,,rat-,,catcher999999 ,this e,book was prepared by ,les ,bowler4 ,full ,revelations of a ,professional ,rat-,catcher1 after #be ,years' ,experience by ,ike ,matthews4 ,title page image3 title4jpg ,introduction4 ,in placing before my readers in the following pages the results of my twenty-five years' experience of ,rat-catching1 ,ferreting1 etc41 ,i may say that ,i have always done my best to accomplish every task that ,i have undertaken1 and ,i have in consequence received excellent testimonials from many corporations1 railway companies1 and merchants4 ,i have not only made it my study to discover the different and the best methods of catching ,rats1 but ,i have also taken great interest in watching their ways and habits1 and ,i come to the conclusion that there is no sure way of completely exterminating the ,rodents1 especially in large towns4 ,if ,i have in this work referred more particularly to ,rat-catching in ,manchester that is only because my experience1 although extending over a much wider area1 has been chiefly in that city1 but the methods ,i describe are equally applicable to all large towns4 ,yours truly1 ,,ike ,,matthews4 ,,professional ,,rat-,,catcher1 ,,pendleton1 ,,manchester4 ,,part ,i4 ,,how ,,to ,,clear ,,rats ,,from ,,warehouses1 ,,offices1 ,,storerooms1 ,,etc4 ,in the first place my advice is--never poison ,rats in any enclosed buildings whatever4 ,why8 ,simply because the ,rats that you poison are ,drain ,rats1 or what you call ,black ,rats1 and you can depend upon it that the ,rats that you poison will not get back into the drains1 but die under the floor between the laths and plaster1 and the consequence is that in a few days the stench that will arise will be most obnoxious4 ,and there is nothing more injurious than the smell of a decomposed ,rat4 ,having had a long experience in ,manchester ,i am quite sure of this4 ,as an instance1 ,i remember a private house where ,i was engaged catching ,rats under a floor with ferrets4 ,i went as far as possible on my belly under the floor with two candles in my hands1 and ,i saw the ferret kill a large bitch ,rat1 about six yards from me against a wall1 where neither the dog nor myself could get at it4 ,i finished the job and made out my bill for my services1 but in about two or three weeks after they again sent for me1 declaring they could not stay in the sitting-room on account of the smell that arose from beneath the flooring boards4 ,they had in consequence to send for a joiner2 and as ,i knew the exact spot where the ,rat was killed ,i ordered him to take up the floor boards just where the dead ,rat lay1 and the stench that arose from the decomposed ,rodent was bad in the extreme4 ,i disinfected the place1 and ,i was never sent for again4 ,this was under a cold floor1 and it is much worse where there is any heat4 ,now to deal with the different methods of catching ,rats4 ,the best way1 in my opinion1 is1 ,,trapping ,,them ,,with ,,steel ,,spring ,,traps4 ,whenever you are trapping1 never on any consideration put bait on the traps2 always put traps in their runs1 but you will find ,rats are so cunning that in time1 after a few have been caught1 they will jump over the traps1 and then you must try another way4 ,a good one is the following1 viz43--,get a bag of fine1 clean sawdust1 and mix with it about one-sixth its weight of oatmeal4 ,obtain the sawdust fresh from under the saw1 without bits of stick in1 as these would be liable to get into the teeth of the trap and stop them from closing4 ,where you see the runs put a handful in say about #cj different places1 every night1 just dropping the sawdust and meal out of your hands in little heaps4 ,that means #cj different heaps4 ,do this for four nights1 and you will see each morning that the sawdust is all spread about4 ,now for four more nights you must bury a set trap under every heap of sawdust4 ,thus you will have #cj traps1 on each of which there is a square centre plate2 you must level the sawdust over the plate with a bit of stick1 and set each trap as fine as you can on the catch spring1 so that the weight of a mouse would set it off4 ,they will play in the sawdust as usual1 and you will have ,rats in almost every trap4 ,you will find that this plan will capture a great many of the ,rodents4 ,i have trapped as many as #aad in one night in this way4 ,in time1 however1 the ,rats will cease to go near sawdust4 ,then you must procure a bag of fine soot from any chimney sweep1 and you will find that they will go at the soot just as keen as they did in the first instance at the sawdust4 ,when they get tired of soot 7which they will in time7 you must procure some soft tissue paper and cut it fine1 and use that in the same way as the sawdust and the soot4 ,you can also use light chaff or hay seeds with the like result4 ,i must not omit to tell my readers to always trap ,rats in the night1 and to go very quietly about it1 for if you make much noise they will give over feeding4 ,you must not go about with too big a light whilst trapping4 ,you should stay at the building from dark until midnight1 and every time a ,rat is caught in the trap you should go with a bull's eye lamp1 take it out of the trap or kill it1 and then set the trap again1 as you have the chance of another ,rat in the same trap4 ,from experience ,i can say that you need not stay in any place after #ab o'clock at night1 as ,i think that the first feed is the best1 and that the first three hours are worth all the other part of the night4 ,you can go home at #ab o'clock1 and be sure to be in the place by #f or #g a4m41 for many a ,rat caught in the trap by the front leg will1 if it gets time1 eat off its leg and get away again1 and they are very cunning to catch afterwards4 ,,never ,,have ,,your ,,traps ,,set ,,in ,,the ,,daytime4 ,handle them as little as possible4 ,always catch as many ,rats as you can in your buildings in ,january and ,february1 as they begin to breed in ,march1 and every bitch ,rat means1 on the average1 eight more4 ,also get as much ferreting done as possible before breeding time1 for a young ,rat can get into the ends of the joisting under a floor1 where a ferret cannot get near it1 and the consequence is that a ferret is unable to cope with its task4 ,the best thing ,i can advise for clearing young ,rats is a good cat1 one that must not be handled nor made a pet of1 but allowed to live in almost a wild state4 ,a good cat can do as much1 in my opinion1 in one night1 when ,rats are breeding1 as two ferrets can do in a day1 especially in a building where there are cavity walls1 as it is impossible for a ferret to follow a ,rat in such walls4 ,this is all the information ,i am able to give on the trapping of ,rats--a method ,i have proved by #be years' experience to excel all others4 ,still another way of clearing the pests is as follows3--,the majority of ,rats are ,black1 or what we call ,drain ,rats2 if they are in a building they will in most cases come from a water-closet4 ,sometimes you will see from the drain pipes in the water-closet1 say1 a six-inch pipe fitted into a nine-inch pipe1 and the joint covered round with clay1 through which the ,rats eat and scratch and get into the building in great numbers in the night1 but most of them return into the drains during the day4 ,now1 if it is the breeding season 7about eight months out of the twelve7 they will do much damage to silk1 cotton1 leather1 lace1 and1 in fact1 all other light goods4 ,and one would be surprised to see the quantity of cloth1 paper1 etc41 they will procure for their nests whilst breeding4 ,the way to get clear of these is to go in the day with two or three ferrets and leave the drain pipe open4 ,ferret them all back into the drain2 don't put a net over the drain for fear you might miss one or two4 ,if they got back into the building they would be hard to catch1 as they would not face the net again4 ,then1 after ferreting1 make the drain good1 and if there be an odd ,rat or two left in the building you will get them in a few nights by baiting the trap4 ,there is another way of catching the ,brown ,rat which breeds under the floor in large buildings where there are no drains4 ,they are very awkward to catch4 ,always have a trap or two set1 but do not set them where they feed2 place them in their runs4 ,but there are other methods for other ,rat-infested places4 ,for instance1 take a restaurant1 where they feed in the cooking kitchen2 we will suppose they have eaten four holes through either floor or skirting boards4 ,the best way to catch these--however many holes they have leading into the kitchen--is to block up 7with tin or similar material7 all the holes with the exception of one1 and let them use that one for two nights4 ,then put a plateful of good food1 such as oatmeal and oil of aniseed1 as far from the hole as you can in the same kitchen2 then run a small train of meal and aniseed from the hole to the plate4 ,next drive two six-inch nails in the wall1 with a long piece of string tied to the nail heads4 ,put on these nails a brick or piece of board right above the hole #b inches up the wall4 ,be sure the nails are quite loose in the wall over the hole1 and leave in that position for two nights1 so that the ,rats will get used to it4 ,on the night that you are going to catch them1 before leaving the place carry the string from the nail heads to the door or window2 let the door or window be closed within an inch1 with the end of the string outside4 ,after the place has been quiet for thirty minutes return to the door or window very quietly1 and you will hear the ,rats feeding4 ,pull the string1 the loose nails come out of the wall and the brick or board drops over the hole4 ,you can then go in1 close the door1 turn up the gas and catch or kill them at your leisure1 as they cannot get back again4 ,by this method ,i may mention that ,i have caught a great number of ,rats1 and it is quite possible to clear a place in this manner3 that is1 if they do not come out of the drains4 ,i have caught upwards of #ajc in six nights in this way4 ,the best time to catch ,rats in any building is always at night1 and always about half-an-hour after the place has been closed1 as ,rats are generally more adventurous to come for their first feed4 ,always go about as quietly as possible4 ,in some of the very old ,manchester buildings that were built in the days before drain plans had to be submitted to the corporation1 one finds under the cellar floors old-fashioned brick and flag drains 7better known as spit drains71 that were left in when the place was built4 ,once the ,rats get in these disused drains all the professional ,rat-catchers in ,england could not clear them without pulling the building down4 ,the ,rats have1 by some means1 got out of the main sewer1 probably by the bursting of a sewer into one of these disused dry brick drains4 ,it is then impossible to get underground to see where they have got into the dry drain1 and the only thing that can be done in a case of this sort is to engage a professional ,rat-catcher occasionally1 and keep two or three good cats to keep the ,rats down4 ,these places as a rule are more plagued with them when it is very wet weather and there are floods running4 ,this is the best time to catch them1 as they are all under the floor of the building1 and are very easy to catch in the night with the traps4 ,as a rule the ,black or ,drain ,rats feed only in the night1 very rarely in the day1 as they are of a dirty nature1 and prefer being in the drains4 ,in my opinion the ,black ,rat is more vicious than the ,brown4 ,there is another ,rat ,i call the ,red ,rat1 which is akin to the ,brown ,rat4 ,you will always catch these at a tannery1 or about kennels1 where hounds are kept1 and they generally feed on horseflesh or offal4 ,red ,rats are the gameist ,rats ,i know1 for whatever kind of ,rats are put into the store cage1 these ,red ,rats kill them the first night they are left quiet4 ,i may describe another mode of catching ,rats4 ,in any ,rat-overrun warehouse1 storeroom1 or cellar1 where there is a deal of rubbish such as packing cases1 wrappers1 waste paper1 etc41 throw a lot of food1 say oatmeal or soaked bread1 carelessly amongst the cases or rubbish and let the ,rats have a full week's feeding at their leisure1 and then if you know the holes round the floor wherefrom they come1 go in some night as quick as possible1 turn up the lights1 run to the three or four holes1 and block them up with pieces of rag1 etc4 ,now as all the ,rats will not run out of the packing cases or waste paper1 but will hide amongst the same1 this is the time to take a good terrier dog or two with you1 and to have a bit of sport4 ,let one dog hunt among the cases1 etc41 and hold the other1 for the ,rats will soon make for the holes1 but the rags preventing their escape you will catch and kill a great many by this means4 ,it should be stated here that as ,rats are very cunning1 it takes a lot of study1 dodging1 and experience to be able to rid them entirely4 ,when you are feeding ,rats anywhere1 never feed them with other than soft stuff1 which you can squeeze through your fingers1 for if you feed them with anything lumpy1 they will carry pieces into their holes and eat at their leisure4 ,,ferreting4 ,ferreting is a very good plan for destroying ,rats in cottage houses1 stables1 hotels1 etc41 as it can be done in the day1 but in buildings1 say five or six storeys high you cannot ferret very well as you cannot tell where to set your nets4 ,the only way to ferret a large building is to ferret one floor at once1 and always start at the top storey first4 ,the majority of floors are laths and plaster4 ,this is what the ,rat likes1 especially the ,brown ,rat1 and there are more nests found in these places than anywhere else4 ,to ferret thoroughly in such places you will require to have a board up at each end of the floor3 the two end boards that run crossways with the joist2 then you must have a man to put the ferret in at one end1 and ferret one joist at a time2 have a net set at the other end4 ,the best way at the catching end is to have a long sheet net about a yard wide1 and the full length of the boards that are up1 for sometimes under the boards the ,rats can get out of one joist into another1 and if you use the long net you can catch them whichever joist they bolt at4 ,now we will suppose you are ferreting a seven-storey building1 which might occupy three or four days4 ,if you have ferreted two stories the first day1 during the night the ,rats that have not been ferreted on the lower stories may get back again to the top storey4 ,how to prevent this happening ,i will give you a plan of my own1 which ,i don't think any ,rat-catcher but myself has ever employed4 ,the course of action--a rather expensive one ,i admit--is the following3 ,while you have the boards up you must go to the druggist and get two shillings' worth of cayenne pepper1 and put it into a pepper duster4 ,scatter the cayenne along the boards and joist where you have had the long sheet net1 and also along the other end of the joist where you put the ferrets in1 and you will find that under no consideration will ,rats face the cayenne pepper4 ,cayenne is alright for any dry place and will last a long time1 but it will not do in any water closets or any damp places1 as dampness takes all the nature out of the cayenne4 ,after ferreting in any kind of building1 always go carefully round the outside1 and see that there are no broken air grids1 or broken cellar windows1 as these are likely ways that the ,rats get into the building at first4 ,when ferreting always be careful how you set your nets1 and be extremely quick on the ,rats when they bolt1 for sometimes if they get back they will face the ferret before they will bolt again2 then the ferrets kill them under the floors1 and this as in the case of poisoning them is liable to cause an abominable smell1 more especially where heat is near4 ,in the whole of my experience of ,rat-catching1 which is a lengthy one1 ,i never gave a guarantee to clear a place completely1 in ,manchester or any other town where so many large buildings are so close together4 ,and let me show the reason for this4 ,take ,cannon ,street1 ,manchester1 as an illustration4 ,here are six or eight different firms in one block of buildings4 ,now1 suppose four of these firms are suffering from the damage the ,rats are doing4 ,well1 one or two of these firms may go to the expense of having the ,rats cleared away4 ,but between the two buildings there may be a hardware business or ironmonger's shop1 where ,rats cannot do any harm to their goods4 ,the owners of these shops will not go to the expense of having ,rats caught1 nor will they let us go into their shops at midnight2 therefore the result is the ,rat-catcher in his trapping and ferreting is limited to these two places1 and all he can do is to catch some and drive the rest into the hardware shop4 ,when under the floors in such places one finds there has been so many alterations made at different times that one joist may be a foot or six inches below the other1 and when the ,rats are completely driven out of these places it would require joiners and bricksetters to work for weeks under the floors to stop the ,rats returning4 ,and most firms will not go to this expense4 ,i only give my readers this as an illustration of what has often happened with me1 and to show why ,i never guarantee to clear ,rats completely in large towns4 ,if they are in a private house1 stable1 greenhouse1 or any block of houses1 of say five or six1 ,i might then1 after looking through1 give a guarantee to clear them completely4 ,these are the fullest details ,i can give you1 and if you will put any of the ways ,i have mentioned into practice you will find that they are all successful1 especially the covering of traps4 ,i can give you just one more instance in ,manchester1 where ,i was engaged4 ,the workpeople had been tormenting the ,rats with traps1 not knowing how to set them4 ,they sent for me1 and on my looking round the place ,i knew there was a lot of ,rats4 ,i submitted my price to do the job1 and when ,i went down one night with #dj traps1 dog1 and two ferrets ,i thought ,i should catch #bj or #cj ,rats1 but ,i found that they had plagued them so much with their attempted trapping that ,i only caught three in the whole night4 ,this place belonged to a limited company1 and when ,i went before the committee the next morning they were not satisfied4 ,i told them that their own workpeople had tormented the ,rats so much with traps that the ,rats would not go near one4 ,i then told the committee that ,i would still stick to my terms1 but ,i would leave the job over for a fortnight4 ,now during that fortnight ,i went down a good many times1 and laid the sawdust as ,i have already described1 and thus got the ,rats used to it4 ,the first night that ,i went catching ,i took with me #cc traps4 ,i had them all set by #h-cj p4m41 and by #ab-cj a4m4 ,i had trapped #de ,rats2 the next night #ca ,rats2 and before ,i completed the job1 with the trapping and the other ways that ,i have mentioned1 ,i caught #ahc ,rats6 ,this ,i give merely as an