfollow a Rat wherever it goes. Then again, the Rats can smell a mongooseeven more strongly than they can smell a cat. So these facts prevent myrecommending a mongoose on any account. I have also heard of peopleexperimenting with different sorts of

DRUGS AND CHEMICALS

for enticing Rats out of their holes. I hope none of my readers will beattracted with this device. I hold that there is nothing that will tempta Rat from its hole like hunger. The nearest approach that I have foundto entice the Rodent out of its hole is oil of aniseed or oil of rhodium, but the latter is expensive. I can rely best on oil of aniseed, becauseI have often successfully tried it in experiment upon the plate of a settrap. I have placed only three or four drops of oil of aniseed upon theplate of a set trap without bait, and often the trap has closed andtrapped the Rat by the nose; so that it will be seen that the Rat musthave been licking the plate, or it could not be caught in that manner. Ihave also frequently noticed when I have set, say, 20 traps covered withmeal and sawdust mixed, that if I have put only two drops of oil ofaniseed on half the traps I should find next morning on looking at thetraps that most Rats are in those in which I had placed the aniseed. Ithink that oil of rhodium and oil of aniseed are very good to drop on thetraps after setting, or to mix with the stuff with which the traps arecovered. 

There is also another way of bolting Rats. Sometimes when the ferret isput under a boarded floor, all the Rats will run together and packthemselves in a heap at the end of a joist. When the Rats packthemselves on each other thus, the ferret on reaching them will tackleonly one at a time. You can always tell when this happens by the ferretworking a long time and bolting no Rats. Now, immediately you noticethis, put your mouth near the hole where you have put the ferrets in, andmake a squealing noise with your mouth to imitate a squealing Rat. Thiscauses the heap of Rats at the end of the joist to disperse through fear, and when they get running about they will bolt into the net. Many timesI have not had a bolt for half-an-hour and when I have squealed at thehole I have had four or five Rats in the nets at once. 

These are some of the methods of clearing Rats from various places, andfrom experience I think they excel all others. 

PART II. HOW TO KEEP AND WORK FERRETS. 

The first necessity in ferret-keeping is that they shall be kept inhutches or "cotes, " as they are commonly called. Care must always betaken to have their places well swilled with carbolic water, and thenallowed to thoroughly dry before whitewashing the inside, which is alsoessential to keep them healthy. This should be done at least four timesa year. Always have your hutches leaning from the wall, so that wet orrefuse will not lodge, for when the bottom of a hutch is always wet it isliable to give the ferrets a disease called foot rot, which is veryfrequent where ferrets are neglected. Always keep the feeding part ofthe hutch well covered with sawdust. 

In feeding ferrets for the purpose of Rat-catching, never do so beforegoing out with them; I think it is quite sufficient to feed them every 24hours. If you feed them oftener they are liable to get too fat, and alsolazy and unwilling to work as they should. The best food you can givethem is bread and milk, and occasionally a little raw liver. Mix thebread and milk with a little hot water, stir well with a spoon or squeezethrough your fingers, so that the ferrets will have to eat it where youfeed them; if not they will carry the large pieces of bread that are wetinto the corners of the sleeping place, which would soon cause that partof the hutch to smell very sour and become injurious to the health of theferret, especially where four or five are kept together, as they are of avery perspiring nature. Always give them plenty of room to run aboutwhen you can; if you don't they are likely to take cramp. 

Ferrets are usually subject to distemper. The first symptom is theferret's neglect of its food. When you see this you will observe alittle matter at the corner of the eyes, and the ferret will have aslight running at the nostrils. Immediately you see these symptomsseparate that ferret from the others, as this is, I think, the worstdisease one has to contend with. 

In the whole of my ferret-keeping experience I have found distemper, ifcaught in time, can be cured; but if it gets too far I know of no curefor it. I have known a gamekeeper to have dogs with the distemper, andhe has not touched his ferrets or handled them at all during the time hisdogs were bad, yet a week afterwards his ferrets caught the disease. Hetried all the remedies he knew of, but in 14 days 12 hitherto good, strong, healthy ferrets died: all he had. This will show at once thatthe disease is very contagious. The moment you see signs of distempercoming on feed the ferret as little as possible. Give it as little toeat as will just keep life in it, for in feeding the ferret you also feedthe disease. When you have kept the food from it is the time to startcuring if possible. Now, from experience the first thing I recommend isto sweat the disease out of it, and I find the best way to do this is asfollows:--Get an old bucket with a few one-inch holes bored in thebottom, and almost fill it with good new straw horse-droppings; put alittle hay on the top of the droppings, and then put the ferret on thehay. Place or hang the bucket over a boiler or on the mantelpiece, andlet the kettle steam under the bucket, say for 30 minutes, and you willfind the steam and the ammonia from the droppings will together sweat thedisease out of the ferret; then you can start feeding it again. Feed itwith something substantial, such as the jelly from stewed cowheels; givethem the jelly only, not the meat; and you will have a good result. Alsogive them a teaspoonful of cream. This is the one and only cure fordistemper. 

Another disease in ferrets, especially young ones, is what I call "redmange. " This starts always under the belly, and you will find that theskin becomes very red and speckled. This is easily remedied by thesimple process of washing in lukewarm water and rubbing with sweet oiland black sulphur. The same mixture will answer for "foot rot" if rubbedwell into the paws. The general cause of this latter disease is neglectof the ferrets and the hutches not being cleaned out regularly. 

