In 1944, rats were ravaging farms, gnawing into sill beams, eating poultry and eggs and consuming livestock feed. Rats were estimated to destroy $45 worth of food a year, at a time when chicken and livestock feed were hard to come by.
Little Robert De Glopper was made of sturdier stock than children these days, and consequently made himself quite a profit at 3 cents per dead rat. Ten rats an hour would match the minimum wage of 30 cents.
Can you imagine if today’s town clerks had to count rat tails?
War bond prizes were given to the boy or girl who 1) killed the most rats, 2)the heaviest rats, or 3) the ones with the longest tails. Such fun before TV and video games existed! Even dogs and cats were cited for meritorious work.
I’m speechless.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like most fauna, if there is an over abundance, just make them human food, value them and open season. That’s the case in many Asian provinces.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ew. Just dig a hole and shove them in the ground.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an enterprising young lad. I would be curious what he grew up to do. I am with you Kerby. I may be an adventurous eater but I draw the line at rat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s weird.
LikeLiked by 1 person
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/1082913/DeGlopper-John.php
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks he was born and died near Easter.
LikeLike
well now, you cannot say the lad wasn’t bright…after all, he did not succumb to the rat race.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonk wonk!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really good gravatar, Kerbey and gruesome post today. 😦 still like your creative posts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Well, rats were destroying things, so they had to go. I don’t think I would have had the stomach to do it!
LikeLike