Evening star., 1893-12-09
RATS IN A SILVER NINE,
of Value to Miners as Scavengers and
I'm Giving Warning of Danger.

The first rats were brought to the Com
stock from California in freight wagons
principally. most likely in the big prairie
schooners" slowed away among boxes and
crates of goods. Their rapid increase after
their first appearance on the Comstock was
astonishing. From ten to fourteen are pro-
duced at birth, and, according to the En-
gineering Journal, there are several litters
each year; besides, a rat is a great grand
rather before he is a year old Then the
rats that colonized the Comstock towns en-
countered no enemies. There were no cats
IN the country. The rats soon discovered
the mines and found therein a congeniaI
nome and home free from the terrifying
presence OF members of the feline tribe
Never was cat seen in any of the lower
leFelS or the mines, though they sometimes
prowl about the surface of the tunnels In
the hrst opening of the mines there was no
place FOR the rats, but as soon as The tin1-
bers began to be set up and cribs of waste
rock built they were able TO find safe hid
ing places; also there was room for them
everywhere behind 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
Ihey doubtless soon discovered that
tnough man was their enemy on the surface
he was their friend down in the underground
drifts and chambers. He shared his meal
with them as they scampered by The
very congenial to the rats. both old and
young. Cold is a thing unknown to them 1t
is as though they had been given immense
not houses in which to breed. ANY tempera-
ture they desire, from 60 to l3O degrees, is
at their command. Rats are useful as scav-
engers in mines. They devour all the scraps
OF meat and other food thrown upon the
ground by the miners while at lunch, eat
ing even the hardest bones, thus preventing
bad odor. AS the decay of the smallest
thlng Is uncomfortable in a mine, the miners
never Intentionally kill a rat
me miners have a high opinion of their
sagaclty. The rats generally give the miners
the nrst notice of danger. When a big cave
Is about to occur they are seen 10 swarm
out OF the drifts and scamper about the
noors or level at unwonted times. The
setting 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 a mine has been
shut down for few weeks the rats bacome
ravenously hungry. Then they do not scruple
10 devour the young, old and weak OF their
klnd. During the suspension of work in a
mine that Is not connected with other mines
that are running everything eatable in the
Underground regions is devoureG, even TO
the candle drippings on the floors. When
work is resumed the almost ramished crea-
lures are astonishingly bold and fearless.
Then they Will come out of their holes and
get upon the underground engines (even
when they are in rapid notion and drink
the oil out OF the oil cups. quite regardless
or the presence of the engineers. A fire in
mine slaughters the rats by the wholesale
Few escape. as the gases penetrate every
nook and Granny OF the underground re-
gions. and often suddenly as to asphyx-
late them in their homes