I think the best bedding for ferrets is good oat straw, fresh everyfortnight. Throw the straw in carelessly, and the ferrets will maketheir own beds. When breeding ferrets, never go near them more than youcan help, as they are of a wild nature and liable to destroy their young. When you know a Jill or bitch ferret has young, give her a little extragood food, but don't interfere with the young ones on any account, and ifyou want to give her a little extra bedding put the straw in the sameplace as the food, and she will take it into the sleeping place herself. It is advisable not to touch the young ones for five weeks, or betterstill leave them until they come out to feed themselves; and when runningabout, if there be a good number, say nine or ten, in the lot, it is agood plan to remove them into a larger place for sleeping, as youngferrets are very liable to catch the red mange, which arises from toomany being together and sweating very much. 

WHEN WORKING FERRETS FOR RAT-CATCHING

always work them unmuzzled. Make as little noise as possible, as Ratsare very bad to bolt sometimes. Never grab at the ferret as it leavesthe hole, nor tempt it out of the hole with a dead Rat. The best way isto let the ferret come out of its own choice, and then pick it up veryquietly, for if you grab at it, it is likely to become what we call a"stopper;" and never on any account force a ferret to go into a hole. 

WHEN WORKING FERRETS FOR RABBIT-SHOOTING

always muzzle them. The old-fashioned style of muzzle is, I think, thebest, that is, made with string. I don't approve of wire muzzles, asthey are liable to catch against tree roots and bits of sharp stones, andfrom experience I find the ferret works much better with the stringmuzzle. 

There is one way of working ferrets when rabbit-shooting which, iffollowed, I think would lead to a better day's shooting. You will oftensee the ferrets stick up with the rabbits. Now, in most cases thegamekeeper or his man working the ferrets will often cut open a deadrabbit and put the paunch to the burrow. I quite agree as to thedesirability of this to get the ferrets out, but I say that the man usingthe ferrets ought never to touch the paunch, as the ferrets will not workhalf so well after he has the smell of the paunch on his hands. 

Another bad plan is that of throwing a dead rabbit into the burrow sothat the ferret will follow it out. The best plan is to let the ferretget clear of the hole, and then pick it up quietly. If you will breakyour ferrets in in this manner you will never have any trouble with themafterwards. 

When ferrets are conveyed about for the purpose of rabbiting, boxes aremuch better to use than bags, as the ferrets then get a better chance ofresting. If bags be used you disturb the ferrets' rest and position eachtime you remove one. Take care to observe this and it will result in agood day's sport. 

Always take your ferrets home as quickly as possible after a day's work. 

Ferrets kept only for rabbit-shooting should always be fed as soon as theday's work is over, but they must not have more food till the same timethe following day. If fed in this way regularly you will find that theywill work very well. It is also advisable to let them drink at a streamwhen they have worked about three hours. 

When ferrets have been fast in a rabbit burrow, their paws may be full ofdown with scratching at the rabbits. Always remove this before placingthem to another burrow. Each time you handle the ferret see that themuzzle is alright, and in muzzling with string great care should be takento remove the long hair on the snout from under the string; otherwise theferret may experience a tickling sensation, and not work so well as itshould; see also that the string is tied tightly around the ferret'sneck; if not it can easily pull off the muzzle with its paws. 

Whenever a ferret is severely bitten by a Rat the best course to takeimmediately you get it home is to bathe the wound in clean luke-warmwater. See that all the dirt is removed, and then apply a few drops ofsweet oil to the wound. Repeat this every four hours, until the wound ishealed, but until then do not work the ferret lest more dirt gets intothe wound. My experience proves this to be the best way to cure a ferretwhen it has received a severe Rat-bite. 

It is also a good plan occasionally (say once a fortnight) to skin a niceyoung Rat and give it to the ferret. 

SUITABLE DOGS. 

And now a word or two as to what is a good dog for waterside hunting, orworking with the ferrets. I recommend a cross-bred dog, but I find thatit is always better to have the pointer breed in it, whatever other breedyou get, because the pointer always has the nose or scent. Pointer andAiredale would be very good, or pointer and Irish terrier. I have oftennoticed that pure-bred dogs are not much good for hunting in buildings orrivers. I have frequently seen a cross-bred dog stand at one side of theriver, and if the wind has been in his favour he has winded his noseacross the river, and I have sent him over and he has turned a Rat out, bolted it into the water, and killed it. 

The best precaution to take in breaking a dog to Rat-catching andwaterside hunting (especially if it be a puppy) is to never allow anybodybut yourself to have anything to do with it, it being the worst thingpossible to let a working dog have too many masters. Break it in to theferrets first, and then it is a good plan to go up the river banks, witheither a dead Rat or rabbit skin, letting the dog play with it for awhile, and then burying it about 18 inches in the river bank; or you maypull up a clod and put it under, only you must not let the dog see whereyou place it. Then take the dog with you near to where the rat or skinis buried, and you will soon see that the dog knows its work. Do this afew times, and you will see that once the dog finds the dead Rat or theskin it will never forget. The younger the dog the better, the right ageto break a puppy this way being about four or five months. Break it infor taking to the water at the same time. If you want a good working dogalways keep it on the chain when at home, and feed it at the same time asthe ferrets, but do not over-feed it; also give it one dose of castor oilor syrup of buckthorn every 14 days. I recommend this because you neverknow the nasty poisonous stuff that the dog gets on its stomach from thedirty brook and river sides. 

