The Van Buren press., 1874-11-10
JACK RABBITS.
How One of Them Saved Miner Life
ISsn Francisco Golden Era. ]

While my friend Clyde and myself were
out in the hills back of the Golden Gate
Park last week, a jack rabbit came along
and stopped to look at us.
=" II had thought to bring my revolv-
er along we would have jack on toast for
breakfast to morrow" l remarked.
Not with my consent" he replied
"What reason can you give for not
consenting r
"a rabbit saved my life, and hav.
not killed one since, and never will kill
one again.
How did he manage to save your
life?'
Three years ago was living in Mon
tana. A smeter had just been built,
and it created a demand for silver rock.
/ owned an interest in lead that had
been sunk on thirty feet Thinking the
time had come to make it available,
concluded to go there and get some ore
and have it tested. l did so, and reached
the place just in time to take shelter in
the mine from a terrible hail storm / |
lighted my candle, went to the bottom
and went to work. had not been there |
i
noise that sounded like a cannon The
rock over my head shook, and in mo
ment the shaft behind me caved. You
can imagine my feelings better than can
describe them, when found myself bu |
ried alive. l trcmble even at this dis
tant day when think of that moment
The roof Of the shaft was rocks, and
when they came down they did not pack
90 tight but what the air came through |
There was nothing that | could do to re
lease myself. knew that if relief did
not come from the outside must perish
No one knew l 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 | com
menced calling again; and all day, when
ever thought heard asound, shouted
"When night came again all hopes of
being released had abandoned me- One
thing. added great bitterness to my sui
ferings. 1 owed quite large amount
Of money, and, should my fate remain
unknown, my creditors would think
had fed to defraud them, and my name
would be stigmatized.
"l will not dwell on the agonies en-
dured ; l am sorry ! cannot forget them
"The morning OF the fourth day of
my Imprisonment heard something
crawl into my grave. | lighted my can,
die and saw rabbit. There was only
one aperture large enough to admit him
l 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
fsh'lines; their united length would
reach to the road took off my shirt,
tore it into strings, tied them together,
and on to the fish line ] 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 dairy, |
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 Of my shirt around Jack S neck |
and let him out. He soon reached the |
end Of the line, and knew by the way
that he was pulling that he was making
desperate attempts to escape. Soon the
tugging stopped, and knowing gnawing
to be Jacks chief accomplishment, |
thought he bad cut himself loose About
hours afterwards felt the line pulled,
then some one called tried to answer,
but the hoarse noise ] made died in the
cavern. then pulled the line to show
that was not dead.
"All grew still again, and | knew the
man had gone for assistance. Then came
the sound of voices pulled in the line,
and it brought me food. 1t took all the
men who worked in the shaft nine hours
t. reach me.
"A very large pine tree that stood
near the shaft had been the cause of my
miafortune 1t had been dead a number
Of years, and the storm had blown it
over. The terrible blow it struck the
ground had caused the cave
"Jack had wound the line around Il !
bush, and tied himself 50 short that he
was imprisoned outside as securely as
had been inside lie was taken to town,
put in large cage, and supplied with all
the rabbit delicaoics the market afforded
He, however, did not thrive. and the
boys, believing that he pined in thought
voted to set him FREQ He was taken
back to his old girding grounds and lib
Grated.
lie not only saved my life, but be.
came the benefactor Of all the rabbits in
the ghborhood-- miners refraining
from shooting any, fearing it might be
him."