The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-02
RATS IN A SILVER MINE.
Their Usefulness as Scavcngcrs and Saga
city as Danger Signals.

city as Danger Signals.
Tho first rats We're brought to the
Comstock from California i'll freight
wagons principally, most likely in tho
big ''prairie schooners,' slowed away
among boxes and crates OF goods. Their
rapid increase, after their first appear
ance on the Comstocli, WAS astonishing.
From 10 to II young arc produced at a
birth, and there are several littcrs each
year; besides, Il rat is Il great-grand-
father before he is ~ year old Then, the
rats that colonizcd the Comstock towns
encountered no enemies. There were nc
cats III the country.
The rats soon discovered the mines
and found therein Il congenial home,
and u 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 III numbers there was on all
sides an increase of space through the
rapid extraction OF orc by the miners.
They doubtless soon discovered that,
though man was their enemy on the sur
face, he was their friend down in the I'M
foreground drifts and chambers. He
shared his meal with them. and they
scampered and capered about him with
perfect IMMUNITY. The warmth of the
lower levels appeared to be very congo
NAL to the rats, both old and Young.
Cold is thing unknown to them. 1t is
as though they had been given immense
lighthouses i'll which TO breed. ANY tenn
perature they desire, from 60 degrees to
100 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
endnrablc Ill Il mlnc, the miners never
Intentionally kill a rat
The miners have /; high opinion of
their sagacity. The rats generally rive
the miners the first notice of danger.
When Il big cave is about TO occur. they
are seen to swarm out Of the drifts and
scamper about the floors Of IL level at I'M
wonted times. The settling of the waste
rock probably pinches the animals in
their dens, causing them mt once to leave
III search of less dangerous quarters.
AT times. when IL mine has been shut
down for Il few weeks, the rats become
tremendously hungry. Then they do not
scruple to devour the young, old and
weak OF their kind. During tho suspen-
SION OF work i'll a mine that is not con
nected with other mines that are run
ming, everything catablc in the under
ground regions is devourcd, even the
candle drippings OH 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 I'M
foreground engines-even when they are
Ill rapid motion-and drink the oil out of
tho oil cups, quite regardless of the pres
ence.of the engineers
a lire III mine slaughters the rats bv
tho 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.-Enginecrin Journal.