illustration to show the necessity of engaging an experienced man to catch ,rats--that is1 if you want them caught4 ,and to confirm the statements above1 ,i shall be most happy to supply privately the name and place of the firm1 and also to give a personal interview if necessary4 ,and now a word or two respecting the different ways in which ,rat-catchers are treated4 ,many people think that a ,rat-catcher is favoured if they give him permission to catch ,rats on their farms or round the banks of their corn or wheat fields4 ,well1 on some occasions ,i grant this may be a favour1 for ,i have seen when ,i have had an order in hand for about #aj dozen ,rats1 and have had only a day or two in which to get them4 ,such are the only times and circumstances when a ,rat-catcher gives his services gratis1 and simply because he wants the live ,rats4 ,most farmers will send you word when they are threshing their corn1 and then the value of the ,rats are worth the day's work to the ,rat-catcher4 ,this is all right as far as it goes1 but when one comes to consider the yearly expenses of the ,rat-catcher it will be found that they are very heavy4 ,now1 first of all it will cost1 at the least1 #e pounds annually for the wear and tear of traps alone1 then there is the wear and tear of nets2 two dog licences2 always three or four ferrets to keep 7and ferrets are often lost down drains or killed by ,rats72 also sundry other expenses1 such as store cages1 etc4 ,then1 again1 the ,rat-catcher always has to pay a man to help him4 ,i don't call ,rat-catching a trade only3 ,i maintain that it is a profession1 and one that requires much learning and courage4 ,i have found this out when ,i have been under a warehouse floor1 where a lot of ,rats were in the traps1 and ,i could not get one man out of #ej to come under the floor and hold the candle for me1 not to mention helping me to take the live ,rats out of the traps4 ,i just relate this because at some places where we go and where we catch perhaps #cj ,rats1 the first thing they say when the bill is presented is ,why1 you have got #aes4 worth of live ,rats6 ,they don't think of the damage #cj ,rats can do to fancy goods1 nor do they consider the evil smells that men have to tolerate under the floors or from the bad drains4 ,i could relate many interesting anecdotes of what ,i have seen and heard about ,rats1 but ,i fear its perusal might take up too much of my readers' time4 ,there is1 however1 one thing ,i will mention4 ,i dare say you have heard of ,rats running about in swarms in the night4 ,do not believe it4 ,in my whole experience ,i have never been so fortunate as to meet a swarm of these1 when ,i have had an empty cage on my back1 and an order for #ab dozen live ,rats at #es4 per dozen4 ,when trapping at farms on a moonlight night ,i have seen a train of ,rats almost in single file going from a barn to a pit or brook to drink1 and then ,i have simply run a long net all along the barn very quickly1 sent my dog round the pit and caught all the ,rats in the net when they ran back to get in the barn4 ,for in these places you must be as cunning as the ,rats to catch them4 ,the quickest way for a farmer to get rid of ,rats is to run a long trail of good oatmeal outside his barn doors1 and shoot them on a moonlight night4 ,i have seen #aa killed at a shot in this way4 ,they will stay eating the oatmeal because they cannot carry it away4 ,at farms or out-houses you might poison ,rats round a pit or along brook sides where they go to drink1 although ,i don't believe in poisoning1 as one never knows where it ends--the ,rats being likely to carry the poisoned food about1 and then dogs1 hens1 pigs1 pigeons1 etc41 may pick it up4 ,there may be a few more ways of catching ,rats than ,i have enumerated1 but ,i think ,i have given the best ways in detail4 ,some people think that to use ,,the ,,mongoose is very good1 but ,i think that the mongoose is no better than a good fox terrier dog or a good cat1 the only advantage in the mongoose being that all the ,rats it kills it will bring back dead to its habitation1 and that stops the dead ,rats from smelling under the floors4 ,i think that the mongoose is not half so sly or sharp as a good cat1 and a mongoose1 moreover1 has to be taught how to kill a ,rat 7just the same as a dog74 ,i am fortunate in having actually seen a mongoose and a ,rat put alive in a tub together1 and the mongoose would not even look at the ,rat4 ,and ,i maintain that the mongoose cannot compare with the ferret anytime1 for the simple reason that a small ferret can get anywhere that a ,rat can1 whilst the mongoose must wait until the ,rat comes out to feed4 ,for instance1 if a board of a floor be left up for a mongoose to get under the floor1 it can only get into one of the joists2 but a ferret can follow a ,rat wherever it goes4 ,then again1 the ,rats can smell a mongoose even more strongly than they can smell a cat4 ,so these facts prevent my recommending a mongoose on any account4 ,i have also heard of people experimenting with different sorts of ,,drugs ,,and ,,chemicals for enticing ,rats out of their holes4 ,i hope none of my readers will be attracted with this device4 ,i hold that there is nothing that will tempt a ,rat from its hole like hunger4 ,the nearest approach that ,i have found to entice the ,rodent out of its hole is oil of aniseed or oil of rhodium1 but the latter is expensive4 ,i can rely best on oil of aniseed1 because ,i have often successfully tried it in experiment upon the plate of a set trap4 ,i have placed only three or four drops of oil of aniseed upon the plate of a set trap without bait1 and often the trap has closed and trapped the ,rat by the nose2 so that it will be seen that the ,rat must have been licking the plate1 or it could not be caught in that manner4 ,i have also frequently noticed when ,i have set1 say1 #bj traps covered with meal and sawdust mixed1 that if ,i have put only two drops of oil of aniseed on half the traps ,i should find next morning on looking at the traps that most ,rats are in those in which ,i had placed the aniseed4 ,i think that oil of rhodium and oil of aniseed are very good to drop on the traps after setting1 or to mix with the stuff with which the traps are covered4 ,there is also another way of bolting ,rats4 ,sometimes when the ferret is put under a boarded floor1 all the ,rats will run together and pack themselves in a heap at the end of a joist4 ,when the ,rats pack themselves on each other thus1 the ferret on reaching them will tackle only one at a time4 ,you can always tell when this happens by the ferret working a long time and bolting no ,rats4 ,now1 immediately you notice this1 put your mouth near the hole where you have put the ferrets in1 and make a squealing noise with your mouth to imitate a squealing ,rat4 ,this causes the heap of ,rats at the end of the joist to disperse through fear1 and when they get running about they will bolt into the net4 ,many times ,i have not had a bolt for half-an-hour and when ,i have squealed at the hole ,i have had four or five ,rats in the nets at once4 ,these are some of the methods of clearing ,rats from various places1 and from experience ,i think they excel all others4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,how ,,to ,,keep ,,and ,,work ,,ferrets4 ,the first necessity in ferret-keeping is that they shall be kept in hutches or cotes1 as they are commonly called4 ,care must always be taken to have their places well swilled with carbolic water1 and then allowed to thoroughly dry before whitewashing the inside1 which is also essential to keep them healthy4 ,this should be done at least four times a year4 ,always have your hutches leaning from the wall1 so that wet or refuse will not lodge1 for when the bottom of a hutch is always wet it is liable to give the ferrets a disease called foot rot1 which is very frequent where ferrets are neglected4 ,always keep the feeding part of the hutch well covered with sawdust4 ,in feeding ferrets for the purpose of ,rat-catching1 never do so before going out with them2 ,i think it is quite sufficient to feed them every #bd hours4 ,if you feed them oftener they are liable to get too fat1 and also lazy and unwilling to work as they should4 ,the best food you can give them is bread and milk1 and occasionally a little raw liver4 ,mix the bread and milk with a little hot water1 stir well with a spoon or squeeze through your fingers1 so that the ferrets will have to eat it where you feed them2 if not they will carry the large pieces of bread that are wet into the corners of the sleeping place1 which would soon cause that part of the hutch to smell very sour and become injurious to the health of the ferret1 especially where four or five are kept together1 as they are of a very perspiring nature4 ,always give them plenty of room to run about when you can2 if you don't they are likely to take cramp4 ,ferrets are usually subject to distemper4 ,the first symptom is the ferret's neglect of its food4 ,when you see this you will observe a little matter at the corner of the eyes1 and the ferret will have a slight running at the nostrils4 ,immediately you see these symptoms separate that ferret from the others1 as this is1 ,i think1 the worst disease one has to contend with4 ,in the whole of my ferret-keeping experience ,i have found distemper1 if caught in time1 can be cured2 but if it gets too far ,i know of no cure for it4 ,i have known a gamekeeper to have dogs with the distemper1 and he has not touched his ferrets or handled them at all during the time his dogs were bad1 yet a week