Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-31
sklLLFuL FOUR LEGGED MINERS.
Cunning Gophers and How They Bore
TunneIs-where They Garry Food.

Cunning Gopher and How They Bore
Tunneis-where They Garry Food.
In appearance, the gopher, or pouehed
rat, as it is sometimes called, resembles a
short tailed and short legged rat, with
large head and protruding teeth Their
cheeks attract attention, having the ap-
pearance Of being pushed out or stuffed
with something, but this Is owing to the
fact that our miner has two very strange
receptacles, one on each side, separate
and distinct from the mouth, little car
pet bags we might call them, each lined
with fur, and large enough to enable me
10 thrust In my thumb to the first joint.
Pouches, they are sometimes and oftcn
called, and as to their use, there seems 10
be diversity OF opinion.
The front claws of this miner are ex-
tremely large and powerful and enable it
to construct tunnels with remarkable ra-
pidity. When once beneath the surface
they construct their mines In every direc-
ton, with no great regularity, but evil
IDENTIFY with the idea Of forming q laby-
rinth that will carry off foods That this
is successful l have frequently demon
strated by turning a large stream Of
water into the mine. 1t would run in
without overlooking for long time, and
| have never succeeded in forcing one out
by this means.
1t would naturally be supposed that
such miners would place their nest at
some distant or deep lead in the mine, but
the reverse is the rule, the warm nest of
bits Of weed being formed very near the
surface, from which different mines lead
away, taking any water that might come
in 1t might be assumed that the bags or
pouches were used TO carry out the dirt
and stones removed, but, curiously
enough, they use them for exactly the re-
verse, and for carrying seeds or food.
AS soon as gopher makes up its mind
that its mining operations have been OBJ
served, 1t invariably crawls out, or partly
out, Of the mine or burrow, and filling
its pouches with sticks and sand, backs
quickly in, its tail seemingly guiding it to
the hole with unfailing regularity, the
animal never turning, but always back
ing, and moving so rapidly that it seems
almost like the curious lizard that runs
one way as well as another. The soil and
material carried in this way is deposited
at the entrance of the mine, and IL the
animal thinks that danger is imminent it
bites off earth ut the mouth Of the bur
row. Having done this for few mo-
ments it disappears and second later
the opening closes. and a close examina-
ton shows quivering of the earth and a
repeated pushing up as If some one was
patting il from below. In short, the
mine has been filled up from below and
so skillfully that few would notice it.
But where is the miner? Not off in
some deep lead hundreds of feet away,
but near at hand, in n tunnel quite at the
surface, that has a port hole about as
large as pea, Through this port hole"
the willy miner takes observations, and
the tunnel will not be reopened for weeks
If il is watched
The gopher comes out generally at night
to feed and carries seeds in its pouches,
but the sand and gravel that is removed
from the mine is never taken in this way,
being pushed up by the animals breast
and forefeet. They are the pests of the
southwest portions Of the continent, and
the valleys of southern California are
tunneled by maze Of their mines
Golden Days.