Rats : Observations On The History And Habitat Of The City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants Part 9

CHAPTER 11: EXTERMINATORS.

The first professional exterminators in America are mentioned in The Ratcatcher's Child, The Ratcatcher's Child, a history of the American pest control industry written in 1983 by Robert Snetsinger, a professor of entomology at Pennsylvania State University. Snetsinger recounts the transition of the t.i.tle a history of the American pest control industry written in 1983 by Robert Snetsinger, a professor of entomology at Pennsylvania State University. Snetsinger recounts the transition of the t.i.tle exterminator exterminator to to pest control operator, pest control operator, when the exterminators a.s.sociation was under the leaders.h.i.+p of William Buettner, who was considered an especially strong leader: through his efforts, exterminators were recognized as essential during wartime, and the only other workers in the service industry to gain such a status were undertakers. Frederick Wegner's career was described in the when the exterminators a.s.sociation was under the leaders.h.i.+p of William Buettner, who was considered an especially strong leader: through his efforts, exterminators were recognized as essential during wartime, and the only other workers in the service industry to gain such a status were undertakers. Frederick Wegner's career was described in the Times Times on September 3, 1893; August 8, 1893; and August 11, 1893. (Wegner also killed cats, prowling through the Central Park Zoo at night with a rifle. "In this way he managed to combine his business of catching rats with the pleasure of shooting cats," a report said.) Harry Jennings's obituary said, "Harry Jennings was the foe of all rats and vermin." Juan Colon is profiled in "The Lonely Soldier of Extermination" in the on September 3, 1893; August 8, 1893; and August 11, 1893. (Wegner also killed cats, prowling through the Central Park Zoo at night with a rifle. "In this way he managed to combine his business of catching rats with the pleasure of shooting cats," a report said.) Harry Jennings's obituary said, "Harry Jennings was the foe of all rats and vermin." Juan Colon is profiled in "The Lonely Soldier of Extermination" in the Times, Times, August 13,1995.1 interviewed John Murphy, and his quote, which appears on the epigraph page, came from an interview in August 13,1995.1 interviewed John Murphy, and his quote, which appears on the epigraph page, came from an interview in Pest Control Pest Control that appeared on October 1, 2001, in an article ent.i.tled "Bootleggers & Rats: This Rat Call Took Inspection to a Whole Different Level." The race to out-alphabetize rival pest control businesses may have been begun by one of the oldest New York-area exterminators still in existence, Abelene Pest Control. According to Snetsinger, Abelene was begun in New York City in 1927 by Walter O. Blank, a German who exterminated the rats that overran the trenches during World War I. He had heard that abalone oil worked as an insecticide, but he preferred the name that appeared on October 1, 2001, in an article ent.i.tled "Bootleggers & Rats: This Rat Call Took Inspection to a Whole Different Level." The race to out-alphabetize rival pest control businesses may have been begun by one of the oldest New York-area exterminators still in existence, Abelene Pest Control. According to Snetsinger, Abelene was begun in New York City in 1927 by Walter O. Blank, a German who exterminated the rats that overran the trenches during World War I. He had heard that abalone oil worked as an insecticide, but he preferred the name abelene abelene and figured that a firm so named would rank first in alphabetical exterminators listings. The inter-pest-control-firm alphabetization compet.i.tion still characterizes the industry as it appears in phone directories today. For example, New York City listings for pest control firms include AAA Absolute, AAA Advanced, AAA Affordable, followed closely by Attack, Ban-the-bug, Bug-Off, Bull Dog, and Bustabug Pest Control. (There are no pest control firms with names that begin with the letter and figured that a firm so named would rank first in alphabetical exterminators listings. The inter-pest-control-firm alphabetization compet.i.tion still characterizes the industry as it appears in phone directories today. For example, New York City listings for pest control firms include AAA Absolute, AAA Advanced, AAA Affordable, followed closely by Attack, Ban-the-bug, Bug-Off, Bull Dog, and Bustabug Pest Control. (There are no pest control firms with names that begin with the letter Z, Z, though a few begin with letters from the end of the alphabet, such as Swat, and Victory, and a firm called The End Is Near.) though a few begin with letters from the end of the alphabet, such as Swat, and Victory, and a firm called The End Is Near.) Information on the beginning of the city's exterminating force came from health department literature, and the number of people living in housing projects came from the New York City Housing Authority. According to the authority, the number of people who live in housing projects in New York City exceeds the populations of such cities as Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Miami. In 2002, 51.6 percent of the residents of housing projects were listed as black; 43.5 percent as Hispanic or other ethnic group such as Asians or Native Americans; 4.9 percent as white.

CHAPTER 12: EXCELLENT.