afterwards his ferrets caught the disease4 ,he tried all the remedies he knew of1 but in #ad days #ab hitherto good1 strong1 healthy ferrets died3 all he had4 ,this will show at once that the disease is very contagious4 ,the moment you see signs of distemper coming on feed the ferret as little as possible4 ,give it as little to eat as will just keep life in it1 for in feeding the ferret you also feed the disease4 ,when you have kept the food from it is the time to start curing if possible4 ,now1 from experience the first thing ,i recommend is to sweat the disease out of it1 and ,i find the best way to do this is as follows3--,get an old bucket with a few one-inch holes bored in the bottom1 and almost fill it with good new straw horse-droppings2 put a little hay on the top of the droppings1 and then put the ferret on the hay4 ,place or hang the bucket over a boiler or on the mantelpiece1 and let the kettle steam under the bucket1 say for #cj minutes1 and you will find the steam and the ammonia from the droppings will together sweat the disease out of the ferret2 then you can start feeding it again4 ,feed it with something substantial1 such as the jelly from stewed cowheels2 give them the jelly only1 not the meat2 and you will have a good result4 ,also give them a teaspoonful of cream4 ,this is the one and only cure for distemper4 ,another disease in ferrets1 especially young ones1 is what ,i call red mange4 ,this starts always under the belly1 and you will find that the skin becomes very red and speckled4 ,this is easily remedied by the simple process of washing in lukewarm water and rubbing with sweet oil and black sulphur4 ,the same mixture will answer for foot rot if rubbed well into the paws4 ,the general cause of this latter disease is neglect of the ferrets and the hutches not being cleaned out regularly4 ,i think the best bedding for ferrets is good oat straw1 fresh every fortnight4 ,throw the straw in carelessly1 and the ferrets will make their own beds4 ,when breeding ferrets1 never go near them more than you can help1 as they are of a wild nature and liable to destroy their young4 ,when you know a ,jill or bitch ferret has young1 give her a little extra good food1 but don't interfere with the young ones on any account1 and if you want to give her a little extra bedding put the straw in the same place as the food1 and she will take it into the sleeping place herself4 ,it is advisable not to touch the young ones for five weeks1 or better still leave them until they come out to feed themselves2 and when running about1 if there be a good number1 say nine or ten1 in the lot1 it is a good plan to remove them into a larger place for sleeping1 as young ferrets are very liable to catch the red mange1 which arises from too many being together and sweating very much4 ,,when ,,working ,,ferrets ,,for ,,rat-,,catching always work them unmuzzled4 ,make as little noise as possible1 as ,rats are very bad to bolt sometimes4 ,never grab at the ferret as it leaves the hole1 nor tempt it out of the hole with a dead ,rat4 ,the best way is to let the ferret come out of its own choice1 and then pick it up very quietly1 for if you grab at it1 it is likely to become what we call a stopper2 and never on any account force a ferret to go into a hole4 ,,when ,,working ,,ferrets ,,for ,,rabbit-,,shooting always muzzle them4 ,the old-fashioned style of muzzle is1 ,i think1 the best1 that is1 made with string4 ,i don't approve of wire muzzles1 as they are liable to catch against tree roots and bits of sharp stones1 and from experience ,i find the ferret works much better with the string muzzle4 ,there is one way of working ferrets when rabbit-shooting which1 if followed1 ,i think would lead to a better day's shooting4 ,you will often see the ferrets stick up with the rabbits4 ,now1 in most cases the gamekeeper or his man working the ferrets will often cut open a dead rabbit and put the paunch to the burrow4 ,i quite agree as to the desirability of this to get the ferrets out1 but ,i say that the man using the ferrets ought never to touch the paunch1 as the ferrets will not work half so well after he has the smell of the paunch on his hands4 ,another bad plan is that of throwing a dead rabbit into the burrow so that the ferret will follow it out4 ,the best plan is to let the ferret get clear of the hole1 and then pick it up quietly4 ,if you will break your ferrets in in this manner you will never have any trouble with them afterwards4 ,when ferrets are conveyed about for the purpose of rabbiting1 boxes are much better to use than bags1 as the ferrets then get a better chance of resting4 ,if bags be used you disturb the ferrets' rest and position each time you remove one4 ,take care to observe this and it will result in a good day's sport4 ,always take your ferrets home as quickly as possible after a day's work4 ,ferrets kept only for rabbit-shooting should always be fed as soon as the day's work is over1 but they must not have more food till the same time the following day4 ,if fed in this way regularly you will find that they will work very well4 ,it is also advisable to let them drink at a stream when they have worked about three hours4 ,when ferrets have been fast in a rabbit burrow1 their paws may be full of down with scratching at the rabbits4 ,always remove this before placing them to another burrow4 ,each time you handle the ferret see that the muzzle is alright1 and in muzzling with string great care should be taken to remove the long hair on the snout from under the string2 otherwise the ferret may experience a tickling sensation1 and not work so well as it should2 see also that the string is tied tightly around the ferret's neck2 if not it can easily pull off the muzzle with its paws4 ,whenever a ferret is severely bitten by a ,rat the best course to take immediately you get it home is to bathe the wound in clean luke-warm water4 ,see that all the dirt is removed1 and then apply a few drops of sweet oil to the wound4 ,repeat this every four hours1 until the wound is healed1 but until then do not work the ferret lest more dirt gets into the wound4 ,my experience proves this to be the best way to cure a ferret when it has received a severe ,rat-bite4 ,it is also a good plan occasionally 7say once a fortnight7 to skin a nice young ,rat and give it to the ferret4 ,,suitable ,,dogs4 ,and now a word or two as to what is a good dog for waterside hunting1 or working with the ferrets4 ,i recommend a cross-bred dog1 but ,i find that it is always better to have the pointer breed in it1 whatever other breed you get1 because the pointer always has the nose or scent4 ,pointer and ,airedale would be very good1 or pointer and ,irish terrier4 ,i have often noticed that pure-bred dogs are not much good for hunting in buildings or rivers4 ,i have frequently seen a cross-bred dog stand at one side of the river1 and if the wind has been in his favour he has winded his nose across the river1 and ,i have sent him over and he has turned a ,rat out1 bolted it into the water1 and killed it4 ,the best precaution to take in breaking a dog to ,rat-catching and waterside hunting 7especially if it be a puppy7 is to never allow anybody but yourself to have anything to do with it1 it being the worst thing possible to let a working dog have too many masters4 ,break it in to the ferrets first1 and then it is a good plan to go up the river banks1 with either a dead ,rat or rabbit skin1 letting the dog play with it for a while1 and then burying it about #ah inches in the river bank2 or you may pull up a clod and put it under1 only you must not let the dog see where you place it4 ,then take the dog with you near to where the rat or skin is buried1 and you will soon see that the dog knows its work4 ,do this a few times1 and you will see that once the dog finds the dead ,rat or the skin it will never forget4 ,the younger the dog the better1 the right age to break a puppy this way being about four or five months4 ,break it in for taking to the water at the same time4 ,if you want a good working dog always keep it on the chain when at home1 and feed it at the same time as the ferrets1 but do not over-feed it2 also give it one dose of castor oil or syrup of buckthorn every #ad days4 ,i recommend this because you never know the nasty poisonous stuff that the dog gets on its stomach from the dirty brook and river sides4 ,let me add that all ,i have written about ferrets and dogs are not given merely from hearsay1 but are the facts derived from study and experience during #be years of dog and ferret-keeping4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,habits ,,of ,,rats4 ,rats breed very quickly4 ,this ,i have often proved by visiting a given haunt for many years together4 ,i remember an instance in point one ,june1 when out with dog and ferrets4 ,the dog made a set under the root of a tree4 ,i put the ferret in and it bolted eight young ,rats1 nearly half grown1 still suckling the bitch ,rat4 ,when the old ,rat bolted my dog killed it1 and whilst the dog was shaking it ,i found she was very heavy in young again4 ,this1 therefore1 will prove how quickly ,rats breed4 ,another result of my observation may be of interest to my readers4 ,after removing a lot of old rubbish when ratting ,i came upon a nest of just- born ,rats1 and1 in curiosity1 ,i cut the tails off the lot1 and then put the young ,rodents back1 leaving the nest undisturbed4 ,when ,i returned next day1 ,i found the old ,rat had carried all her young away1 and1 later1 ,i found the same tailless lot in another part of the building1 and1 after