Let me add that all I have written about ferrets and dogs are not givenmerely from hearsay, but are the facts derived from study and experienceduring 25 years of dog and ferret-keeping. 

PART III. THE HABITS OF RATS. 

Rats breed very quickly. This I have often proved by visiting a givenhaunt for many years together. I remember an instance in point one June, when out with dog and ferrets. The dog made a set under the root of atree. I put the ferret in and it bolted eight young Rats, nearly halfgrown, still suckling the bitch Rat. When the old Rat bolted my dogkilled it, and whilst the dog was shaking it I found she was very heavyin young again. This, therefore, will prove how quickly Rats breed. 

Another result of my observation may be of interest to my readers. Afterremoving a lot of old rubbish when ratting I came upon a nest of just-born Rats, and, in curiosity, I cut the tails off the lot, and then putthe young Rodents back, leaving the nest undisturbed. When I returnednext day, I found the old Rat had carried all her young away, and, later, I found the same tailless lot in another part of the building, and, afterdisturbing them again, I found the following day that the bitch Rat hadkilled every one by eating off their heads. This destruction of theoffspring I have witnessed on more than one occasion. The old bitch Rathas always killed them in the same way by eating off their heads. 

I must not forget to tell you of the young Rat's dread of the ferrets. Ihave often seen when the ferrets have been put in the hole the young Rats(not many days old and their eyes yet unopened) creep out of the hole. This is a proof that the smell of the ferrets has a tendency to boltRats, either young or old. 

Old Rats are very bold whilst suckling their young. I have seen themvery venturesome to get to water, and more eager for water than for food. I have often traced their runs a long way for water, and noticed thatwhen crossing a field to get to a pit or river they never walk, but arealways on the run; and in the summer, when they reach the pit, they notonly drink, but often swim about. I have frequently watched themswimming on a moonlight night, but they generally go back to thebuildings in the early morning, especially in the winter months. 

Another habit I have often noticed. Take a farm, or any place wherethere are many Rats, and it will be always found that when a Rat getsvery old it becomes very greyish in colour and rather scabbed, and itshair comes off, mostly on the back. The healthy Rats will then drive theold Rat away, and these scabby old Rats may be caught by themselves inother parts of the buildings; and, further, I often notice that if theferrets are bitten with these old Rats, they "take bad ways. " I neverput such Rats with the others nor allow my dog to kill them. I wouldadvise any gentleman having a dog he values never to let it touch one ofthese old scabby Rats, as it may prove injurious to the health of thedog. 

It is surprising how far Rats will travel in the night. I have tracedtheir tracks from a stackyard over two or three fields to a farm to getto their food. And you will always find that they have one time forfeeding, which is as soon as it is dusk, the young Rats being the mostventuresome for their food, always coming out first. 

Rats, especially stackyard ones, are of a very clean nature. You willfind that after they have had their first feed they diligently washthemselves. These Rats feed on nothing but good stuff, such as wheat, corn, and meal; and from experience I find that if a man is bitten on thehand by one of these Brown or Stack Rats it never "takes bad ways, " but, if bitten by a dirty Drain Rat, then whether he cauterises or bathes thewound is no matter, it is sure to "take bad ways. " I think the reason ofthis is because the Drain Rat, when it cannot get anything else to eat, exists on the worms and slugs, and this, I think, causes the teeth tobecome more venomous. When bitten in this way blood poisoning is verylikely to ensue. Indeed, you must understand that the teeth of a full-grown Rat are quite half-an-inch long, and the jaw is very strong, sothat if you are bitten on the finger it is almost sure to penetrate tothe bone. I have known a good many cases of blood poisoning through Rat-bites. 

The damage Rats can do to property, commodities, etc. , is almostincredible. I have had so many examples of this that I scarcely knowwhich to submit as illustration. I think the worst case I have seen waswhere they gnawed a hole half way through a 2-1/4 inch lead pipe, andoften I have known them to bite through a one-inch lead pipe. The worstdamage is done when they get under the flag floors of cottage houses outof the drains. They scratch the soil from beneath the flags, which thensink, and the consequent stench from the drains is abominable, jeopardising the health of the tenants. I have seen a great many ofthese cases in the poorer parts of Manchester. The damage the Rats willdo in the silk and similar trades, to the goods of merchants, or in thegrocery business, is enormous, and not so much by reason of what theyactually eat as by what they carry away, which is often ten times as muchas they eat. I have often proved this when ferreting at a wholesalegrocery warehouse. When we have taken up the boards between the lathsand plaster we have found the ceiling almost full of lump sugar, nuts, candles, etc. , which have been there for years, hoarded by the Rats. Now, this all means heavy loss, and that is why I say that any business man sosuffering ought to engage the services of a professional Rat-catcher oncea year in order to keep the Rats down, and catch as many as possiblebefore they begin breeding. 

Another Rat habit may be noticed where the Rodents are accustomed to havetheir holes and runs among flags and stones. If they find any soft woodsuch as pine or white deal, they will nibble at it until it is eatenthrough. I have often known them to eat right through the legs of tablesin the middle of cooking kitchens. This, I think, they do simply to keeptheir teeth clean and in order; I have known half-grown Rats to do thesame. 

Rats can exist a long time on herbage, if they can get nothing morepalatable. It is a very common thing to find Rats in the rabbit burrowswhen ferreting; in fact, I have seen, not once, but many times, Rats, rabbits, and weasels all bolt from the same burrow. I have alsounearthed a Rat and a rabbit together out of one single burrow. 

