The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-12-16
MISCELLANY.
UTILIZING AJAcK RABnIT.

While my friend Clyde and myself were out
in the hills of the Golden Gate Park, jack
rabbit came along and stopped to look at us.
"If had thought to bring my revolver
along we would have jack toast for
breakfast tomorrow, /" Il remarked.
Not with my consent, +" he replied.
"What reason can you give for not consent
ing"
!" A rabbit saved my life once, and / have
not killed one since, and will never kill on,
again.
How did he,managed to save your life?
Three years age, was livingin Montana
A smelter had just been built, and it created
a demand for silver rock. l owned an interest
in lead that had been sunk on 30 feet
Thinking the time had come to make II
available, | concluded to go there and get
some ore and have it tested. did so and
reached the place just in time to take shelter
in the mine from a terrible hailstorm. ]
lighted my candle, went to the bottom, and
went to work | had not been there more
than five minutes when heard a noise that
sounded like a cannon. The rock over my
head shook, and in a moment the shaft behind
me caved. You can imagine my feelings
better than can describe them, when found
myself buried alive. tremble even at this
distant day when / think of that moment.
The roof Of the shaft was rocks, still when
they came down they did not pack SO tight
but what the air came through. There was
nothing that could do to release myself.
knew that if relief did not come from the out
side must perish. No one knew had gone
there. A road ran past the mouth of the
shaft but it was not travelled much, and
was not likely to attract attention by calling ;
nevertheless / shouted at intervals all day.
The following morning commenced calling
again; and all day, whenever / thought
heard sound, shouted.
"When night came on. again all hopes of
being released had abandoned me. One
thing added great bitterness to my sufferings.
owed quite large amount of money, and,
should my fate remain unknown, my credi-
tors would think had fled to defraud them,
and my name would be stigmatized.
az will not dwell on the agonies endured
am sorry cannot forget them.
sThe morning of the fourth day of my i'm
prisonment heard something crawl into my
grave. lighted my candle and saw rab-
bit. There was only one aperture large
enough to admit him closed it to prevent
his escape. saw in him food to appease my
hunger and my hand was raised to kill him.
when thought occurred to me that prevented
/ the blow from descending. had two fish
lines their united length would reach to the
road. took off my shirt. tore it into strings,
tied them together and on the fish line. l
wore long, gold watch chain; tied it on to
the part of the line that would cross the road.
/ then cut several leaves from my diary, wrote
ON them my condition, and tied them on to
that part of the line that would be outside.
then tied the end made out ofmy shirt around
Jacks neck and let him out. He soon
reached the end Of the line, and I knew by
the way be was pulling that he was making
desperate attempts to escape. Soon the tug
ging stopped, and knowing gnawing to be
Jacks chief accomplishment, thought he
had cut himself loose. About three hours
afterward felt the line pulled, and some one
called and tried to answer, but the hoarse
noise made died in the cavern. then pull
ed the line to show that was not dead.
"All grew still again, and knew the man
/ had gone for assistance. Then came the
soui,d of voices; pulled in the line, and it
brought me food. 1t took all the men who
worked in the shaft nine hours to reach me.
ga very large pine tree that stood near the
shaft had been the cause Of my misfortune.
1t had been dead number of years, and the
storm had blown it over. The terrible blow
1t struck the ground had caused the cave.
/ Jack had wound the line around bush,
and tied himself so short that he was Inn
prisoned outside as securely as had been in
side. He was taken to town, put large
cage, and supplied with all the rabbit delica-
cies the market afforded He. however, did
not thrive, and the boys, believing that he
spined in thought voted to set him free.