Smyrna times., 1893-12-27
RATS IN A SILVER MINE.
Their Usefulness as Scavengers and sac
city as DANGER SignaIs.

S'S oS OdhSer signals.
The first rats were brought to the
Comstock from California in freipht
wagons principally, most likely in fbe
big prairie schoOners," slowed away
among boxes and crates of goods. Their
rapid increase, after their first annear-
ance ON the COmstOcz, was astonishing
From 10 to IA young are produced at q
birth, and there are several litters each
| year; besides, Il rat is a 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 a congenial home
and home free from the terrifying nrns.
ence OF members of the feline tribe
Never was cat seen in any of the lower
levels OF the mines, though thev 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 tilnbers began to he
set up and cribs of waste rock built thew
were able to find safe hiding places: also
there was room for them everywhere he
hlnd the tagging Of the drifts. AS thew
increased III numbers there was on all
sldes an increase Of space through the
rapid extraction of ore by the miners.
They doubtless soon discovered that
Ihough man was their enemy on the sur
face, he was their friend down in the nm
derground drifts and chambers. He
shared his meal with them, and thew
scampered and Capered about him with
perfect lmpunity. The warmth of tho
lower levels appeared to be verv conoe-
NAL to the rats, both old and vouno
Cold Is thing unknown to them. II is
as though they had been given immense
hothOuses i'll which to breed. Anv tom
Perature they desire, from 60 degrees to
15O degrees, is at their command. Rats
are useful as scavengers in mines They
oeVour all the scraps of meat and other
IOod thrown upon the ground bv the
miners while at lunch, eating even tbo
hardest bones, thus preventing bad odor
AS the decay of the smallest thing is nm
endurable i'll a mine, the miners never
Intentionally kill rat.
The miners have a high oninio,, &c
thelr sagacity. The rats generally give
the miners the first notice of dancer
when big cave is about to occur. tbev
are seen to swarm out of the drifts and !
scamper about the floors of n level atm
wonted times. The settling of the waste
rock probably pinches the animals in
thelr dens, causing them at once to leave |
III search OF less dangerous quarters
AL times, when Il mine has been sbut
down for few weeks, the rats become
ravenously hungry. Then they do NOT
scrupIe to devour the young, old and
weak OF their kind. During the susnen-
sion OF work in a mine that is not con-
nected with other mines that are RIM
nlng, everything eatable in the under
ground regions is devoured, even the
candle drippings on the floors.
When work is resumed, the almost
Iamlshed creatures are astonishinoIv
bold and fearless. Then they will come
out OF their holes and get upon the nm
foreground engines-even when thev are
N rapid motion-and drink the oil out of
The OIL cups, quite regardless of the nres-
7nce of the engineers.
A fire in a mine slaughters the rats nv
me wholesale. Few escape, as the gases
every nook and GRANNY of the
underground regions, and often so sud-
iehly as to asphyxiate them in their
lomes.-Engineering Journal.