I first read about Milwaukee's expertise in rat fighting in a federal report ent.i.tled "The Relations.h.i.+p of Solid Waste Storage Practices in the Inner City to the Incidence of Rat Infestations and Fires" by Robert M. Wolcott and Burnell W. Vincent, which was published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the mid-seventies. Dave Davis applauds Milwaukee's rodent control in an article in the Milwaukee Journal Milwaukee Journal ent.i.tled "Rat Program of City Praised," which appeared on March 30, 1968. In 1971, Milwaukee's rat control program was rated among the best of eleven cities surveyed by the federal department of Health, Education, and Welfare, according to the ent.i.tled "Rat Program of City Praised," which appeared on March 30, 1968. In 1971, Milwaukee's rat control program was rated among the best of eleven cities surveyed by the federal department of Health, Education, and Welfare, according to the Journal Journal of September 11, 1971 (the early edition of the paper accidentally referred to the program praised as a rent control program). The quote on the monument at the Wisconsin Workers Memorial was originally taken from a book called of September 11, 1971 (the early edition of the paper accidentally referred to the program praised as a rent control program). The quote on the monument at the Wisconsin Workers Memorial was originally taken from a book called The Rise of Labor and Wisconsin's Little New Deal. The Rise of Labor and Wisconsin's Little New Deal. That Milwaukee lost some sixty thousand jobs in the recession between 1979 and 1982 came from the That Milwaukee lost some sixty thousand jobs in the recession between 1979 and 1982 came from the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. When I met with Don Schaewe, he demonstrated an experimental rat-hole-activity monitoring technique-crumpling a ball of paper and stuffing it into a rat hole and returning the next day to see if the paper has been expelled. This technique was first suggested to Don Schaewe by Bobby Corrigan. When I met with Don Schaewe, he demonstrated an experimental rat-hole-activity monitoring technique-crumpling a ball of paper and stuffing it into a rat hole and returning the next day to see if the paper has been expelled. This technique was first suggested to Don Schaewe by Bobby Corrigan.

Articles I read describing the career ofjohn Norquist, Milwaukee's mayor at the time of my visit, include "Was It Hara.s.sment by Mayor or s.e.x Scandal?" by De Wayne Wickham in U.S.A. Today, U.S.A. Today, on January 13, 2001, and "Scandals Begin to Tarnish Wisconsin's Political l.u.s.ter" in on January 13, 2001, and "Scandals Begin to Tarnish Wisconsin's Political l.u.s.ter" in The New York Times, The New York Times, on July 9, 2002. Norquist was quoted by the a.s.sociated Press on April 22,2002, as saying, "I made a mistake, as I have said before, and I accepted responsibility for that." The a.s.sociated Press also ran a story about Alderwoman Rosa Cameron pleading guilty to funneling federal grant money into her campaign on December 27, 2002. Other articles I read in the on July 9, 2002. Norquist was quoted by the a.s.sociated Press on April 22,2002, as saying, "I made a mistake, as I have said before, and I accepted responsibility for that." The a.s.sociated Press also ran a story about Alderwoman Rosa Cameron pleading guilty to funneling federal grant money into her campaign on December 27, 2002. Other articles I read in the Journal Journal about Milwaukee included "Krumbiegel Asks Help in Rat War," which appeared on November 11, 1966, and "City Begins Showing Rat Control Films," which ran on June 15, 1971. A photo of Ramon Hernandez dressed as a giant rat was in the about Milwaukee included "Krumbiegel Asks Help in Rat War," which appeared on November 11, 1966, and "City Begins Showing Rat Control Films," which ran on June 15, 1971. A photo of Ramon Hernandez dressed as a giant rat was in the Milwaukee Journal Milwaukee Journal on June 18,1971. A study by a group called Erase Racism, reported in the on June 18,1971. A study by a group called Erase Racism, reported in the Times Times on June 5, 2002, showed that Milwaukee was one of the most segregated cities in the United States; according to the study, 82 percent of the population of blacks would have to move to be evenly dispersed among the population. Detroit was at 85 percent, Chicago at 81 percent. The nation's one hundred largest metropolitan areas average 60 percent. The most segregated suburban areas in the country are New York City's suburbs on Long Island, at 74 percent. "African-Americans have faced isolation far more than any other group, especially on Long Island," said one of the consultants who a.n.a.lyzed the segregation patterns. "It's almost like a towns.h.i.+p in the South African sense," another expert said. on June 5, 2002, showed that Milwaukee was one of the most segregated cities in the United States; according to the study, 82 percent of the population of blacks would have to move to be evenly dispersed among the population. Detroit was at 85 percent, Chicago at 81 percent. The nation's one hundred largest metropolitan areas average 60 percent. The most segregated suburban areas in the country are New York City's suburbs on Long Island, at 74 percent. "African-Americans have faced isolation far more than any other group, especially on Long Island," said one of the consultants who a.n.a.lyzed the segregation patterns. "It's almost like a towns.h.i.+p in the South African sense," another expert said.

I read a story on Bobby Corrigan that appeared in a special issue of Pest Control Technology Pest Control Technology called "Leaders.h.i.+p Winners 2000." I also read, as I mentioned above, his book, called "Leaders.h.i.+p Winners 2000." I also read, as I mentioned above, his book, Rodent Control, Rodent Control, and many of his columns and articles, and naturally I took copious notes during his lectures. Nearly all the pest control operators at the conference had nothing but praise for him or for some advice he had offered them at some point in their career. "Bobby's the greatest" (or slight variations of that phrase) was something I heard countless times at the Courtyard Marriott. I did not learn that Corrigan is a poet until after I left the conference. Here is a poem, used by permission of Corrigan, that was originally published by and many of his columns and articles, and naturally I took copious notes during his lectures. Nearly all the pest control operators at the conference had nothing but praise for him or for some advice he had offered them at some point in their career. "Bobby's the greatest" (or slight variations of that phrase) was something I heard countless times at the Courtyard Marriott. I did not learn that Corrigan is a poet until after I left the conference. Here is a poem, used by permission of Corrigan, that was originally published by Pest Control Technology; Pest Control Technology; it is ent.i.tled "5:41": it is ent.i.tled "5:41":

At 5:41 my yard is a diffused wash of a yellow that I've never seen here, or anywhere, before.

But the sun is not yet even visible.

How many other colors and mystical rarities of the dawn, the deep night, the busy mid day

do we sleep or work through?

Only once here, then forever in our lives gone.