Now as to keeping Rats in store cages at home. Look well after them, andI think it is possible to keep them alive for quite a year; but if youkeep, say, 20 in one store cage and neglect their feeding, you will findthat when hungry in the night they will kill the weakest of their numberand eat it, sometimes even eating two or three in one night, leaving theskin as clean as if a man had skinned them. It is always the best planto put the Rats in different cages, according to their sizes. The youngones together, the old ones together, and the middle-aged ones together, as they keep themselves much cleaner when thus divided, and do not fightso much as they would otherwise. They must also be kept in a warm place;if not, they soon have cramp. Also keep them in a dark place and seethat they have plenty of water; sprinkle them now and then with it sothat they will wash themselves. It is astonishing what a hungry Rat willdo. I have seen them in the summer at dusk run at an old hen with herchickens under her, and almost as quick as I tell it, the Rat hassnatched a live chicken and run with it under a pigsty floor. 

I have known them to take half-grown young ducks from the water side. Iremember once ferreting round a pit, near a barn, and when I put myferret in the hole, it pulled out two dead chickens and threemiddle-sized dead ducks, and behind them, not more than a yard deep inthe pit bank, was an old Rat. I have also known them to get into thecoops where a gamekeeper was rearing his pheasants, and to kill nineyoung ones in a single night all from under the same hen. 

Rats are also fond of eggs. I have read of many ways in which Rats takeeggs, but in my quarter-of-a-century's experience of Ratting I never sawRats take eggs save in one way, and that is, dragging or rolling themalong the floor with their front paws, until they get them to the mouthof the hole. I remember one place where I was ferreting. There was anold cellar, the door of which at the top of the steps had to my knowledgebeen nailed up two or three years. Out of the hen house the Rats hadeaten a hole at each side of the cellar door at the bottom. One day weburst open the door, went into the cellar (where it was impossible for ahen to get whilst the door was closed) and beneath the bottom step wecaught two Rats. On lifting the flag at the bottom of the steps, wefound 15 whole eggs, some good and some bad, all of which I am quitesatisfied the Rats had carried down those nine stone steps! How they haddone so I cannot explain, but content myself with stating only the plainfacts of my own personal observation. 

Rats are also very cunning in the water, say a pit or a river. Now, aRat can exist in water for at most about seven minutes, and you will findwhen a dog is swimming after a Rat that the Rat is watching the dog allthe time, for as soon as the dog gets within a yard of the Rat the latterwill dive under water and come to the surface again about 15 yards away. When the dog has tired the Rat out with swimming, you will very often seethe Rat dive again and come up very quietly and just put its nose out ofthe water, or rest its head on a floating leaf. It is so cunning that itwill remain still there, and if the leaf or reed gives way it will comeup at the water side and just thrust out its nose to breathe. By thismeans the dog loses full scent of the Rat. 

I have also noticed how useful are the Rat's front paws and tail. I haveseen a Rat on the top of a swill tub at a pigsty, when the swill has beenabout ten inches from the top of the tub. The Rat was too cunning tojump down on the wet swill and drown, but I saw it reach as far down theinside of the tub as possible with its front paws and scrape the greasefrom around the sides! I have also seen the same Rat, when unable toscrape any further down the tub sides, turn round, clutch the top of thetub with its front paws, dip its tail into the swill, and then gain thetop of the tub and commence licking its tail. 

I have also tried an experiment with the same tub, which consisted ofcovering the top of the wet swill with bran, which floated on thesurface, and placing a bit of lumpy swill in the middle of the bran, inthe hope that the Rat would jump on the bran in the expectation ofgetting at the swill in the middle. However, it did not do so, no doubtinstinctively guided against the danger. 

I have also watched Rats run round a set wire or cage trap for a fullhour. I have seen them go half way in and out again, look at the baitand never touch it, but go away and never return to the same trap thatnight. These examples show the cunning instinct of Rats. 

There is, however, one power that the Rat is not favoured with, and I amafraid if they were they would be a greater pest. It is the ability ofhigh jumping. A Rat cannot, I think, jump higher than three feet sixinches, and will have to be very hungry before doing that to obtain food. 

Many people may not know how fierce Rats are when fighting. Let meinstance. I have often taken, one in each hand, two good Rats from mycage before a hundred spectators and set the Rats at each other on thetop of a table. To see them fight would be surprising. They will fightlike two bulldogs. When they have got a grip of each other with theirteeth I have taken away my hands, and they have stuck and shook oneanother for at least half-a-minute, although you must understand that themoment they are loose of one another they are off if you don't catch themagain. 

There are several other cunning ways of Rats which I can scarcelyexplain. One must be amongst them regularly to know their wonderful waysand habits. Yet another little incident, in conclusion, may be ofinterest. I once called at a farm where they had been threshing a wheatstack. A Rat-catcher had been there but without a dog, and when Iarrived two hours afterwards my dog made a set, and commenced scratchingamongst the old chaff left at the bottom of the stack, and to theastonishment of myself and the farmer I pulled out of the hole where thedog was scratching 73 live Rats! The other Rat-catcher, who had been atthe threshing all day, had caught only 14 Rats. This will serve to showthat a Rat-catcher must not be without a good dog. 

And now, respecting the ways and habits of Rats I think I have given myreaders interesting and varied illustrations of what I have seen andexperienced during my time. 