disturbing them again1 ,i found the following day that the bitch ,rat had killed every one by eating off their heads4 ,this destruction of the offspring ,i have witnessed on more than one occasion4 ,the old bitch ,rat has always killed them in the same way by eating off their heads4 ,i must not forget to tell you of the young ,rat's dread of the ferrets4 ,i have often seen when the ferrets have been put in the hole the young ,rats 7not many days old and their eyes yet unopened7 creep out of the hole4 ,this is a proof that the smell of the ferrets has a tendency to bolt ,rats1 either young or old4 ,old ,rats are very bold whilst suckling their young4 ,i have seen them very venturesome to get to water1 and more eager for water than for food4 ,i have often traced their runs a long way for water1 and noticed that when crossing a field to get to a pit or river they never walk1 but are always on the run2 and in the summer1 when they reach the pit1 they not only drink1 but often swim about4 ,i have frequently watched them swimming on a moonlight night1 but they generally go back to the buildings in the early morning1 especially in the winter months4 ,another habit ,i have often noticed4 ,take a farm1 or any place where there are many ,rats1 and it will be always found that when a ,rat gets very old it becomes very greyish in colour and rather scabbed1 and its hair comes off1 mostly on the back4 ,the healthy ,rats will then drive the old ,rat away1 and these scabby old ,rats may be caught by themselves in other parts of the buildings2 and1 further1 ,i often notice that if the ferrets are bitten with these old ,rats1 they take bad ways4 ,i never put such ,rats with the others nor allow my dog to kill them4 ,i would advise any gentleman having a dog he values never to let it touch one of these old scabby ,rats1 as it may prove injurious to the health of the dog4 ,it is surprising how far ,rats will travel in the night4 ,i have traced their tracks from a stackyard over two or three fields to a farm to get to their food4 ,and you will always find that they have one time for feeding1 which is as soon as it is dusk1 the young ,rats being the most venturesome for their food1 always coming out first4 ,rats1 especially stackyard ones1 are of a very clean nature4 ,you will find that after they have had their first feed they diligently wash themselves4 ,these ,rats feed on nothing but good stuff1 such as wheat1 corn1 and meal2 and from experience ,i find that if a man is bitten on the hand by one of these ,brown or ,stack ,rats it never takes bad ways1 but1 if bitten by a dirty ,drain ,rat1 then whether he cauterises or bathes the wound is no matter1 it is sure to take bad ways4 ,i think the reason of this is because the ,drain ,rat1 when it cannot get anything else to eat1 exists on the worms and slugs1 and this1 ,i think1 causes the teeth to become more venomous4 ,when bitten in this way blood poisoning is very likely to ensue4 ,indeed1 you must understand that the teeth of a full- grown ,rat are quite half-an-inch long1 and the jaw is very strong1 so that if you are bitten on the finger it is almost sure to penetrate to the bone4 ,i have known a good many cases of blood poisoning through ,rat- bites4 ,the damage ,rats can do to property1 commodities1 etc41 is almost incredible4 ,i have had so many examples of this that ,i scarcely know which to submit as illustration4 ,i think the worst case ,i have seen was where they gnawed a hole half way through a #b-a_/d inch lead pipe1 and often ,i have known them to bite through a one-inch lead pipe4 ,the worst damage is done when they get under the flag floors of cottage houses out of the drains4 ,they scratch the soil from beneath the flags1 which then sink1 and the consequent stench from the drains is abominable1 jeopardising the health of the tenants4 ,i have seen a great many of these cases in the poorer parts of ,manchester4 ,the damage the ,rats will do in the silk and similar trades1 to the goods of merchants1 or in the grocery business1 is enormous1 and not so much by reason of what they actually eat as by what they carry away1 which is often ten times as much as they eat4 ,i have often proved this when ferreting at a wholesale grocery warehouse4 ,when we have taken up the boards between the laths and plaster we have found the ceiling almost full of lump sugar1 nuts1 candles1 etc41 which have been there for years1 hoarded by the ,rats4 ,now1 this all means heavy loss1 and that is why ,i say that any business man so suffering ought to engage the services of a professional ,rat-catcher once a year in order to keep the ,rats down1 and catch as many as possible before they begin breeding4 ,another ,rat habit may be noticed where the ,rodents are accustomed to have their holes and runs among flags and stones4 ,if they find any soft wood such as pine or white deal1 they will nibble at it until it is eaten through4 ,i have often known them to eat right through the legs of tables in the middle of cooking kitchens4 ,this1 ,i think1 they do simply to keep their teeth clean and in order2 ,i have known half-grown ,rats to do the same4 ,rats can exist a long time on herbage1 if they can get nothing more palatable4 ,it is a very common thing to find ,rats in the rabbit burrows when ferreting2 in fact1 ,i have seen1 not once1 but many times1 ,rats1 rabbits1 and weasels all bolt from the same burrow4 ,i have also unearthed a ,rat and a rabbit together out of one single burrow4 ,now as to keeping ,rats in store cages at home4 ,look well after them1 and ,i think it is possible to keep them alive for quite a year2 but if you keep1 say1 #bj in one store cage and neglect their feeding11 you will find that when hungry in the night they will kill the weakest of their number and eat it1 sometimes even eating two or three in one night1 leaving the skin as clean as if a man had skinned them4 ,it is always the best plan to put the ,rats in different cages1 according to their sizes4 ,the young ones together1 the old ones together1 and the middle-aged ones together1 as they keep themselves much cleaner when thus divided1 and do not fight so much as they would otherwise4 ,they must also be kept in a warm place2 if not1 they soon have cramp4 ,also keep them in a dark place and see that they have plenty of water2 sprinkle them now and then with it so that they will wash themselves4 ,it is astonishing what a hungry ,rat will do4 ,i have seen them in the summer at dusk run at an old hen with her chickens under her1 and almost as quick as ,i tell it1 the ,rat has snatched a live chicken and run with it under a pigsty floor4 ,i have known them to take half-grown young ducks from the water side4 ,i remember once ferreting round a pit1 near a barn1 and when ,i put my ferret in the hole1 it pulled out two dead chickens and three middle-sized dead ducks1 and behind them1 not more than a yard deep in the pit bank1 was an old ,rat4 ,i have also known them to get into the coops where a gamekeeper was rearing his pheasants1 and to kill nine young ones in a single night all from under the same hen4 ,rats are also fond of eggs4 ,i have read of many ways in which ,rats take eggs1 but in my quarter-of-a-century's experience of ,ratting ,i never saw ,rats take eggs save in one way1 and that is1 dragging or rolling them along the floor with their front paws1 until they get them to the mouth of the hole4 ,i remember one place where ,i was ferreting4 ,there was an old cellar1 the door of which at the top of the steps had to my knowledge been nailed up two or three years4 ,out of the hen house the ,rats had eaten a hole at each side of the cellar door at the bottom4 ,one day we burst open the door1 went into the cellar 7where it was impossible for a hen to get whilst the door was closed7 and beneath the bottom step we caught two ,rats4 ,on lifting the flag at the bottom of the steps1 we found #ae whole eggs1 some good and some bad1 all of which ,i am quite satisfied the ,rats had carried down those nine stone steps6 ,how they had done so ,i cannot explain1 but content myself with stating only the plain facts of my own personal observation4 ,rats are also very cunning in the water1 say a pit or a river4 ,now1 a ,rat can exist in water for at most about seven minutes1 and you will find when a dog is swimming after a ,rat that the ,rat is watching the dog all the time1 for as soon as the dog gets within a yard of the ,rat the latter will dive under water and come to the surface again about #ae yards away4 ,when the dog has tired the ,rat out with swimming1 you will very often see the ,rat dive again and come up very quietly and just put its nose out of the water1 or rest its head on a floating leaf4 ,it is so cunning that it will remain still there1 and if the leaf or reed gives way it will come up at the water side and just thrust out its nose to breathe4 ,by this means the dog loses full scent of the ,rat4 ,i have also noticed how useful are the ,rat's front paws and tail4 ,i have seen a ,rat on the top of a swill tub at a pigsty1 when the swill has been about ten inches from the top of the tub4 ,the ,rat was too cunning to jump down on the wet swill and drown1 but ,i saw it reach as far down the inside of the tub as possible with its front paws and scrape the grease from around the sides6 ,i have also seen the same ,rat1 when unable to scrape any further down the tub sides1 turn round1 clutch the top of the tub with its front paws1 dip its tail into the swill1 and then gain the top of the tub and commence licking its tail4 ,i have also tried an experiment with the same tub1 