Concerning William Jackson's early cat-versus-rat work, which I mention in reference to Jackson's talk in Chicago, I would add that in 1986 Jamie Childs conducted research on city cats and rats and found that cats will catch only juvenile or subadult rats and do not complete their chases of adult rats. "Although adult cats and larger rats were frequently observed in close proximity, no aggressive behavior was directed by rats toward cats, and generally these species coexist peacefully in alleys," Childs observed. An article that inspired me to consider rat trapping in the first place is Child's "And the Cat Shall Lie Down With the Rat," published in Natural History Natural History in June 1991. William Jackson also investigated the rats in the nuclear tests and wrote many papers on their survival, as well as on rodenticide resistance. (The first case of resistance was reported in Scotland, in an article in in June 1991. William Jackson also investigated the rats in the nuclear tests and wrote many papers on their survival, as well as on rodenticide resistance. (The first case of resistance was reported in Scotland, in an article in Nature, Nature, on November 5,1960, by C. Mary Boyle: "A Case of Apparent Resistance of on November 5,1960, by C. Mary Boyle: "A Case of Apparent Resistance ofRattus norvegicus Berkenhout to Anticoagulant Poisons.") In Chicago, I asked Jackson what had happened to the idea, first floated in the seventies, of introducing sterilized male rats into the rat population, in an attempt to bring down reproduction rates, and he said that strategy hadn't panned out. And in Chicago I also talked to Stephen Franz over lunch about his wild rat colony; the rats apparently lived in a building that is now an antique store on the outskirts of Albany. Berkenhout to Anticoagulant Poisons.") In Chicago, I asked Jackson what had happened to the idea, first floated in the seventies, of introducing sterilized male rats into the rat population, in an attempt to bring down reproduction rates, and he said that strategy hadn't panned out. And in Chicago I also talked to Stephen Franz over lunch about his wild rat colony; the rats apparently lived in a building that is now an antique store on the outskirts of Albany.

CHAPTER 14: PLAGUE.

The Black Death is, of course, the subject of so many books that, when I read about the disease, I felt a little like a flea on the back of the rat that is the study and history of the bubonic plague. My reading included Philip Ziegler's The Black Death, The Black Death, and a book that is composed of several lectures by David Herlihy, and a book that is composed of several lectures by David Herlihy, The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Rosemary Horrox is the editor and translator of Rosemary Horrox is the editor and translator of The Black Death, The Black Death, a vast collection of medieval texts that have to do with the plague; it makes for a kind of casual Black Death reading that can be perversely satisfying. I also read a vast collection of medieval texts that have to do with the plague; it makes for a kind of casual Black Death reading that can be perversely satisfying. I also read Plague! The Shocking Story of a Dread Disease in America Today Plague! The Shocking Story of a Dread Disease in America Today by Charles T. Gregg, a book, published in 1978, that isn't as hyperbolic as it sounds. Many of the descriptions of natural phenomena that were thought to lead up to a plague epidemic came from by Charles T. Gregg, a book, published in 1978, that isn't as hyperbolic as it sounds. Many of the descriptions of natural phenomena that were thought to lead up to a plague epidemic came from The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague, The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague, compiled by Johannes Nohl from contemporary sources, translated by C. H. Clarke, Ph.D, with numerous ill.u.s.trations (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1926). Articles I read included "How a Mysterious Disease Laid Low Europe's Ma.s.ses" by C. L. Mee Jr., which was published in compiled by Johannes Nohl from contemporary sources, translated by C. H. Clarke, Ph.D, with numerous ill.u.s.trations (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1926). Articles I read included "How a Mysterious Disease Laid Low Europe's Ma.s.ses" by C. L. Mee Jr., which was published in Smithsonian Smithsonian in February 1990; this article describes a flea as being the size of a letter in February 1990; this article describes a flea as being the size of a letter 0. Fighting the Plague in Seventeenth-Century Italy 0. Fighting the Plague in Seventeenth-Century Italy is by Carlo M. Cipolla, who was an economic historian at the University of California, Berkeley, and at universities in Venice, Turin, and Pavia. I also read is by Carlo M. Cipolla, who was an economic historian at the University of California, Berkeley, and at universities in Venice, Turin, and Pavia. I also read Miasmas and Disease Miasmas and Disease by Cipolla and a treatise called by Cipolla and a treatise called The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity, The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity, which was a best-seller in Italy and eventually made into a play. which was a best-seller in Italy and eventually made into a play.

I talked to Bruce Colvin about rats' general disease-spreading capability. "Rats are very capable of elevating bacteria in our environment because they live in sewers and back alleys and search for food in the gutter," he said. I once interviewed Professor Gla.s.s, who is at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, for a magazine piece that I was writing about rats, and he notes, "They have an awful lot of stuff that they carry." Rats and plague are also covered in chapter 23 of the Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare, Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare, as published online by the Virtual Naval Hospital, at as published online by the Virtual Naval Hospital, at www.vnh.org. Anthony Burgess's a.n.a.lysis of the city as hero is in the introduction to the Penguin Cla.s.sics edition of A Journal of the Plague Year. of A Journal of the Plague Year.

CHAPTER 16: PLAGUE IN AMERICA.