PART IV. LIFE OF THE RAT-CATCHER. 

This work will not be complete if I do not deal with the Rat-catcher'slife. The profession is a peculiar and exciting one, but all right ifpursued in the right way. Although the calling takes one into dirty andobnoxious places, there is no reason why the Rat-catcher should notalways appear respectable. The Rat-catcher has many temptations todishonest conducts, for instance, when Rat-catching on a farm or privateestate where there are numerous rabbits and game. It looks rather hardlines for the Rat-catcher to come off a farm with his cage full of Ratsand see rabbits running about whilst he has all the requisites in hispossession for catching them; and yet he must not touch one, but go homeand merely reflect on what a good Sunday's dinner he is leaving behind. This I have experienced many a time, but I have always found even fromthe business view-point that the old advice still remains true, "Honestyis the best policy. " Leaving the rabbits to themselves has always turnedout to be the best, for to take a rabbit worth a shilling, and get caughtin the act, means that you can never go on the same estate again. Andfrom that same estate you might have got 500 Rats in a year, worth fourshillings a dozen. 

I must also put in a good word here for the gamekeepers. My opinion isthat if you go on a keeper's ground and do what is right, you will beable to go again, for in the whole of my experience never having carriedany nets but Rat nets when on private estates, I have the consolation ofknowing that I should always be welcome on going again to such estates. 

Of course there are inconveniences that the Rat-catcher has to put upwith. Whatever engagements he takes in a town, the only time he cancatch Rats with a good result is in the night. On one occasion, whengoing round with my bull's-eye lamp to examine the traps, I was taken fora burglar by the policeman on the beat, and he doubted me so much that hewould not release me until I had shown him my cage with Rats in and mytraps set all over the place. Then he took almost as much interest inthe catching of Rats as myself, and also brought in the other policemenwho were outside waiting for me to attempt an escape. Ever after that, when I had a night's engagement in any town, I always went to the policestation to tell the man on that beat where I was. 

It behoves the Rat-catcher to be always attentive to his customers, those, I mean, who want live Rats wherewith to try their dogs. Amongstmine I have the honour to include clients of highest rank and position, barristers, magistrates, solicitors and a host of sporting gentry. Ifthe Rat-catcher's efforts commend themselves to such gentlemen, and healways maintains a respectable appearance, he will obtain some very niceoutings in the country. Oft-times a party of gentlemen have sent for mein the summer, having arranged with me to bring four or five ferrets andRatting appliances, and we have gone 50 miles up the country. They wouldbring their terrier dogs, and we would hunt all along the brooks andrivers, and round the corn and wheat fields, putting the Rats we caughtinto the cage, and after lunch, taking the Rats to a meadow and coursingthem with their dogs, which I think it real good sport. We would put upat the best hotels and repeat the procedure next day, very often taking adrag or coach, and driving ten or a dozen miles farther up the country. 

I can assure my readers that the Rat-catcher is well remunerated for thetrouble he undertakes in these cases, and moreover this is the class ofpeople he requires to fraternise with. There is always a plentifulsupply of "refreshments" on these outings, and I would therefore advisethe Rat-catcher not to indulge too freely. 

The foregoing is, of course, a brief sketch of the pleasantest part of aRat-catcher's life, and to complete the picture I may as well describesome of the other features, and the way he has to rough it sometimes. Well, Rat-catchers are generally called upon to supply Rats for the Ratcoursings usually held at beerhouses, etc. , on Saturday afternoons, whichone often sees advertised. Now, if he binds himself to supply a coursingat a certain date, the bills announcing the event are printed and posted, all of which means expense. Then you are bound to secure the live Rats, whatever be the weather. In doing this I always followed the threshingmachine to the bays and stacks. (Anyone that catches Rats regularly cantell by looking at the bays or stacks whether there are many Rats in ornot. ) I remember many times when the men have started threshing a bay ofwheat in which were a great many Rats, and by dark they have threshedonly half of the bay. At such times the Rat-catcher must not leave theremaining half, no, not for half-an-hour throughout the whole night, forif he does the Rats will run out. To stop the Rats from leaving, the Rat-catcher has to lie on the top of the bay or go about every thirty minutesand beat the bottom with sticks until daylight, in order to keep the Ratsin. Then, after the machine re-starts, and the bottom of the bay isreached, the Rat-catcher will be well paid for his trouble, for he mayget, say, 150 good Rats for the coursing, at six shillings per dozen. Thereason I call them good coursing Rats is because they have not beenhandled, and that enables them to run well. 

Now, when you go to these coursings (which are mostly in the collierydistricts) you will find about 60 dogs entered. It is the Rat-catcher'sbusiness to measure and handicap the dogs, and a very unpleasant job itis. He has also to be the referee at these coursings, and if it is a"near thing" with two dogs running at one rat, and you decide to awardthe victory to a given one, then the owner of the other dog will probablyaccuse you of wrong-doing and favouritism. Then is the time theRat-catcher has to be prepared to pull off his coat and start fightingbefore, perhaps, 500 spectators. This has often occurred with me. This, I can assure my readers, is what I call "roughing it. "

Of course, what I have just related occurred a few years ago, but whenthe Muzzling Order came into force, the authorities practically stoppedRat coursing, for they would not let a dog run at a Rat unless the dogwas muzzled. This was about the worst thing that the authorities coulddo for Manchester and district, for at that time I was supplying forcoursings about 100 Rats per week, and at the same time sending 50 Rats aweek into Yorkshire, and all the Rats I supplied were caught within 15miles of Manchester. This in my opinion, speaks very bad of the MuzzlingOrder, which I think is nothing but a farce, for at the very time I wasgoing ratting, dogs were muzzled in some parts of the country but not inothers. My opinion of dog muzzling is, muzzle all or muzzle none. 

