The herald., 1893-12-14
RATS IN A SILVER MINE.
Their Usefulness a. scavengers and So
clty an nnurer Sirunla

Their Usefulness a. Scavengers and Saga
city a. Danger Signals.
The first rats were brought to the
Comstock from California in freight
wagons principally, most likely in the
big s'prairie schooners," slowed away
among boxes and crates Of goods. Their
rapid increase, after their first appear
ance on the Comstock, was astonishing
From 10 to Ia young are produced at a
birth, and there are several litters each
year; besides, rat is great-grand-
father before he is year old. Then, the
rats that colonized the Comstock towns
encountered no enemies. There were no
cats in the country.
The rats soon discovered the mines
and found therein congenial home,
and a home free from the terrifying pres
ence of members of the feline tribe.
Never was cat seen in any of the lower
levels Of the mines, though they some
times prowl about the surface of the
tunnels. In the first opening of the
mines there was no place for the rats,
but as soon as the timbers began to be
set up and cribs of waste rock built they
were able to find safe hiding places; also
there was room for them everywhere be-
hind the tagging of the drifts. As they
increased In numbers there was on all
sides an increase of space through the
rapid extraction of ore by the miners.
They doubtless soon discovered that,
though man was their enemy on the sur
face, he was their friend down in the un-
derground drifts and chambers. He
shared his meal with them, and they
perfect impunity. The warmth of the
lower levels appeared to be very congo
nial to the rats, both old and young
Cold is thing unknown to them. 1t is
as though they had been given immense
hothouses in which to breed. Any tenn
perature they desire, from go degrees to
130 degrees, is at their command. Rats
are useful as scavengers in mines. They
..devour all the scraps of meat and other
food thrown upon the ground by the
miners while at lunch, eating even the
hardest bones, thus preventing bad odor.
AS the decay Of the smallest thing is un-
endurable in a mine, the miners never
Intentionally kill rat.
The miners have high opinion of
their sagacity. The rats generally give
the miners the first notice of danger.
When big cave is about to occur, they
are seen 10 swarm out of the drifts and
scamper about the floors Of level at un-
wonted times. The settling of the waste
rock probably pinches the animals in
their dens, causing them at once to leave
in search of less dangerous quarters.
At times, when mine has been shut
down for few weeks, the rats become
ravenously hungry. Then they do not
scruple to devour the young, old and
weak of their kind. During the suspen-
sion of work in mine that is not con-
nected with other mines that are run
ming, everything eatable in the under
ground regions is devoured, even the
candle drippings ON the floors.
When work is resumed, the almost
famished creatures are astonishingly
bold and fearless. Then they will come
out of their holes and get upon the un-
derground engines-even when they are
in rapid rnotion-and drink the oil out of
the oil cups, quite regardless of the pres
ence of the engineers.
A fire in a mine slaughters the rats by
the wholesale. Few escape, as the gases
penetrate every nook and Granny of the
underground regions, and often SO sud-
denly as to asphyxiate them in their
homes.-Engineering Journal.