I learned about Yersin's discovery of the plague bacillus from Gregg's book Plague! Plague! (s.h.i.+basaburo Kitasato, a j.a.panese microbiologist, identified the plague bacterium at the same time, though his findings have long been considered controversial.) I also read an article by Ludwik Gross ent.i.tled "How the Plague Bacillus and Its Transmission Through Fleas Were Discovered: Reminiscences from My Years at the Pasteur Inst.i.tute in Paris," in the August 1995 (s.h.i.+basaburo Kitasato, a j.a.panese microbiologist, identified the plague bacterium at the same time, though his findings have long been considered controversial.) I also read an article by Ludwik Gross ent.i.tled "How the Plague Bacillus and Its Transmission Through Fleas Were Discovered: Reminiscences from My Years at the Pasteur Inst.i.tute in Paris," in the August 1995 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (vol. 92, pp. 7609-11). Ludwik Gross worked at the Pasteur Inst.i.tute in the forties and then moved to the United States, where he worked at the Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital until his death in 1999. He enjoyed writing to scientists and asking about their discoveries; he collected their responses. Another story Gross told about the plague involved Edmond Dujardin-Beaumetz, a friend of Yersin's who worked in the plague laboratory when Gross visited the Pasteur Inst.i.tute as a young guest investigator. The story goes like this: "Dujardin-Beaumetz showed me a tube filled with live bacilli of plague. He told me that not only humans and rats but also monkeys, guinea pigs, mice, and many other species are susceptible to the plague bacillus. But not the chicken. Among the species resistant to the plague is the chicken. 'Look at this tube full of live bacilli of the plague,' said Dujardin-Beaumetz to me, taking out of a cabinet a small tube marked with a red pencil (vol. 92, pp. 7609-11). Ludwik Gross worked at the Pasteur Inst.i.tute in the forties and then moved to the United States, where he worked at the Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital until his death in 1999. He enjoyed writing to scientists and asking about their discoveries; he collected their responses. Another story Gross told about the plague involved Edmond Dujardin-Beaumetz, a friend of Yersin's who worked in the plague laboratory when Gross visited the Pasteur Inst.i.tute as a young guest investigator. The story goes like this: "Dujardin-Beaumetz showed me a tube filled with live bacilli of plague. He told me that not only humans and rats but also monkeys, guinea pigs, mice, and many other species are susceptible to the plague bacillus. But not the chicken. Among the species resistant to the plague is the chicken. 'Look at this tube full of live bacilli of the plague,' said Dujardin-Beaumetz to me, taking out of a cabinet a small tube marked with a red pencil B.P. B.P. [which was short for bubonic plague]. 'This small tube contains sufficient quant.i.ty of live plague bacilli to infect and kill the population of an entire district of Paris,' he continued. 'We injected a similar quant.i.ty of five bacilli into the peritoneal cavity of a young chicken in our laboratory,' Dujardin-Beaumetz told me, 'and the chicken remained in good health. In fact, the next day she laid an egg. Surprisingly, the chicken got lost, presumably flew out of a small open window in the adjoining laboratory. We were frantic and looked for this animal all over, afraid that it may spread the deadly disease, but we could not find the chicken. Only several days later did we learn that the chicken was caught by a house superintendent, residing on a street adjoining the Inst.i.tute, on rue Falguiere. Not realizing the chicken came from our laboratory, he roasted the chicken and consumed it, sharing the unexpected meal with his family. The plague bacilli were presumably destroyed by roasting the chicken. Nothing happened to them. They all remained alive and well.'" [which was short for bubonic plague]. 'This small tube contains sufficient quant.i.ty of live plague bacilli to infect and kill the population of an entire district of Paris,' he continued. 'We injected a similar quant.i.ty of five bacilli into the peritoneal cavity of a young chicken in our laboratory,' Dujardin-Beaumetz told me, 'and the chicken remained in good health. In fact, the next day she laid an egg. Surprisingly, the chicken got lost, presumably flew out of a small open window in the adjoining laboratory. We were frantic and looked for this animal all over, afraid that it may spread the deadly disease, but we could not find the chicken. Only several days later did we learn that the chicken was caught by a house superintendent, residing on a street adjoining the Inst.i.tute, on rue Falguiere. Not realizing the chicken came from our laboratory, he roasted the chicken and consumed it, sharing the unexpected meal with his family. The plague bacilli were presumably destroyed by roasting the chicken. Nothing happened to them. They all remained alive and well.'"

I read about the plague in San Francisco in Plague! Plague! but, mostly, in two long articles: "The Black Death in Chinatown: Plague and Politics in San Francisco, 1900-1904" by Philip Kalilsch, in but, mostly, in two long articles: "The Black Death in Chinatown: Plague and Politics in San Francisco, 1900-1904" by Philip Kalilsch, in Arizona and the West, Arizona and the West, and " 'A Long Pull, a Strong Pull, and All Together': San Francisco and Bubonic Plague, 1907-1908" by Guenter B. Risse, in the and " 'A Long Pull, a Strong Pull, and All Together': San Francisco and Bubonic Plague, 1907-1908" by Guenter B. Risse, in the Bulletin of Medical History, Bulletin of Medical History, 1992 (vol. 66, pp. 260-86). Honolulu's burning is discussed in "Plague on Our Sh.o.r.es," a series by Burl Burlingame that appeared in the 1992 (vol. 66, pp. 260-86). Honolulu's burning is discussed in "Plague on Our Sh.o.r.es," a series by Burl Burlingame that appeared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Honolulu Star-Bulletin on January 25, 2000. I read on January 25, 2000. I read The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco, The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco, by Marilyn Chase, after I wrote about San Francisco's plague. I wish I'd read it before, given its doc.u.mentation of the differences between Blue and Kinyoun (and of the bitter and racist remarks Kinyoun made after he was kicked out of San Francisco); it's worth getting just for the pictures of the debonair Blue versus the arrogant and stodgy-looking Kinyoun, and the photos of the "rattery" where scientists looking for plague dissected rats. One historian has argued that San Francisco's first plague epidemic merely showed the world what was already there: "It revealed the best and the worst in people, and the lower and higher motives that businessmen, newspaper editors, politicians, and physicians normally repress. The result was a situation so tense that the true villains and real heroes quickly emerged from the placid fabric of routine city life." by Marilyn Chase, after I wrote about San Francisco's plague. I wish I'd read it before, given its doc.u.mentation of the differences between Blue and Kinyoun (and of the bitter and racist remarks Kinyoun made after he was kicked out of San Francisco); it's worth getting just for the pictures of the debonair Blue versus the arrogant and stodgy-looking Kinyoun, and the photos of the "rattery" where scientists looking for plague dissected rats. One historian has argued that San Francisco's first plague epidemic merely showed the world what was already there: "It revealed the best and the worst in people, and the lower and higher motives that businessmen, newspaper editors, politicians, and physicians normally repress. The result was a situation so tense that the true villains and real heroes quickly emerged from the placid fabric of routine city life."