which consisted of covering the top of the wet swill with bran1 which floated on the surface1 and placing a bit of lumpy swill in the middle of the bran1 in the hope that the ,rat would jump on the bran in the expectation of getting at the swill in the middle4 ,however1 it did not do so1 no doubt instinctively guided against the danger4 ,i have also watched ,rats run round a set wire or cage trap for a full hour4 ,i have seen them go half way in and out again1 look at the bait and never touch it1 but go away and never return to the same trap that night4 ,these examples show the cunning instinct of ,rats4 ,there is1 however1 one power that the ,rat is not favoured with1 and ,i am afraid if they were they would be a greater pest4 ,it is the ability of high jumping4 ,a ,rat cannot1 ,i think1 jump higher than three feet six inches1 and will have to be very hungry before doing that to obtain food4 ,many people may not know how fierce ,rats are when fighting4 ,let me instance4 ,i have often taken1 one in each hand1 two good ,rats from my cage before a hundred spectators and set the ,rats at each other on the top of a table4 ,to see them fight would be surprising4 ,they will fight like two bulldogs4 ,when they have got a grip of each other with their teeth ,i have taken away my hands1 and they have stuck and shook one another for at least half-a-minute1 although you must understand that the moment they are loose of one another they are off if you don't catch them again4 ,there are several other cunning ways of ,rats which ,i can scarcely explain4 ,one must be amongst them regularly to know their wonderful ways and habits4 ,yet another little incident1 in conclusion1 may be of interest4 ,i once called at a farm where they had been threshing a wheat stack4 ,a ,rat-catcher had been there but without a dog1 and when ,i arrived two hours afterwards my dog made a set1 and commenced scratching amongst the old chaff left at the bottom of the stack1 and to the astonishment of myself and the farmer ,i pulled out of the hole where the dog was scratching #gc live ,rats6 ,the other ,rat-catcher1 who had been at the threshing all day1 had caught only #ad ,rats4 ,this will serve to show that a ,rat-catcher must not be without a good dog4 ,and now1 respecting the ways and habits of ,rats ,i think ,i have given my readers interesting and varied illustrations of what ,i have seen and experienced during my time4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,rat-,,catcher4 ,this work will not be complete if ,i do not deal with the ,rat-catcher's life4 ,the profession is a peculiar and exciting one1 but all right if pursued in the right way4 ,although the calling takes one into dirty and obnoxious places1 there is no reason why the ,rat-catcher should not always appear respectable4 ,the ,rat-catcher has many temptations to dishonest conducts1 for instance1 when ,rat-catching on a farm or private estate where there are numerous rabbits and game4 ,it looks rather hard lines for the ,rat-catcher to come off a farm with his cage full of ,rats and see rabbits running about whilst he has all the requisites in his possession for catching them2 and yet he must not touch one1 but go home and merely reflect on what a good ,sunday's dinner he is leaving behind4 ,this ,i have experienced many a time1 but ,i have always found even from the business view-point that the old advice still remains true1 ,honesty is the best policy4 ,leaving the rabbits to themselves has always turned out to be the best1 for to take a rabbit worth a shilling1 and get caught in the act1 means that you can never go on the same estate again4 ,and from that same estate you might have got #ejj ,rats in a year1 worth four shillings a dozen4 ,i must also put in a good word here for the gamekeepers4 ,my opinion is that if you go on a keeper's ground and do what is right1 you will be able to go again1 for in the whole of my experience never having carried any nets but ,rat nets when on private estates1 ,i have the consolation of knowing that ,i should always be welcome on going again to such estates4 ,of course there are inconveniences that the ,rat-catcher has to put up with4 ,whatever engagements he takes in a town1 the only time he can catch ,rats with a good result is in the night4 ,on one occasion1 when going round with my bull's-eye lamp to examine the traps1 ,i was taken for a burglar by the policeman on the beat1 and he doubted me so much that he would not release me until ,i had shown him my cage with ,rats in and my traps set all over the place4 ,then he took almost as much interest in the catching of ,rats as myself1 and also brought in the other policemen who were outside waiting for me to attempt an escape4 ,ever after that1 when ,i had a night's engagement in any town1 ,i always went to the police station to tell the man on that beat where ,i was4 ,it behoves the ,rat-catcher to be always attentive to his customers1 those1 ,i mean1 who want live ,rats wherewith to try their dogs4 ,amongst mine ,i have the honour to include clients of highest rank and position1 barristers1 magistrates1 solicitors and a host of sporting gentry4 ,if the ,rat-catcher's efforts commend themselves to such gentlemen1 and he always maintains a respectable appearance1 he will obtain some very nice outings in the country4 ,oft-times a party of gentlemen have sent for me in the summer1 having arranged with me to bring four or five ferrets and ,ratting appliances1 and we have gone #ej miles up the country4 ,they would bring their terrier dogs1 and we would hunt all along the brooks and rivers1 and round the corn and wheat fields1 putting the ,rats we caught into the cage1 and after lunch1 taking the ,rats to a meadow and coursing them with their dogs1 which ,i think it real good sport4 ,we would put up at the best hotels and repeat the procedure next day1 very often taking a drag or coach1 and driving ten or a dozen miles farther up the country4 ,i can assure my readers that the ,rat-catcher is well remunerated for the trouble he undertakes in these cases1 and moreover this is the class of people he requires to fraternise with4 ,there is always a plentiful supply of refreshments on these outings1 and ,i would therefore advise the ,rat-catcher not to indulge too freely4 ,the foregoing is1 of course1 a brief sketch of the pleasantest part of a ,rat-catcher's life1 and to complete the picture ,i may as well describe some of the other features1 and the way he has to rough it sometimes4 ,well1 ,rat-catchers are generally called upon to supply ,rats for the ,rat coursings usually held at beerhouses1 etc41 on ,saturday afternoons1 which one often sees advertised4 ,now1 if he binds himself to supply a coursing at a certain date1 the bills announcing the event are printed and posted1 all of which means expense4 ,then you are bound to secure the live ,rats1 whatever be the weather4 ,in doing this ,i always followed the threshing machine to the bays and stacks4 7,anyone that catches ,rats regularly can tell by looking at the bays or stacks whether there are many ,rats in or not47 ,i remember many times when the men have started threshing a bay of wheat in which were a great many ,rats1 and by dark they have threshed only half of the bay4 ,at such times the ,rat-catcher must not leave the remaining half1 no1 not for half-an-hour throughout the whole night1 for if he does the ,rats will run out4 ,to stop the ,rats from leaving1 the ,rat- catcher has to lie on the top of the bay or go about every thirty minutes and beat the bottom with sticks until daylight1 in order to keep the ,rats in4 ,then1 after the machine re-starts1 and the bottom of the bay is reached1 the ,rat-catcher will be well paid for his trouble1 for he may get1 say1 #aej good ,rats for the coursing1 at six shillings per dozen4 ,the reason ,i call them good coursing ,rats is because they have not been handled1 and that enables them to run well4 ,now1 when you go to these coursings 7which are mostly in the colliery districts7 you will find about #fj dogs entered4 ,it is the ,rat-catcher's business to measure and handicap the dogs1 and a very unpleasant job it is4 ,he has also to be the referee at these coursings1 and if it is a near thing with two dogs running at one rat1 and you decide to award the victory to a given one1 then the owner of the other dog will probably accuse you of wrong-doing and favouritism4 ,then is the time the ,rat-catcher has to be prepared to pull off his coat and start fighting before1 perhaps1 #ejj spectators4 ,this has often occurred with me4 ,this1 ,i can assure my readers1 is what ,i call roughing it4 ,of course1 what ,i have just related occurred a few years ago1 but when the ,muzzling ,order came into force1 the authorities practically stopped ,rat coursing1 for they would not let a dog run at a ,rat unless the dog was muzzled4 ,this was about the worst thing that the authorities could do for ,manchester and district1 for at that time ,i was supplying for coursings about #ajj ,rats per week1 and at the same time sending #ej ,rats a week into ,yorkshire1 and all the ,rats ,i supplied were caught within #ae miles of ,manchester4 ,this in my opinion1 speaks very bad of the ,muzzling ,order1 which ,i think is nothing but a farce1 for at the very time ,i was going ratting1 dogs were muzzled in some parts of the country but not in others4 ,my opinion of dog muzzling is1 muzzle all or muzzle none4 ,you will see by what ,i have said respecting these coursings1 etc41 that the ,rat-catcher has plenty of work to supply so many live rats1 and he has also to mix with