Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-04-02

continue for two or three days. Then
the situation seems to be accepted bT the
home rats, and the miners have TO take
it. The combined armies of rats over
run the mine, and. the regular means Of
sussenance not being sufficient for the
increased demand, the rats become so
bold and persistent that no, even the
mules are safe whea le!. by themselves.
l have often heard miners say that on oc.
casions Of this kind it was a common
thing 10 find the stable floors covered
with hundreds OF rats that had been
trampled to death by the mules, as. i.
seemed to be a passion with the rats to
gnaw the fe,locks of the mules, and they
often succeed IN eating them entirely
away, despite the frantic kicking and
tramping Of the animals and the scores
of their own members that were crushed
beneath their feet.
'In one mine, few years ago, mat
tcLS UCSaiAC SoNCSISiatc Atou tuS CuOI-
nous increase Of rats, owing to the cav
ing in Of neigboring mine. tha, tho
miners had TO take desperate measures or
surrender the mine to the invaders. |,
was impossible to keep enough feed on
hand for the needs OF the mules and the
poor beasts grew so thin that they could
scarcely do their work Even the miners
soap, lamp oil. and other supplies used
in their work were devoured by the army
OF rats that overran the chambers.
The persistent animals would gnaw
through the tool boxes in incredibly
biief time end empty them in a twin.
king OF all portable aud edible stores.
1.-The miners were forced to bury their
dinner buckets beneath piles Of coal to
keep the contents away from the rats, and
even then the hungry animals often ex-
cavatcd the hidden food. Not q day
passed but one or more miners would be
compelled to fight with a horde of saw
age rats that disputed with him for tho
possession Of his lunch. The miners at
last laid aside their tools and devoted
their time to decreasing the rat popula-
ton OF that mine. The mules were
taken out. and Ia all parts OF tha mine
poisoned food was scattered plentifully.
This was keep up for three days, and the
rerult was most satisfactory. The third
day three mine cars were heaped full OF
dead rats that were gathered from the
tunnel floors, and the two tons OF car
casscs were carted to the outside and
buried in one great pit dug for the pur-
pose. Operations were then resumed,
the rats left being on peace footing"
"As general thing a miner will not
harm a mine rat Some miners, especi-
ally of the old school, would, almost as
soon think OF killing their children as q
mine rat except on such occasions AS ]
the rats as safeguards and infaltlblc pre-
sarers Of danger in mine. They have
an instinct, the miners say, that warns
them Of a pending fall Of roof or siu'lar
disaster, and when they are seen scurry-
ing away from one section Of mine TO
another the workmcn know that the
rats are giving them u danger slYnal,
and they hurry away in response to 1t.
The chances are ten TO one that therc
will coon be a cave-in NOR. or less seri-
Gus in the part OF the mine thus aban-
doncd by the rats, Us long experlenc AMI
observation have amply proved. The
superstition. miner believes that the inl nc
rat gives warning Of this By some super
natural it possesses, but the practical
man exVtalns It by the theory 'hs. whea
a mlue begins 10 WORK, .s the quiet
settling Of one preparatory 10 4 cave-ir
is called the rats are disturbed in thci.
hiding places. and they hurry away &c
seck places Of safety.
.'The mine rat is ordinarily as big a
two 0. the common house rat. and II
possessed Of arazing intelligence. tt
he called Is s,nar: as il mine IA, is 10 re-
c.ive the hi. est compliment in the
mining re ions It is 10 in.re4nent tbine
for miner .od some par'icuias ra. Il
form strong a:'acSners: .ot e4ca Other
and | have often seen a 'nia"F and big
brigh,-eyed minc rat Iuncaing ,"gethe
like tro oil crsnies, : quarter OF q mil
down u .he black depths of the earth.
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