CHAPTER 17: CATCHING.

When I went to the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, I read about the history of the neighborhood in The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, a book edited by Kenneth Jackson and John B. Manbeck and published in 1998 by the Citizens Committee for New York City and Yale University Press. I also read an article in the a book edited by Kenneth Jackson and John B. Manbeck and published in 1998 by the Citizens Committee for New York City and Yale University Press. I also read an article in the Village Voice, Village Voice, "Close Up on Bushwick," December 27, 2002. Some of the plants were in various plant and nature guides, including "Close Up on Bushwick," December 27, 2002. Some of the plants were in various plant and nature guides, including Urban Wildlife Urban Wildlife by Sarah Landry in the Peterson First Guides series, 1994. The study to which Ann Li refers to when she is talking about rats sensing each other's stresses and fears is called "Regulation of Ovulation by Human Pheromones," written by Martha McClintock and Kathleen Stern for the March 12, 1998, issue by Sarah Landry in the Peterson First Guides series, 1994. The study to which Ann Li refers to when she is talking about rats sensing each other's stresses and fears is called "Regulation of Ovulation by Human Pheromones," written by Martha McClintock and Kathleen Stern for the March 12, 1998, issue of Nature. of Nature. I learned about the times that plague came to New York City, or nearly came, in newspaper articles such as "Fear the Plague Is Here," which was in the I learned about the times that plague came to New York City, or nearly came, in newspaper articles such as "Fear the Plague Is Here," which was in the Times Times on November 19, 1899. I also read about the on November 19, 1899. I also read about the Taylor Taylor in Gregg's book in Gregg's book Plague! Plague! "The Plague s.h.i.+p's Cargo," which ran on November 28, 1899, discusses the s.h.i.+pment of coffee that was on the "The Plague s.h.i.+p's Cargo," which ran on November 28, 1899, discusses the s.h.i.+pment of coffee that was on the Taylor. Taylor. During the s.h.i.+p's quarantine, the coffee was apparendy allowed to sit on the piers and eventually continued on to the coffee merchant who sold some in New York and some in Chicago, which concerned people but ended up not being a problem, according to a May 22,1900, During the s.h.i.+p's quarantine, the coffee was apparendy allowed to sit on the piers and eventually continued on to the coffee merchant who sold some in New York and some in Chicago, which concerned people but ended up not being a problem, according to a May 22,1900, Times Times story, "The 'Plague' Coffee Has Been Consumed." Other plague reports include "Liner Held Back by Plague Order; Pa.s.sengers from Havana May Be Detained for Seven Days," which was published on July 14, 1912, and describes fears over plague infection from a plague outbreak in Puerto Rico at the time-they were afraid to let sick pa.s.sengers off the boat-and "Signs of Bubonic Plague in Three American Cities," which was in the story, "The 'Plague' Coffee Has Been Consumed." Other plague reports include "Liner Held Back by Plague Order; Pa.s.sengers from Havana May Be Detained for Seven Days," which was published on July 14, 1912, and describes fears over plague infection from a plague outbreak in Puerto Rico at the time-they were afraid to let sick pa.s.sengers off the boat-and "Signs of Bubonic Plague in Three American Cities," which was in the Times Times on February 8, 1925. A engrossing account of bubonic plague in New York is included in Joseph Mitch.e.l.l's story "The Rats on the Waterfront," one of the best pieces of rat reportage ever, which was published in on February 8, 1925. A engrossing account of bubonic plague in New York is included in Joseph Mitch.e.l.l's story "The Rats on the Waterfront," one of the best pieces of rat reportage ever, which was published in The New Yorker The New Yorker as "Thirty-Two Rats from Casablanca," on April 29,1944, then included in the book as "Thirty-Two Rats from Casablanca," on April 29,1944, then included in the book The Bottom of the Harbor The Bottom of the Harbor under the t.i.tle "The Rats on the Waterfront." An article about the rat fighters in port-"s.h.i.+p Rats a Minor Problem Here but Every Vessel Gets a Once-Over"-ran in the under the t.i.tle "The Rats on the Waterfront." An article about the rat fighters in port-"s.h.i.+p Rats a Minor Problem Here but Every Vessel Gets a Once-Over"-ran in the Times Times on Feb 3, 1952. More recently, the on Feb 3, 1952. More recently, the Daily News Daily News reported on the man who caught plague in the Southwest and nearly died of it while in New York in an article ent.i.tled "Plague Costs Man His Feet," January 17, 2003. reported on the man who caught plague in the Southwest and nearly died of it while in New York in an article ent.i.tled "Plague Costs Man His Feet," January 17, 2003.