company high and low4 ,he also sometimes experiences difficulties in travelling on the railway4 ,i have often entered an empty third-class carriage1 sent my dog under the seat1 and put the ,rat cage there also4 ,the carriage would fill with passengers1 and upon reaching my destination ,i would take from under the seat my cage full of live ,rats1 to the amusement of some and the disgust of others4 ,i have also entered a railway carriage with my cage of rats when there were passengers in1 one or two of whom would generally object to live ,rats being in the same compartment1 and on enquiring of the railway officials1 ,i have found that any one travelling with live ,rats is expected to put them in the guard's van4 ,i have also had a few good customers in my business1 one or two in particular4 ,gentlemen have often sent me post-cards instructing me to take six or twelve ,rats to their residences4 ,i would run them out on the lawn in front of the house with their dogs1 and generally ,i have received good remuneration for my trouble4 ,these are the customers who should be looked well after1 for they are the sportsmen who do not consider expense1 though of course there are others who are just the opposite4 ,further1 ,rat-catching is a business in which one is not called upon to allow credit4 ,it is all a ready-money trade1 and as there is not much competition1 the ,rat-catcher can command a good price for his work4 ,he has always one resource open to him when he has finished a job according to contract 7catching say #dj or #ej ,rats71 should there be a dispute about the price and the people decline to pay the bill1 then he has the expedient of letting the ,rats at liberty again in the place where he had caught them4 ,most people will pay the price you send in rather than have the ,rats turned loose again4 ,although ,i am showing how the ,rat-catcher can always have the advantage of stubborn payers1 ,i may as well assure my readers that in all my experience such an occurrence as the above has never happened with me1 simply because ,i always make my arrangements beforehand1 which course ,i always find the best and most satisfactory all round4 ,another matter ,i may mention4 ,if any one could find out a sure way of catching ,rats so that he could give a guarantee to clear large buildings1 my opinion is that he would make a fortune in a very short time2 for ,i know firms in ,manchester alone that would pay almost any amount to be rid of the ,rats2 not only because of what they consume1 but more for the damage they do to their goods4 ,i have referred to the ,rat-catcher obtaining good pay4 ,the reason he commands such a big price for his work at the present time is because there is not much sale for live ,rats4 ,the trade is not what it was some years ago when ,rat-pits were allowed4 ,i think it was one of the worst things they ever did for this country when the authorities stopped the ,rat pits1 for when ,rat killing was allowed in pits1 it was a common thing for a ,rat-catcher to receive an order for #ajj ,rats1 all to be killed at one time2 then the ,rat-catcher would get the ,rats and wherever he got them from he was ridding that district of a nuisance4 ,but when the authorities stopped ,rat-pits and ,rat-coursing1 the consequence was that the ,rat-catcher left the ,rats to breed in thousands4 ,rats being vermin1 ,i don't see why they should not be killed #ej or #ajj at a time in the pit1 but the ,humane ,society maintain that it is cruelty to dogs to put them in a pit with a lot of ,rats4 ,i don't see where the cruelty comes in1 but from what ,i have seen of ,rat-pits during my time ,i approve of them1 and ,i think if they were in existence again there would be a clearing of many thousands of ,rats4 ,some #ae or #bj years since1 ,i supplied #djj ,rats in one week1 all to be killed in ,rat-pits4 ,many of my readers may not understand what a ,rat-pit is1 and so ,i will just give an outline as well as ,i can4 ,the ,rat-pit is of circular construction1 say ten feet diameter1 and about four feet six inches deep1 the sides being perfectly smooth to prevent the rats climbing up and making their escape4 ,a certain number of ,rats are placed in the pit according to the arrangements made with the owner of the dog4 ,then the dog is put in the pit with the rats to kill them1 which a good dog does very quickly4 ,the reason the pit is built circular is so that the ,rats will keep running round1 for if it were square they would all run in a corner1 one on the other1 and then the dog would have no difficulty in killing them4 ,it is better to have the pit fairly deep2 if not1 the rats might escape4 ,i think the best dog1 within my recollection1 that ,i have seen was a bull and fox terrier1 which killed #dj good ,rats in three minutes and #ba seconds4 ,i have read and heard of dogs doing better feats1 but ,i am only writing of what ,i have myself seen4 ,i may say that the records for ,rat- killing in ,rat-pits are held by a dog called ,jacko1 which killed #bjj ,rats in #ad minutes and #cg seconds1 and #a1jjj ,rats in less than one hour and #dj minutes4 ,the ,rat-catcher has also some very dirty jobs to do sometimes4 ,often he has to go under all sorts of cellar floors1 both wet and dry1 but the majority of places are very wet and dirty1 for the ,rats nearly always come out of some filthy drain1 and very often near a water-closet1 the abominable smell arising from these places being sufficient to cause a fever4 ,i remember being once employed at a hospital1 and ,i was paid at the rate of #es4 per visit for trapping ,rats4 ,well1 ,i found that #es4 per visit did not pay me 7,i had about #abj traps set all over the place71 so ,i went before the committee and requested #hs4 per night4 ,the committee said they thought #es4 per visit was enough1 and one or two of them said they thought #hs4 per night was above a ,rat-catcher's pay4 ,now1 as ,i was not depending on that particular job at the time1 ,i turned round and told them what ,i thought4 ,i told them ,i considered ,rat-catching was a skilled occupation1 and ,i also offered any of them a five-pound note if they would only follow me under the floors at midnight1 not to speak of taking the live ,rats out of the traps in the dark2 but ,i can assure you that none of these gentlemen would venture to undertake the task4 ,now1 if any of these gentlemen had to do this a few times they would not refuse to pay the ,rat-catcher the sum he asks1 viz41 #hs4 per night4 ,i remember more than once in big places such as bonding warehouses1 when ,i have been under the floors1 my candle or lamp has gone out through being knocked over with grabbing at ,rats1 and ,i have not had a match in my pocket1 and have had to grope about in the dark trying to find the trap-door where ,i have got under the floors1 more often than not putting my hand in a set trap4 ,it would be of no use shouting for a light simply because ,i have been alone4 ,it is always better for a ,rat-catcher to have assistance for night work1 but ,i have done it myself very often4 ,now1 the expenses of travelling come very heavy sometimes1 for wherever the ,rat-catcher goes he always has to pay railway fare for himself and his dog4 ,another thing ,i must tell you4 ,often when ,i have gone to inspect a small building ,i have found that there were a great many ,rats in1 but ,i have also known1 after inspecting the place1 that they have all come from the one place1 out of the drain4 ,well1 if ,i have contracted to do this job for a lump sum1 ,i could easily clear this place and not catch an odd ,rat1 simply by ferreting them all back into the sewer in the daytime1 and then making it good2 but in most of these cases they do not like to pay your bill because you have caught no ,rats4 ,still1 you have driven them all down the drains1 and after making the drain good they cannot get back again into the building4 ,now1 in a case like this ,i always trap them two or three nights and catch a few1 just to give satisfaction to those engaging me4 ,sometimes gentlemen will write inviting me to meet them at a certain farm1 and bring my ferrets and a good supply of nets1 alleging that there are hundreds of ,rats in the stacks4 ,i just relate this to indicate how anyone not regularly amongst ,rats can easily be deceived as to their numbers1 for a couple of ,rats on the thatch of a stack1 especially when they have young ones1 will probably have twelve holes eaten in the thatch and underneath the stack1 and anyone not understanding their habits would think there were a lot of ,rats in it4 ,and it is much the same with workpeople2 if they chance to see two or three ,rats at once1 they will say there are scores of them4 ,you would also be surprised to see the awful dread that tenants have of the ,rat- catcher in private houses4 ,when ferreting these places they think that if a ,rat-catcher has once put his ferrets under the floor they will never see another ,rat in the place2 but depend upon it they are very bad to catch in these places4 ,i have often had much trouble respecting houses1 warehouses1 etc41 to know whose duty it would be to pay the ,rat-catcher for his work1 the landlord's or the tenant's1 but ,i think that the landlord should pay4 ,i have had many engagements to catch ,rats in newly-built houses before they were tenanted4 ,the time the ,rats get into these places is whilst the workmen are putting the drains in the back yards1 leaving the drains open at nights4 ,thence the ,rats come out and get under the floors1 sometimes having to stop there1 too1 simply because the next day the joiners board up the