The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-10-31
Utilizing a Jack Rabbit.

While my friend Clyde and myself
were out in the hills back of the Golden
Gate Park last week, jack rabbit came
along, and stopped to look at us.
''If I had thought to bring my revol-
yer along we would have jack on toast
for breakfast to morrow" remarked.
"Not with my consent" he replied.
"What reason can you give for not
consenting9"
"a rabbit saved my life, and have
not killed one since, and will never kill
one again"
"How did he manage to save your
life?"
"Three years ago was living in Mon
tana. A smelter had just been built,
and 1t created demand for silver rock.
owned an interest in a lead that had
been sunk on 30 feet. Thinking the
time had come to make it available,
concluded to go there and get some ore
and have it tested. did so; and reach
ed the place just in time to take shelter
in the mine from terrible hailstorm. I
lighted my candle, went to the bottom,
and went to work. l had not been
there more than FIVE minutes when l
heard noise that sounded like can.
non. The rock over my head shook,
and in moment the shaft behind me
cayed. You can imagine my feelings
better then can describe them, when
l found myself buried alive. trem-
bic even at this distant day when l
think of that moment. The roof of the
shaft was rocks, and when they came
down they did not pack so tight but
what the air came through. There was
nothing that could do to release my
self. knew that IL relief did not come
from the outside must perish. No one
knew ! had gone there. A road ran
past the mouth of the shaft; but 1t was
not travelled much, and 1 was not like
ly to attract attention by calling; never
theless, shouted at intervals all day.
The following morning l commenced
calling again; and all day, whenever
thought heard sound, shouted.
"When night came again all hopes ol
being released had abandoned me. One
thing added great bitterness to my suf.
ferings. owed quite a 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.
; 81 will not dwell on the agoHies / en-.
dured; am sorry cannot forge
them.
"The morning of the fourth day o.
my imprisonment l heard something
crawl into my grave. I lighted my
candle and saw rabbit. There wa
only one aperture large enough to ad-
init him; closed it to prevent his es-
cape. saw in him food to appease my
hunger, and my hand was.raised to xii
} him, when thought occurred to m,
that prevented the blow from descend
ing, had two fish lines; their unitet
length would reach to the road. tool
off my shirt, tore 1t into strings, tiet
them together, and on to the fish lines
l wore long, gold watch chain;
tied It on to the part of the line tina
would cross the road. then cut sev
eral leaves from my diary, wrote oil
them.my condition ,sand-tied them OIL
', to that part Of the line that would b.
on the outside. / then tied the end mad
, ousOf my shirt around, Jacks neck anC
= let him out. He soon. reached the en-,
OF the line, and knew by the way h,
was pulling that he was making despe
rate attempts to escape. Soon the tug
ging stopped, and knowing that gnaw'
ing was Jacks chief accomplishment
l thought he had cut himself loose
About three hours afterward | felt tn,
line pulled, and some one called 1 triet
to answer, but the hoarse noise mad
died in the cavern. i then pulled thu
line TO show that was not dead.
"All grew still again, and l knew
the man had gone for assistance. Ther
came the sound of voices; l pulled IL
the line, and it brought me food. /
took all the men who worked in the
shaft nine hours to reach me.
Z "a very large pine tree that stood
near the shaft had been the cause o.
: my misfortune. 1t had been dead {
number of years, and the storm haC
blown 1t over The terrible blow Il
= struck the ground had caused the cave
c "Jack had wound the line around q
8 bush, and tied himself so short that ht
r was imprisoned outside as securely as
r had been inside. He was taken to town
put in large cage, and supplied with
all the rabbit delicacies the market af'
forded. He however, did not thrive,
0 and the boys believing that he 'plned In
' thought voted to set him free. He
. was taken back to his old girdling
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