You will see by what I have said respecting these coursings, etc. , thatthe Rat-catcher has plenty of work to supply so many live rats, and hehas also to mix with company high and low. He also sometimes experiencesdifficulties in travelling on the railway. I have often entered an emptythird-class carriage, sent my dog under the seat, and put the Rat cagethere also. The carriage would fill with passengers, and upon reachingmy destination I would take from under the seat my cage full of liveRats, to the amusement of some and the disgust of others. 

I have also entered a railway carriage with my cage of rats when therewere passengers in, one or two of whom would generally object to liveRats being in the same compartment, and on enquiring of the railwayofficials, I have found that any one travelling with live Rats isexpected to put them in the guard's van. 

I have also had a few good customers in my business, one or two inparticular. Gentlemen have often sent me post-cards instructing me totake six or twelve Rats to their residences. I would run them out on thelawn in front of the house with their dogs, and generally I have receivedgood remuneration for my trouble. These are the customers who should belooked well after, for they are the sportsmen who do not considerexpense, though of course there are others who are just the opposite. 

Further, Rat-catching is a business in which one is not called upon toallow credit. It is all a ready-money trade, and as there is not muchcompetition, the Rat-catcher can command a good price for his work. Hehas always one resource open to him when he has finished a job accordingto contract (catching say 40 or 50 Rats), should there be a dispute aboutthe price and the people decline to pay the bill, then he has theexpedient of letting the Rats at liberty again in the place where he hadcaught them. Most people will pay the price you send in rather than havethe Rats turned loose again. 

Although I am showing how the Rat-catcher can always have the advantageof stubborn payers, I may as well assure my readers that in all myexperience such an occurrence as the above has never happened with me, simply because I always make my arrangements beforehand, which course Ialways find the best and most satisfactory all round. 

Another matter I may mention. If any one could find out a sure way ofcatching Rats so that he could give a guarantee to clear large buildings, my opinion is that he would make a fortune in a very short time; for Iknow firms in Manchester alone that would pay almost any amount to be ridof the Rats; not only because of what they consume, but more for thedamage they do to their goods. 

I have referred to the Rat-catcher obtaining good pay. The reason hecommands such a big price for his work at the present time is becausethere is not much sale for live Rats. The trade is not what it was someyears ago when Rat-pits were allowed. I think it was one of the worstthings they ever did for this country when the authorities stopped theRat pits, for when Rat killing was allowed in pits, it was a common thingfor a Rat-catcher to receive an order for 100 Rats, all to be killed atone time; then the Rat-catcher would get the Rats and wherever he gotthem from he was ridding that district of a nuisance. But when theauthorities stopped Rat-pits and Rat-coursing, the consequence was thatthe Rat-catcher left the Rats to breed in thousands. Rats being vermin, I don't see why they should not be killed 50 or 100 at a time in the pit, but the Humane Society maintain that it is cruelty to dogs to put them ina pit with a lot of Rats. I don't see where the cruelty comes in, butfrom what I have seen of Rat-pits during my time I approve of them, and Ithink if they were in existence again there would be a clearing of manythousands of Rats. Some 15 or 20 years since, I supplied 400 Rats in oneweek, all to be killed in Rat-pits. 

Many of my readers may not understand what a Rat-pit is, and so I willjust give an outline as well as I can. 

The Rat-pit is of circular construction, say ten feet diameter, and aboutfour feet six inches deep, the sides being perfectly smooth to preventthe rats climbing up and making their escape. A certain number of Ratsare placed in the pit according to the arrangements made with the ownerof the dog. Then the dog is put in the pit with the rats to kill them, which a good dog does very quickly. 

The reason the pit is built circular is so that the Rats will keeprunning round, for if it were square they would all run in a corner, oneon the other, and then the dog would have no difficulty in killing them. It is better to have the pit fairly deep; if not, the rats might escape. 

I think the best dog, within my recollection, that I have seen was a bulland fox terrier, which killed 40 good Rats in three minutes and 21seconds. I have read and heard of dogs doing better feats, but I am onlywriting of what I have myself seen. I may say that the records for Rat-killing in Rat-pits are held by a dog called Jacko, which killed 200 Ratsin 14 minutes and 37 seconds, and 1, 000 Rats in less than one hour and 40minutes. 

The Rat-catcher has also some very dirty jobs to do sometimes. Often hehas to go under all sorts of cellar floors, both wet and dry, but themajority of places are very wet and dirty, for the Rats nearly alwayscome out of some filthy drain, and very often near a water-closet, theabominable smell arising from these places being sufficient to cause afever. 

I remember being once employed at a hospital, and I was paid at the rateof 5s. Per visit for trapping Rats. Well, I found that 5s. Per visit didnot pay me (I had about 120 traps set all over the place), so I wentbefore the committee and requested 8s. Per night. The committee saidthey thought 5s. Per visit was enough, and one or two of them said theythought 8s. Per night was above a Rat-catcher's pay. Now, as I was notdepending on that particular job at the time, I turned round and toldthem what I thought. I told them I considered Rat-catching was a skilledoccupation, and I also offered any of them a five-pound note if theywould only follow me under the floors at midnight, not to speak of takingthe live Rats out of the traps in the dark; but I can assure you thatnone of these gentlemen would venture to undertake the task. 