The information about General Is.h.i.+ and j.a.pan's biological weapons program came from a speech by Judith Miller, a Times Times reporter who has covered biological weapons extensively, that was given at the University of Virginia's Miller Center for Public Affairs and subsequently reprinted in a university publication, reporter who has covered biological weapons extensively, that was given at the University of Virginia's Miller Center for Public Affairs and subsequently reprinted in a university publication, Miller Center Miller Center (fall 2001), that was posted on-line, and from the Virtual Naval Hospital's (fall 2001), that was posted on-line, and from the Virtual Naval Hospital's Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare. Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare. Mostly, I consulted Mostly, I consulted The Biology of Doom: The History of America's Secret Germ Warfare Project The Biology of Doom: The History of America's Secret Germ Warfare Project by Ed Regis, which I first saw mentioned in by Ed Regis, which I first saw mentioned in The New York Times Book Review The New York Times Book Review of January 23, 2000, in an review by Timothy Naftali ent.i.tled "Death Factories: A History of Germ Warfare and America's Involvement in It." In addition to all kinds of germ warfare experiments conducted on an unwitting American public, of January 23, 2000, in an review by Timothy Naftali ent.i.tled "Death Factories: A History of Germ Warfare and America's Involvement in It." In addition to all kinds of germ warfare experiments conducted on an unwitting American public, The Biology of Doom The Biology of Doom describes the government agents carrying germ-infused lightbulbs and dropping them in between subway cars and, subsequently, measuring their effect with an air sampler that they called a Mighty Mite. Something that upset me almost as much as secret government agents releasing germs on subways is a secret agent bragging about lying to a man sitting next to him on the subway. "While riding train to 23rd Street Station, a man asked me where I got the nice little plastic case," an agent wrote. "I told him all the hardware stores over town had them. He is going to buy one." describes the government agents carrying germ-infused lightbulbs and dropping them in between subway cars and, subsequently, measuring their effect with an air sampler that they called a Mighty Mite. Something that upset me almost as much as secret government agents releasing germs on subways is a secret agent bragging about lying to a man sitting next to him on the subway. "While riding train to 23rd Street Station, a man asked me where I got the nice little plastic case," an agent wrote. "I told him all the hardware stores over town had them. He is going to buy one."

CHAPTER 19: A GOLDEN HILL.

In further investigating the history and former geography of Edens Alley, I used a number of different sources. At the city archives I looked at all the plans for adjustments and additions to all of the buildings on the alley; I saw John DeLury's signature, for instance, on the paperwork required to add on to the U.S.A.'s building in the sixties. In December 1933, the New York Herald Tribune New York Herald Tribune ran a story ent.i.tled "Gold St., Refinery Center Here, Traces Name Not to the Metal but to Colonial Wheat Field." I found an undated clip with the blocky-type look of something from an old ran a story ent.i.tled "Gold St., Refinery Center Here, Traces Name Not to the Metal but to Colonial Wheat Field." I found an undated clip with the blocky-type look of something from an old Times Times-I can't tell for certain-that is ent.i.tled "March on With Time: Signs of Last Century Still Persist In and Near the 'Swamp' Area Downtown." An amazing book about the area of lower Manhattan that once covered the swamp and is now public housing and office towers is The Destruction of Lower Manhattan The Destruction of Lower Manhattan by Danny Lyon. It includes photographs and journal entries from when the Swamp was being demolished (as well as photos of the portion of Was.h.i.+ngton Street that was demolished when the World Trade Center was constructed). "In 1967 over sixty acres of buildings of Lower Manhattan were demolished," Lyon writes. The possible translation of the word by Danny Lyon. It includes photographs and journal entries from when the Swamp was being demolished (as well as photos of the portion of Was.h.i.+ngton Street that was demolished when the World Trade Center was constructed). "In 1967 over sixty acres of buildings of Lower Manhattan were demolished," Lyon writes. The possible translation of the word Manahachtanienk Manahachtanienk as "the island where all became intoxicated" comes from the book as "the island where all became intoxicated" comes from the book Native American Place Names in New York City Native American Place Names in New York City by Robert Steven Grumet, published by the Museum of the City of New York in 1981. by Robert Steven Grumet, published by the Museum of the City of New York in 1981.

Some books that were helpful in detailing the career of Isaac Sears and explaining his times include A Mighty Empire: The Origins of the American Revolution, A Mighty Empire: The Origins of the American Revolution, by Marc Egnal; by Marc Egnal; The Story of American Freedom The Story of American Freedom by Eric Foner; by Eric Foner; Farewell to Old England: New York in Revolution Farewell to Old England: New York in Revolution by Ellen F. Rosebrook; by Ellen F. Rosebrook; Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York by Richard M. Ketchum; by Richard M. Ketchum; The American Revolution The American Revolution by Edward Countryman; and by Edward Countryman; and The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution by Barnet Schecter. Pauline Maier's book by Barnet Schecter. Pauline Maier's book The Old Revolutionaries: Political Lives in the Age of Samuel Adams The Old Revolutionaries: Political Lives in the Age of Samuel Adams looks at the lives of several colonial Americans who were in the generation prior to the founding fathers, the group within which the first flames of revolution were born; it features a chapter on Sears. Maier's book looks at the lives of several colonial Americans who were in the generation prior to the founding fathers, the group within which the first flames of revolution were born; it features a chapter on Sears. Maier's book From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776 From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776 explains the times from which Sears and his compatriots emerged. The only book ever written on Sears is a dissertation that was about to become a book but didn't and was written by Robert Christen in 1968; it is ent.i.tled "King Sears: Politician and Patriot in a Decade of Revolution." Christen himself was president of the New York City Board of Education from 1976 to 1977; he was a lifelong resident of the Bronx and died when he was 53. At Manhattan College, where he taught before working for the school board, he was a well-known anti-Vietnam War protester, a cofounder of Manhattan College's Peace Inst.i.tute, and creator of "The Anatomy of Peace," which has been described as one of America's first courses in peace studies. I learned about tavern etiquette-pipe and mug sharing, the cutoff of drinks to people not with the majority's cause-while on a visit to Fraunces Tavern, a tavern left over from revolutionary New York, with my daughter and her first-grade cla.s.s. explains the times from which Sears and his compatriots emerged. The only book ever written on Sears is a dissertation that was about to become a book but didn't and was written by Robert Christen in 1968; it is ent.i.tled "King Sears: Politician and Patriot in a Decade of Revolution." Christen himself was president of the New York City Board of Education from 1976 to 1977; he was a lifelong resident of the Bronx and died when he was 53. At Manhattan College, where he taught before working for the school board, he was a well-known anti-Vietnam War protester, a cofounder of Manhattan College's Peace Inst.i.tute, and creator of "The Anatomy of Peace," which has been described as one of America's first courses in peace studies. I learned about tavern etiquette-pipe and mug sharing, the cutoff of drinks to people not with the majority's cause-while on a visit to Fraunces Tavern, a tavern left over from revolutionary New York, with my daughter and her first-grade cla.s.s.

