Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1877 — A Novel Bat Hunt. [ARTICLE]

A Novel Bat Hunt.

The large double building on the north side of M street, between Third and Fourth, owned by E. Torrey, and occupied as a boarding-house, has of late appeared to be the headquarters of a vast number of bats, which managed to get in between the ceiling and roof through small apertures alongside the water spout. They became a great nuisance, and Mr. Torrey concluded to make an effort to get rid of them. With this end in view he procured a five-gallon coal oil can, and arranged it something like a rat trap, so that the bats might enter it readily, but could not get out. A number of small holes were also punched in the can to admit light. The trap was on Thursday placed in such a position as to completely cover the opening through which the ani mats passed in and out of the building. The result was that a short time after dark it was filled with the little pests, who made a great scratching and squealing. The remainder of the bats, finding their usual place of exit stopped up, looked about for another, and discovered a small hole in the plastering of the ceiling. Through this they made their way in great numbers, and found themselves prisoners in the sleeping apartment of two young women. The latter, aroused from-their slumbers by a mysterious noise, and feeling their faces fanned by invisible wings, became alarmed and sprang from the bed, but their feet came down upon a mass of squirming, scratching and biting somethings, while other somethings struck them in the face and on the head and body, chattered viciously, and having a disagreeably cold and damp feeling. The girls opened the door and hastened into the hall, calling for assistance, Ind close: ly followed by~ their tormentors. Other occupants of the house, alarmed at the noisfe, opened their doors to see what the trouble was, but were glad to close them again to keep out the bats and to gain opportunity to put on a little substantial raiment. Some of the boarders desired to go down-stairs, but every»step was a batroost, and they had to get out upon the balconies. After much hard work, which lasted nearly until daylight, the animals were driven or swept from the upper story down into the basement, where they they were gathered into a heap so far as possible and killed by the application of boiling water. Those thus killed numbered by actual count 760, ana the - girls subsequently killed four more in their rooms. The trap was placed in a washtub filled with water and its occupants drowned. There being considerable curiosity to ascertain the number of bats a five-gallon measure could hold, they were counted and amounted to 228! The slain, all told, filled four buckets, and their remains can now be seen in the street new- the house. —Bactamento Record and Union. The bell-punch is going out of use on the Philadelphia street-car lines. f