The evening world., 1893-12-20
RATS IN MINES.
The Rodents Are Favorites with tn-
dprpround TOilers.

The first rats were brought 10 the
rUmstuck from California in freight
waguns, principally. most likely. In the
among buxss and crates Of goods. Tneir
rapid increase after their FIRST APPEAR
snce on the tomstuck was astonishing.
says the Engineering Journal From
ten TO fourteen young are produced at
II birth. and there are several ltters
each ear, besides a rat IL II great grand
father before he !" a year old. Then
the rats that c~DlUniZ. the tOmstOCk
towns encountered no enemies There
wrt" no cats IN the country.
The rats soon discovered the mines.
and uuni therein q cungenial home and
ur members vf tn. fel.n" tribe. Never
was Il eat seen III any OF the lower
l'N"lS of the mines, thought they some
lines pruwi about the surfac. OF the
tunnels. III the first opening OF the
mines there was no place for the rats,
but as soon ~ III" timbers began to be
set up and cribs Of waste rock. butt
they were able to lind safe hiding
places: also th, re was room FOR them
anywhere behind IA. tagging OF the
drifts. AS they increased In numbers
there was on all sides an increase "
space through the rapid extraction OF
ore by the miners.
Th-y doubtless soon discovered that.
though II man was their enemy on the
surface, h" was their friend down In the
underground drifts and chambers. lie
shared his meal with them. and they
sea and caprr-i about him with
perfect immunity. The warmth Of tn.
lover levels appeared to he very con
genial to the rats, both old and Young
cold IL n thing unknown to them. Ii Is
az though they had been given immense
hot houses In which to breed
Any temperature they desire. from "
degrees to 1870 degrees, is at their com
mArl.
Rats are useful us scavcngers in mines
They devour all the scraps Of meat an,
other food thrown upon the ground by
the miners while at lunch. eating ever
the hardest bones. thus preventing bac
Is uncomfortable in a mine. the miners
never Intentionally Kill "A rat.
Th- miners have Il high opinion o
their sagacity. The rats generally siv'
The miners the first notice OF danger
When IA big cave IL about to occur the.
are seen to swarm out OF the drifts ant
scamper about the floors OF a level a
unwonted times. The settling OF tn,
waste rock probably pinches the animal
IN their dens. causing them ~ once Il
leave In search Of less dangerous quar-
ters.
At times. when "a mine has been shu
down FOR n few weeks. the rats becom,
r~ar"nously hungry. Then they do 10
scruple to d.vour the young. old an,
weak Of Their kind. During the suspen
sion OF work In II mine that is not con
n,cted with other mines that are run
Mag. everything eatable In the under
ground region is devoured. even tn
candle drippings on the floors. Whei
work Is resumed the almost famishe,
creatures are astonishingly bold an,
fearless. Then they will come out o
their holes II get upon he under
ground engines (even when they are II
rapid notion and drink the oil out o
the tin cups. quite regardless OF tn
presence of the engineers.
A fire in a mine s%laughters the rat
by the wholesale. Few escape, az tn
gases penetrate every nook and cram.
~ the underground regions. and Oftel
40 Suddenly as to asphyxiate them Il
tl!rIr homes.