From George Flavel‘s Facebook page (tinyurl.com/georgeflv): “Oct. 18, 1907 — A professional rat exterminator has been in Astoria for the past couple of weeks and his work has been very successful.

“As soon as he catches a rat in his trap, he would dip it in coal tar and turn it loose to return. Rats have a particular aversion to coal tar and will not stay near it, so after a few rats received the treatment, the premises were entirely cleared of rodents.

“The rats were not killed, but driven away to adjoining properties, so the man had continuing contracts from all the neighboring buildings.”

Pictured, some lovely rats from a Gustave Dore illustration, “The League of the Rats” (1868). Speaking of rats, and a truly scary story especially appropriate for Halloween time, readers who want their timbers shivered should delve into H.P. Lovecraft‘s “The Rats in the Walls.” You can read it here: tinyurl.com/ratswalls.

When the Ear read it as a child, many sleepless nights ensued, as the dank waterside Victorian-era homestead really did have rats scampering about (loudly) and chittering in the plaster walls. But that’s a tale for another dank and stormy evening.