floors and thus block the ,rats in underneath1 and then the ,rats can always get into the kitchens up the back of the fireplace4 ,most property owners would do well to take note of this fact4 ,i must tell my readers1 especially those having large shops1 etc41 that it is a good plan1 if possible1 to turn off the gas and water every night and week-end1 for ,i have seen a good many cases where the ,rats in the night-time have eaten through a water-pipe1 and the place has been flooded by morning4 ,it is just the same with a gas-pipe1 and my opinion is that it is quite possible for fires to be caused by ,rats in the night- time4 ,rats are very fond of nibbling and scratching at soft wood1 and it would be an easy matter at a grocer's shop for a ,rat to bite or scratch through the package of a gross of matches and ignite them1 and the same cause may prove disastrous with any other inflammable goods4 ,respecting the conveyance of live ,rats1 the ,rat-catcher should always be particular to have good strong cages and bags1 because if he had a number of ,rats in an unserviceable bag which happened to break open at a railway station or in the street1 ,i think he could be summoned for the damage the escaped ,rats might do4 ,still1 ,i have not in my time had or heard of a case of this sort4 ,speaking of bags1 a good many people seem to think that if a man puts his hand into a bagful of ,rats they will bite him1 but ,i can assure you that a child could do the same thing and not be bitten4 ,should there be only two or three in the bag1 then they will bite1 but not in the event of there being a good number4 ,the same rule applies to ,rats stored in a cage1 where there is open daylight--if there be #dj or #ej ,rats together1 it is then the habit of the ,rats for all to cling together1 and they will let you handle them anyway if only you will have sufficient courage4 ,it is very good sport for gentlemen who want a good day's outing to go to farms when threshing is on1 and also to go hunting and ferreting round the corn and wheat fields1 and ,i think many sporting gentlemen who have not seen such sport would indulge in it freely after they had once witnessed it4 ,i think it is much better and healthier sport than rabbit- shooting1 especially in the summer when the farmers are cutting their corn and wheat4 ,when catching ,rats as a regular pursuit1 one is surprised at the queer places in which he finds them4 ,i recollect ferreting seven full-sized ,rats from under the floor of a built dog kennel not above four yards square1 where a large mastiff and a terrier dog slept every night1 only a #c_/d-;inch board dividing them from the ,rats1 and the ,rats having eaten holes through the boards in the kennel6 ,i have also found at an out-house an old bitch ,rat and nine young ones in an old tin trunk without a lid4 ,i have also caught ,rats and taken young ones out of the nest from under railway sleepers where trains have been running and shunting operations carried on every day4 ,and ,i have even taken old and young ones in their nest from a pile of ,cheshire cheese1 at a wholesale cheese and bacon factor's6 ,and mentioning cheese in this connection reminds me that once ,i discovered that ,rats had scratched and eaten a hole direct through the bottom lot of cheese in a pile which had only been there three weeks4 ,a word or two about what a ,rat will do with a ferret4 ,i have often seen a ,rat run a ferret out of the hole1 and then wait with its head out of the hole until the ferret has come to it again4 ,i remember once ferreting at a hencote1 and put the ferret behind the hen nest1 whereupon the ,rat attacked the ferret1 which then jumped back and died in five minutes1 the ,rats having given only one bite behind the ferret's ear6 ,of course this is a very rare occurrence4 ,true1 ,i have had many ferrets killed by ,rats in my time1 but it has always occurred through the poisonous bite first swelling and then taking bad ways1 the ferret dying in probably a week or so4 ,you must understand that if you put a ,rat and a ferret together in a tub the ferret would kill the ,rat in nine cases out of ten1 the nature of the ,rat being to get away from the ferret if possible2 but if it cannot it will fight1 and ,i think a ,rat1 for its size1 is of a very vicious nature1 for ,i have often seen when trying a puppy at killing a ,rat in a pit1 that a game ,rat will run the puppy all round the pit4 ,the best way to try a pup to kill a ,rat is to draw the teeth of the first ,rat it secures for sometimes if a pup gets a severe bite from a ,rat it will never look at another4 ,it is a very bad plan to let a pup play with a ,rat too much1 for this causes the pup never to put a hard mouth on the ,rat4 ,when this latter occurs it is the best plan not to allow the same pup to see another ,rat until it is a month or two older4 ,if you will take care and trouble with a pup you can bring it up to your own liking1 and to do anything you want4 ,i have worked seven years with a curly-coated retriever bitch1 and when ferreting a brook she would stand in the water and catch the ,rats that escaped from the nets into the brook and bring them to me alive in her mouth4 ,i have sold hundreds of ,rats she has caught in this manner1 and to show you how the dogs can be brought up with the ferrets ,i need only mention that this bitch would lie down and let two ferrets kill a ,rat on the curly coat of her back4 ,farmers know too well of the many restless nights the cows and horses experience through ,rats4 ,i have seen when trapping all night at a farm the ,rats running over the cows and horses whilst sleeping3 and when horses have been working in the field all day they want better rest in the night4 ,i have known when farmers would not let the ,rat-catcher ferret their buildings gratis1 simply because they have a few hens sitting4 ,they don't consider that when the hens have hatched the eggs the ,rats will take the chickens4 ,whenever a farmer has refused to let me ferret at his farm ,i have passed that farm ever afterwards4 ,to show you the different dispositions of farmers ,i have met1 ,i may mention that when once ferreting at a farm1 we caught nine rats and lost the ferret1 and two days afterwards the ferret was found on the farm1 and ,i sent for it1 but the farmer demanded two shillings of me for the ferret's keep4 ,this same man ,i may add farmed about two hundred acres4 ,of course1 there are other farmers just the opposite1 who will not only pay you for your trouble1 but take great interest in helping you to catch the ,rats4 ,i relate these facts and incidents to show you the contrast in the disposition of different people one meets in this business4 ,i don't think the ,rat-catcher's life is one of the worst if he looks well after his business1 for he has a few advantages over other occupations4 ,in the first place1 he is his own master1 and need only doff his coat when he chooses1 there being for him no such summons to work as a factory bell4 ,and if he fancies a day's outing in the country he can always take his dog and ferrets with him1 and make a day's pleasure into a remunerative business1 by reason of the income from the ,rats1 and ,i find from experience that the best friends he has are his dog and ferrets1 if he will look well after them and treat them kindly1 for ,i think that a ,rat-catcher in the country without a good dog might walk over scores of ,rats and never know they were there1 so you will see that his dog is chiefly what he has to trust to4 ,and now1 in conclusion1 let me express the hope that this book will prove instructive1 entertaining1 and profitable to my readers1 inasmuch as ,i have endeavoured to make it so to the best of my ability and within the somewhat limited scope and sphere of a ,rat-catcher's calling4 ,of course1 ,i might have made the narrative portion of the book more startling and exciting1 had ,i drawn upon my imagination1 but ,i have thought it best to adhere to cold fact and actual experience4 ,,hints ,,on ,,rabbit ,,shooting4 ,always have your gun made at your gunmaker's to your own liking4 ,always be prepared for the worst of weather1 and be sure to have good strong boots4 ,never have your gun on full cock while walking about1 especially whilst going through a fence4 ,never stand too close to a burrow1 and don't be too eager to shoot4 ,always have your gun pointed upwards to the clouds or down to the ground4 ,never shoot at a rabbit as it sits on the top of the hole1 or you might shoot the ferret4 ,always stand so that all the shooters can see one another4 ,never remove from where the gamekeeper places you4 ,never have your gun barrels up while it is raining4 ,when you go out in the country always provide yourself with refreshments before starting4 ,if you miss an easy shot don't blame the gun4 ,don't be too excited1 and get well on the rabbits before you pull4 ,if the keeper's dog is retrieving rabbits never attempt to take one from it4 ,,author',s ,,notes4 ,,ike ,,matthews is prepared to go out ,ratting with parties of gentlemen or their gamekeepers on their private estates during the summer1 supplying dog1 ferrets1 and nets1 at moderate charges4 ,arrangements may be made by post4 ,,ike ,,matthews is also willing to go out rabbit-shooting with gentlemen during the season1 and will supply and work ferrets at reasonable charges4 ,he is also prepared to break dogs and puppies to ferreting and ,ratting on reasonable terms4 ,any number of live ,rats and rabbits supplied at a few days' notice4 ,all orders promptly attend to4 ,undeniable ,references4 ,yours truly1 ,,ike ,,matthews4