Now, if any of these gentlemen had to do this a few times they would notrefuse to pay the Rat-catcher the sum he asks, viz. , 8s. Per night. 

I remember more than once in big places such as bonding warehouses, whenI have been under the floors, my candle or lamp has gone out throughbeing knocked over with grabbing at Rats, and I have not had a match inmy pocket, and have had to grope about in the dark trying to find thetrap-door where I have got under the floors, more often than not puttingmy hand in a set trap. It would be of no use shouting for a light simplybecause I have been alone. It is always better for a Rat-catcher to haveassistance for night work, but I have done it myself very often. 

Now, the expenses of travelling come very heavy sometimes, for whereverthe Rat-catcher goes he always has to pay railway fare for himself andhis dog. 

Another thing I must tell you. Often when I have gone to inspect a smallbuilding I have found that there were a great many Rats in, but I havealso known, after inspecting the place, that they have all come from theone place, out of the drain. Well, if I have contracted to do this jobfor a lump sum, I could easily clear this place and not catch an odd Rat, simply by ferreting them all back into the sewer in the daytime, and thenmaking it good; but in most of these cases they do not like to pay yourbill because you have caught no Rats. Still, you have driven them alldown the drains, and after making the drain good they cannot get backagain into the building. 

Now, in a case like this I always trap them two or three nights and catcha few, just to give satisfaction to those engaging me. 

Sometimes gentlemen will write inviting me to meet them at a certainfarm, and bring my ferrets and a good supply of nets, alleging that thereare "hundreds of Rats in the stacks. " I just relate this to indicate howanyone not regularly amongst Rats can easily be deceived as to theirnumbers, for a couple of Rats on the thatch of a stack, especially whenthey have young ones, will probably have twelve holes eaten in the thatchand underneath the stack, and anyone not understanding their habits wouldthink there were a lot of Rats in it. 

And it is much the same with workpeople; if they chance to see two orthree Rats at once, they will say there are "scores" of them. You wouldalso be surprised to see the awful dread that tenants have of the Rat-catcher in private houses. When ferreting these places they think thatif a Rat-catcher has once put his ferrets under the floor they will neversee another Rat in the place; but depend upon it they are very bad tocatch in these places. 

I have often had much trouble respecting houses, warehouses, etc. , toknow whose duty it would be to pay the Rat-catcher for his work, thelandlord's or the tenant's, but I think that the landlord should pay. Ihave had many engagements to catch Rats in newly-built houses before theywere tenanted. The time the Rats get into these places is whilst theworkmen are putting the drains in the back yards, leaving the drains openat nights. Thence the Rats come out and get under the floors, sometimeshaving to stop there, too, simply because the next day the joiners boardup the floors and thus block the Rats in underneath, and then the Ratscan always get into the kitchens up the back of the fireplace. Mostproperty owners would do well to take note of this fact. 

I must tell my readers, especially those having large shops, etc. , thatit is a good plan, if possible, to turn off the gas and water every nightand week-end, for I have seen a good many cases where the Rats in thenight-time have eaten through a water-pipe, and the place has beenflooded by morning. It is just the same with a gas-pipe, and my opinionis that it is quite possible for fires to be caused by Rats in the night-time. Rats are very fond of nibbling and scratching at soft wood, and itwould be an easy matter at a grocer's shop for a Rat to bite or scratchthrough the package of a gross of matches and ignite them, and the samecause may prove disastrous with any other inflammable goods. 

Respecting the conveyance of live Rats, the Rat-catcher should always beparticular to have good strong cages and bags, because if he had a numberof Rats in an unserviceable bag which happened to break open at a railwaystation or in the street, I think he could be summoned for the damage theescaped Rats might do. Still, I have not in my time had or heard of acase of this sort. 

Speaking of bags, a good many people seem to think that if a man puts hishand into a bagful of Rats they will bite him, but I can assure you thata child could do the same thing and not be bitten. Should there be onlytwo or three in the bag, then they will bite, but not in the event ofthere being a good number. The same rule applies to Rats stored in acage, where there is open daylight--if there be 40 or 50 Rats together, it is then the habit of the Rats for all to cling together, and they willlet you handle them anyway if only you will have sufficient courage. 

It is very good sport for gentlemen who want a good day's outing to go tofarms when threshing is on, and also to go hunting and ferreting roundthe corn and wheat fields, and I think many sporting gentlemen who havenot seen such sport would indulge in it freely after they had oncewitnessed it. I think it is much better and healthier sport than rabbit-shooting, especially in the summer when the farmers are cutting theircorn and wheat. 

When catching Rats as a regular pursuit, one is surprised at the queerplaces in which he finds them. I recollect ferreting seven full-sizedRats from under the floor of a built dog kennel not above four yardssquare, where a large mastiff and a terrier dog slept every night, only a3/4-inch board dividing them from the Rats, and the Rats having eatenholes through the boards in the kennel! I have also found at anout-house an old bitch Rat and nine young ones in an old tin trunkwithout a lid. I have also caught Rats and taken young ones out of thenest from under railway sleepers where trains have been running andshunting operations carried on every day. And I have even taken old andyoung ones in their nest from a pile of Cheshire cheese, at a wholesalecheese and bacon factor's!