For detailing the Battle of Golden Hill, I relied greatly on Christen's work and also on Labor and the American Revolution Labor and the American Revolution by Philip Foner, which describes the lead-up to the Battle of Golden Hill. Foner points out that the Liberty Boys weren't always interested in all the lower cla.s.ses' working conditions; they were clannish. "This movement will not be romanticized for in some communities, the Sons of Liberty were indifferent to the plight of other lower-cla.s.s elements in the struggle," Foner wrote. Foner is the historian who said that you could write a book that just listed all the derogatory names people had come up with for the lower cla.s.ses. Foner also wrote by Philip Foner, which describes the lead-up to the Battle of Golden Hill. Foner points out that the Liberty Boys weren't always interested in all the lower cla.s.ses' working conditions; they were clannish. "This movement will not be romanticized for in some communities, the Sons of Liberty were indifferent to the plight of other lower-cla.s.s elements in the struggle," Foner wrote. Foner is the historian who said that you could write a book that just listed all the derogatory names people had come up with for the lower cla.s.ses. Foner also wrote History of the Labor Movement in the United States, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, and in the section ent.i.tled "Labor and the American Revolution," he reports that there was a Sons of Liberty chapter in England ("You have only to preserve, and you will preserve your own liberties and England's too," they said) and in Ireland, where they a.s.sisted the Americans financially, recruited Irishmen to fight in George Was.h.i.+ngton's army, and drank toasts declaring, "Sons of Liberty throughout the world!" In Boston, workers who were members of the Sons of Liberty refused to work for people whom Paul Revere described as "enemies to this country," so that when the British wanted to build barracks for troops in Boston, they were forced to send for workers from out of town-i.e., from New York. and in the section ent.i.tled "Labor and the American Revolution," he reports that there was a Sons of Liberty chapter in England ("You have only to preserve, and you will preserve your own liberties and England's too," they said) and in Ireland, where they a.s.sisted the Americans financially, recruited Irishmen to fight in George Was.h.i.+ngton's army, and drank toasts declaring, "Sons of Liberty throughout the world!" In Boston, workers who were members of the Sons of Liberty refused to work for people whom Paul Revere described as "enemies to this country," so that when the British wanted to build barracks for troops in Boston, they were forced to send for workers from out of town-i.e., from New York.

Christen refers to the Battle of Golden Hill as the first move toward concerted physical resistance in the American Revolution. You can see the broadside that Brutus wrote that so angered the British troops at the New-York Historical Society. What was called the Fly Market is where Louise Nevelson Plaza is today, on Broad Street. A helpful guide to an older New York is the Historical Guide to the City of New York, Historical Guide to the City of New York, which was compiled by Frank Bergen Kelley "From Original Observations and Contributions Made by Members and Friends of The City History Club of New York" and published in 1909. That Sears and his friends expected to be paid came from which was compiled by Frank Bergen Kelley "From Original Observations and Contributions Made by Members and Friends of The City History Club of New York" and published in 1909. That Sears and his friends expected to be paid came from The Old Revolutionaries. The Old Revolutionaries. Maier wrote of "the luxury of unrewarded patriotic service" and added this: "Confident in the material implications of liberty, New Yorkers talked less of virtue than of interest, and turned naturally to the language of business in the business of revolution: 'Stocks have risen in favor of Liberty,' Alexander McDougall wrote Samuel Adams in June, 1774." Maier wrote of "the luxury of unrewarded patriotic service" and added this: "Confident in the material implications of liberty, New Yorkers talked less of virtue than of interest, and turned naturally to the language of business in the business of revolution: 'Stocks have risen in favor of Liberty,' Alexander McDougall wrote Samuel Adams in June, 1774."

