The Ottawa free trader., 1874-09-05

In recent number of the 11neTcna I0Vy
nal is an extract Of a letter from Mr.. A. w
Chase |. s. Coast Survey, concerning the
habits of the so.called California wood rat
1t is little larger than an ordinary Norwa,
rat, dark brown in color, with large lustroll,
eyes, and tail covered with thin hairs.
should call it intermediate between the squir
rel and rat. This creature builds It's nest in
the woods, sometimes on the ground, more
frequently in the lower branches of trees
They Accumulate surprising quantity OF
4ried twigs, which they interlace to form Il
d0mc-shaped structure, often ten or twelve
feet high and six or eight feet in diameter.
Openings in the mass lead 70 the center
where is found the nest, consisting of the
finely divided inner bark Of trees, dried grass,
etc. But it is to the peculiar thicviSh propensi.
ty Of this little creature that wish to call at.
tent!On. TO make my story Ineligible, |
would first state that am partial owner of
some property on the Oregon coast, on which
saw mill had been placed, but which, ow-
ing to various causes, has never been in oper-
alton. On this property was u dwelling
house for hands, in which, on work being
discontinued, were stored quantity of stuff,
tools, packing for the engine, six or seven
kegs Of large spikes; in the closets, knives,
forks, spoons, etc. A large Cookng.stovc
was lclt III one or the rooms.
This house was left uninhabited for two
years, and, being at some distance from the
little settlement, it was frequently broken into
by tramps who sought shelter for the night
When | entered this house | was astonshed
to sec an immense rats nest on the empty
stove. On examining this nest, which was
about five feet in height and occupied the
whole top of the stove "a large range) found
the outside to be composed entirely of spikes,
all laid with symmetry so as to present the
points OF the nails outward. In the center
of this nest, composed of finely divided iibers
Of the hemp packing, interlaced with the
spikes we found the following: About three
dozen knives, forks, and spoons, all the but
cher knives, three in number large cary.
ing.knife, fork, and steel; several large plugs
of tobacco; the outside casing of n silver
watch was disposed OF in one part OF the pile,
the glass of the same watch in another, and
the works in still another; an old purse con-
tanning some silver, matches and tobacco
nearly all the small tools from the tool clos
cts. among them several large augers. Alto
gether, it was very curious mixture of DIFF.
terent articles, all of which must have been
transported some distance, as they were orig
inally stored in different parts of the house.
The ingenuity and skill displayed in the
construction of this nest and the curious
taste for articles of iron, many of them heavy,
iorComponent parts, struck me with surprise.
The articles Of value were, 7 think, stolen
from the men who had broken into the house
for temporary lodging, 1 have preserved a
sketch Of the iron-clad nest, which | think
unique in natural history
Many curious facts have since been related
to me concerning the habits of this little
creature. A miner told me the following
He once, during the mining excitement in
SlskyiOu county. became in California par
lance dead broke" and applied for and OBJ. |
tained employment in mining camp, where
the owners, hands and all, slept in the same
cabin. Shortly after his arrival small articles
to disappear if a whole plug of
tobacco was left on the table, it would be
gone in the morning. Finally a bag contain
ing one hundred or more dollars in gold
dust, was taken from a small bunk" )" in which
one Of the proprietOrs Of the claim slept.
Suspicion fell on the new conner, and he
would perhaps have fared hardly; for, with
hose rough miners, punishment is short and
sharp; but just in time, a large rats nest
was discovered in the garret of the
cabin, and in it was found the missing
money, as well as the tobacco and other ari-
clcs supposed to have been stolen.