And mentioning cheese in this connection reminds me that once Idiscovered that Rats had scratched and eaten a hole direct through thebottom lot of cheese in a pile which had only been there three weeks. 

A word or two about what a Rat will do with a ferret. I have often seena Rat run a ferret out of the hole, and then wait with its head out ofthe hole until the ferret has come to it again. I remember onceferreting at a hencote, and put the ferret behind the hen nest, whereuponthe Rat attacked the ferret, which then jumped back and died in fiveminutes, the Rats having given only one bite behind the ferret's ear! Ofcourse this is a very rare occurrence. True, I have had many ferretskilled by Rats in my time, but it has always occurred through thepoisonous bite first swelling and then "taking bad ways, " the ferretdying in probably a week or so. 

You must understand that if you put a Rat and a ferret together in a tubthe ferret would kill the Rat in nine cases out of ten, the nature of theRat being to get away from the ferret if possible; but if it cannot itwill fight, and I think a Rat, for its size, is of a very vicious nature, for I have often seen when trying a puppy at killing a Rat in a pit, thata game Rat will run the puppy all round the pit. The best way to try apup to kill a Rat is to draw the teeth of the first Rat it secures forsometimes if a pup gets a severe bite from a Rat it will never look atanother. It is a very bad plan to let a pup play with a Rat too much, for this causes the pup never to put a hard mouth on the Rat. When thislatter occurs it is the best plan not to allow the same pup to seeanother Rat until it is a month or two older. If you will take care andtrouble with a pup you can bring it up to your own liking, and to doanything you want. I have worked seven years with a curly-coatedretriever bitch, and when ferreting a brook she would stand in the waterand catch the Rats that escaped from the nets into the brook and bringthem to me alive in her mouth. I have sold hundreds of Rats she hascaught in this manner, and to show you how the dogs can be brought upwith the ferrets I need only mention that this bitch would lie down andlet two ferrets kill a Rat on the curly coat of her back. 

Farmers know too well of the many restless nights the cows and horsesexperience through Rats. I have seen when trapping all night at a farmthe Rats running over the cows and horses whilst sleeping: and whenhorses have been working in the field all day they want better rest inthe night. I have known when farmers would not let the Rat-catcherferret their buildings gratis, simply because they have a few henssitting. They don't consider that when the hens have hatched the eggsthe Rats will take the chickens. Whenever a farmer has refused to let meferret at his farm I have passed that farm ever afterwards. To show youthe different dispositions of farmers I have met, I may mention that whenonce ferreting at a farm, we caught nine rats and lost the ferret, andtwo days afterwards the ferret was found on the farm, and I sent for it, but the farmer demanded two shillings of me for the ferret's keep. Thissame man I may add farmed about two hundred acres. 

Of course, there are other farmers just the opposite, who will not onlypay you for your trouble, but take great interest in helping you to catchthe Rats. I relate these facts and incidents to show you the contrast inthe disposition of different people one meets in this business. 

I don't think the Rat-catcher's life is one of the worst if he looks wellafter his business, for he has a few advantages over other occupations. In the first place, he is his own master, and need only doff his coatwhen he chooses, there being for him no such summons to work as a factorybell. And if he fancies a day's outing in the country he can always takehis dog and ferrets with him, and make a day's pleasure into aremunerative business, by reason of the income from the Rats, and I findfrom experience that the best friends he has are his dog and ferrets, ifhe will look well after them and treat them kindly, for I think that aRat-catcher in the country without a good dog might walk over scores ofRats and never know they were there, so you will see that his dog ischiefly what he has to trust to. 

And now, in conclusion, let me express the hope that this book will proveinstructive, entertaining, and profitable to my readers, inasmuch as Ihave endeavoured to make it so to the best of my ability and within thesomewhat limited scope and sphere of a Rat-catcher's calling. Of course, I might have made the narrative portion of the book more startling andexciting, had I drawn upon my imagination, but I have thought it best toadhere to cold fact and actual experience. 

HINTS ON RABBIT SHOOTING. 

Always have your gun made at your gunmaker's to your own liking. 

Always be prepared for the worst of weather, and be sure to have goodstrong boots. 

Never have your gun on full cock while walking about, especially whilstgoing through a fence. 

Never stand too close to a burrow, and don't be too eager to shoot. 

Always have your gun pointed upwards to the clouds or down to the ground. 

Never shoot at a rabbit as it sits on the top of the hole, or you mightshoot the ferret. Always stand so that all the shooters can see oneanother. 

Never remove from where the gamekeeper places you. 

Never have your gun barrels up while it is raining. 

When you go out in the country always provide yourself with refreshmentsbefore starting. 

If you miss an easy shot don't blame the gun. 

Don't be too excited, and get well on the rabbits before you pull. 

If the keeper's dog is retrieving rabbits never attempt to take one fromit. 

AUTHOR'S NOTES. 

IKE MATTHEWS is prepared to go out Ratting with parties of gentlemen ortheir gamekeepers on their private estates during the summer, supplyingdog, ferrets, and nets, at moderate charges. Arrangements may be made bypost. 

IKE MATTHEWS is also willing to go out rabbit-shooting with gentlemenduring the season, and will supply and work ferrets at reasonablecharges. He is also prepared to break dogs and puppies to ferreting andRatting on reasonable terms. 

Any number of live Rats and rabbits supplied at a few days' notice. 

All orders promptly attend to. Undeniable References. Yours truly, IKE MATTHEWS.