Fortunately, I'm not the only one who has noticed Golden Hill even after it has become barely noticeable. After I realized where it was, I went back to Hemstreet's 1899 book, Nooks and Corners of Old New York, Nooks and Corners of Old New York, and read this: "Golden Hill, celebrated since the time of the Dutch, is still to be seen on the high ground around Cliff and Gold Streets. Pearl Street near John shows a sweeping curve where it circles around the hill's base, and the same sort of curve is seen in Maiden Lane on the south and Fulton Street on the north." The details on the disappearance of the marker at the site of the Battle came from old newspapers. One said, "Many have been the complaints against New York because of its apathy in respect to its own history, rich as it is in interesting incidents." An article I cited about the disappearance of the plaque marking the site of the Battle of Golden Hill was "Historic Tablet on a Pilgrimage," from the and read this: "Golden Hill, celebrated since the time of the Dutch, is still to be seen on the high ground around Cliff and Gold Streets. Pearl Street near John shows a sweeping curve where it circles around the hill's base, and the same sort of curve is seen in Maiden Lane on the south and Fulton Street on the north." The details on the disappearance of the marker at the site of the Battle came from old newspapers. One said, "Many have been the complaints against New York because of its apathy in respect to its own history, rich as it is in interesting incidents." An article I cited about the disappearance of the plaque marking the site of the Battle of Golden Hill was "Historic Tablet on a Pilgrimage," from the Times Times on March 20, 1910. The article describing the last Liberty Pole replacement is from the on March 20, 1910. The article describing the last Liberty Pole replacement is from the Times Times on August 30,1952-"Saw Brings Down City Liberty Pole: Decayed Staff Latest to Fall in a Long Historic Line but New One Will Rise." The inscription on the plaque itself was printed in the on August 30,1952-"Saw Brings Down City Liberty Pole: Decayed Staff Latest to Fall in a Long Historic Line but New One Will Rise." The inscription on the plaque itself was printed in the Times Times on September 17, 1898, and I saw a photograph of it in the Fraunces Tavern museum. Robert Moses was the official responsible for cutting the Liberty Pole down. Near the site of the Liberty Pole, in today's City Hall Park, where I only recently saw a gathering of cabdrivers protesting tax license changes, there is a plaque in honor of Debs Myers; it is one of my favorite plaques in the city and says, "Do the right thing and nine times out often it turns out to be the right thing politically." I feel strongly that there should be a plaque marking Golden Hill. A plaque may not sound Hke much given the trend toward audiovisual and computer-driven historical tools that are "interactive," but a plaque marks a place, which is important. I read about the plaque that my father saw in an article ent.i.tled "Hercules Mulligan, Secret Agent," which ran in on September 17, 1898, and I saw a photograph of it in the Fraunces Tavern museum. Robert Moses was the official responsible for cutting the Liberty Pole down. Near the site of the Liberty Pole, in today's City Hall Park, where I only recently saw a gathering of cabdrivers protesting tax license changes, there is a plaque in honor of Debs Myers; it is one of my favorite plaques in the city and says, "Do the right thing and nine times out often it turns out to be the right thing politically." I feel strongly that there should be a plaque marking Golden Hill. A plaque may not sound Hke much given the trend toward audiovisual and computer-driven historical tools that are "interactive," but a plaque marks a place, which is important. I read about the plaque that my father saw in an article ent.i.tled "Hercules Mulligan, Secret Agent," which ran in Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine in March 1971. The plaque on which my father read about Hercules Mulligan said, in part: in March 1971. The plaque on which my father read about Hercules Mulligan said, in part:

BORN DERRY, IRELAND 1740.

DIED NEW YORK CITY 1825.

DESPISED BY COMPATRIOTS FOR CONSORTING WITH THE BRITISH, MULLIGAN SILENTLY PERSEVERED UNTIL NOVEMBER 2 5, 1 7 8 3 WHEN GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON LED HIS VICTORIOUS CONTINENTAL ARMY INTO NEW YORK AND BREAKFASTED HERE WITH MULLIGAN AND HIS FAMILY.

Until recently the plaque was in the vestibule of 160 Water Street. Now, I don't know where it has gone.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Gillian Blake; Dena Rosenberg; Greg Villepique; Sara Mercurio; Karen Rinaldi; Steven Boldt; Sarah Chalfant; Tim Farrington; Andrew Wylie; Rachel Sussman; Zoe Pagnamenta; Anna Wintour; Jay Fielden; Joanne Chen; Jill Demling; Bess Rattray; Sally Singer; Irini Arakas; Laurie Jones; Amy Astley; Hugo Lindgren; Gerald Marzorati; William Jackson; George Ladd; John Murphy; Robert Corrigan; Walter Schroeder; Stan Friedman; Greg Zinman; Nick Paumgarten; Marshall Heyman; Susan Morrison; Eric Etheridge; Christophe Barbier; BookCourt; Jessie Graham and Dan Segall; Weiden & Kennedy; Barbara Brousal; Javier Acevedo; Denys Sandoval; Edwyn Smith; Gustavo Camopos; Manny Howard; Lauren Collins; Christopher Mellon; Marty Skoble; Meg Lamason; the Map Division of the New York Public Library; Hastings-on-Hudson Public Library; New York City Archives; Oregon Health and Science University; National Endowment for the Arts; Stephen L. Zawistowski; Russell Enscore; Multnomah County Library; Greg Radich and Camille Schaewe; Jack Conley; Satoru Igaras.h.i.+; Steve Miller; Paula Grief Zanes and Dan Zanes; Jennifer Marshall and Andrew Mockler; Jim Leinfelder; Michael Thomas; Skip McPherson and Son, Inc.; Ka.s.sie Schwann and Brian Rose; Mia and David Diehl; Maureen Harrington; Maggie and Charlie Sullivan; Linda and Donald Desimini; Josh Cole; Peter Scotch; Debbie and Tom Quinn; Kathy and Peter Quinn; Bill and Kristen Sullivan; Matthew "Matt" Sharpe; Jill Desimini and Dan Bauer; Mary Elizabeth and Robert E. Sullivan; Samuel Emmet and Louise Grace.

A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR.

Robert Sullivan is the author of Cross Country, How Not to Get Rich, The Meadowlands, Cross Country, How Not to Get Rich, The Meadowlands, and and A Whale Hunt. A Whale Hunt.

He is a contributing editor to Vogue Vogue and his writing has appeared in the and his writing has appeared in the New Yorker, New Yorker, the the New York Times, New York Times, and and Dwell. Dwell.

He lives in Brooklyn.