Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-07-29
ouEER ANIMALS IN MINES.


Found Below the Earth.
In connection with the resumpticB
Of mining along the famous ABlut
lead,' in this section, most pecus
liar discovery was made. Among
the mines now being worked is thd
old Potter mine, owrfed by Mrs. Ben
Bishop and rechristened the Bishop
mine. When the Bishop mine wa4
first reopened one Of the WIN boys
entered dry slope leading to secs
ond shaft whose existence was un.
known, owing to a thick growth Of
brush and trees about it, and had
nearly reached the shaft when be
noticed large number Of fiie4
buzzing about him in a very trouble.
some manner. He made several
slaps at them, and accidentally
caught one.
On examining it by the aid Of bis
lantern he was nearly startled into
letting 1t go by the uncanny appears
ance OF the insect. 1t was abso,
lutely white, with the exception Of
Its eyes, which, having the usual red
color, seemed unusually large and
prominent. The red-eyed white fly,
while not being common, is not un-
known in the older mines, partlcu-
larly the deep coal mines OF the
East; but this is the first time, SO
Tar as known, that they have been
found in any California mine, Where
access to light and the open air are
too easily obtainable for flies to re-
main below long enough to fade out
Scarcely had Mr.. Win recovered
from his surprise at the white flies
When no Yas startled again, this
time by the ecret,.in' ec,i'; sound a rat
tlesnake's N Fami Look.
ing CAREFUL apd d to eyes
Of the reptafsS e set
ceased and
| ing conSclu=Fns wrlUneu fnb>
from behind protruding b3lsas,.si
A couple more rocks dispatched the
creature, which proved to be a rats
tier of over four feet long. One Of
the rocks thrown had knocked off a
good part of his snakeship's rattles,
so his age was not to be discovered
but he must have been an old fell
low. The color of the snake was
pure white. Though a temperate
man, Mr.. viii was not fully satis-
fed that he was in his ordinary con-
dltton of sanity until he had dragged
his prizes back to the newly opened
shaft and listened to the expressions
OF surprise of his companions at the
appearance Of the two captures.
Prof. Harlow Ballard, Buffalo. who
was visiting Bangor in search Of
mineral specimens, secured the
snake and several specimens of the
white flies, which he has preserved
and shipped to the East. The Pro,
fesSor is of the opinion that the flies
are the offspring of some imprisoned
in the slope years ago by the rising
of the water in the lower workings
The old and partially filled shaft al.
lowed air but no light, to enter the
slope, while the stream flowing into
the slope may have provided them
with food.
The snake, he thinks, may have
been carried down by the water
while very young, as it is scarceIu
possible that it is thirty years oldl
which it would have been had it re,
mained there ever since the mine
was Hooded. What the reptile atd
during its long captivity Is amona
the mysteries. Since the reopenin5
OF the Bishop mine the white eia5
have entirely disappeared, and fav
which Prof. Ballard kept in a small
glass case resumed the colors of ors
binary house flies within a weap
after exposure to the light.
Francisco Examiner.