The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-03-16
touR FOOTED MINERS.
1inidity ana Skill Dispiayrd by the Gopher
Ia underground Boring.

In Southern California a number OF
interesting miners are found. and one
very attractive fellow Is a long-tailed
gray squirrel that constructs the most
astonishing tunnels. The most skilled
worker. however, Is gopher, known
to science as the Geomys Mericdnms
Tea or twelve years ago they relgned
supreme in the now fertile valley of
san Gabriel. that lies east of the fa-
nous city of Los Angeles. From my
window. as | write, numbers of the
mounds of these miners can be seen,
but they are so remarkably sly and cum
ming that. though | have watched for
hours. have only seen one six inches
away from his hole, but AS this short
experience was repeated an indefinite
number of times, may be said to be
on terms of intimacy with one OF the
most timid of all miners.
In appearance the gopher. or pouched
| rat, as IL Is sometimes called. resem-
blcs short-tailed and short-legged rat.
with a large head and proiruding teeth.
| Their checks attract attention, having
the appearance of being pushed out or
stufsd 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 carpot-bags. we might
call them. each lined with fur. and
large enough To enable me to thrust In
my thumb to the first joint. Pouches
they are sometimes or often called. and
as to their use there seems TO be di-
versity of opinion.
The front claws of this miner are ex-
tremeiy large and powerful. and ena-
hles IL to construct tunnels with re-
markable rapidity. When once be-
meath the surface they construct their
mines In every direction. with no great
regularity, but evidently with the idea
of forming labyrinth that will carry
off floods. TIL this Is successful
have frequently demonstrated by turn
ing large stream of water into the
mines. Ii would run in without over
flowing for long time. and l have
never succeeded in forcing one out by
this means It would naturally be
supposed that such miners would place
their nest at some distant or deep lead
IN ,be rhine, 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 aud stones removed; but. curious
~ enough. they use them for exactly
the reverse. and for carrying seeds OF
food. As soon as gopher makes up
lis mind that its mining operations
have been observed il invariably crawls
! out. or partly crawls out, of the mine
or burrow. and. filling its pouches
with sticks and sand. backs quickly in
its tail seemingly guiding 1t TO the hole
with nnfliling regularity. the animal
; never turning but always backing. and
, moving 30 rapidly that it seems almost
like the curious lizarl that runs one
. way as well as another. The soil and
} material carried in in this way is de
, posted at the entrance of the nine
, and if the animal thinks that danger i
imminent it bites off earth at the
mouth of the burrow Having don,
} this for few moments it disappears
! and second later the opening closes
!, and close examination shows quiv.
. er.ng OF the earth and a repeated
e pushing upas IL some one was pattins
il from below.
!, In short. the mine has been filled NJ
!, from below. and so skillfully that few
: would notice it. But where is tn,
2 miner? Not off i'm some deep lead hun
: dreds of feet away. but near at hand il
= tunnel quite at the surface that has
; porthole about as large as a pea
Through this peep hole" the vii!
miner takes observations, and the tun
. mel will not be reopened for weeks if /
2 is watched. Golden Days