The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-03-16

handle the biggest and most vicious
mine rats just as he pleases without
being bitten. No one else in the mine
can do it, and the miners and mule
drivers assert that Johnny has a mys-
FERROUS power over the four-legged
pests of the mine. Johnny never hurts
or kills rat, although every other
laborer in the mine Stays every rat he
gets chance to, and the foreman of
the mule barn sets all sorts of traps
for the rats, and keeps an army. Of cats
to prey on them. 1t is impossible to
exterminate the mine rats, and Johnny
Roche says he is glad of it, because he
would be lonesome if all the rats were
killed The rats get into the mine in
bales OF hay for the mules and by
backing down the timbers of the shaft
They arrive and breed faster than. tho
.-~. men and cats can kill them. and
Johnny is cheerful whenever a new
hatch comes. =" @$>
A man fond of oddities found out the
other day when he. was lowered into
the mine that Johnny :Roche's way of
catching rats with, his :baies hands was
very interestipg. Xs:;sHon- las. there
was an interval .betweenf ST ipsiJqhnny
placed his lamp on =, chunk Of coal at
the side of the gangway ;,and crawled
on his hands and kafes info chamber
a few feet away: liza milnte Or SO 4
big graz ratai,opped: along. the stop; Of
the COB, between Johnny and the
light, and the next instant: ohnpy's
right hand shat,Gut and caus ht. the rat
by the back Of the neck He brought
the rat out to-, the lamp: To- lei the
visitor-see It and then he looked limits
mouth, smoothed' its fur and,held1i it UP
by the tail. "A trip okears: was COM
'i;:::inig;s and Johnny slipped the - into
s.: hi4t cpat pockets unlocked the link:
hooked another, took the rat out: tied
- STRANDED lamp wick loosely around
its neck and drove II back and forth il
the dim light When the; lad heard
the next trip rum uspRh the
mine toward him he falfshY4 Tho rick
to - prop and attended to his duties.
s!phe: rat didn't '6t's(er 70 ysnk away or
to bite the wick in twe but It hoped
about little and then it. sat, upon its
hind quarters. gazed at johnny: and
's'squealed g though it wanted him to
:. 4spome;a and fondle it. s :' 20 IT
:. ,ssr :s1at, catch. another rat nov and
- harness 1t with this one" said TIE booy;
and again he crept into: tho recess Slsl
'faG4d. the, lamp ;. The ,ra*s E3danced
the prop, bpt sdidn't ebsseals
= aid just before thessnext drip
:::t,Peae. Johnny :pabbed ANOTHER BIG rat
it 81 his pocket. AZ soon az
;;t<sSfstr .wds Zone Johnny satH6 OF
;::s.a LEI. tte second rs ruah over HIS
lsh itAoat tenohinR ~: 'Cherat 1niab&s
~ .haVe jumped away, but it seemed to- h
under spell, and when it had capered
s,..,aeroeg1, Ate legs sa;few rti1psssit
e1edinto his coat and Struggled up
=: was going to taks i nap: Pretty
ee@;atEef4d iau 1howed iesetthto die
held itsnv Wt6eteil.
1eseF IL tnr1ed up and stuck its nose be-
tween the lads thumb and 6p2er.,
Meanwhife the other rat was squeal-
ing for Johnny to come and take it,
and the young rat tanner got some
more strands, hitched the.t&ygtexst4er
and drove them up and down the track.
Now 1'lls:1iidetF these rats ii my Il coat.
an4ssNAatslFesyee laeRs; 7. ;katd
&tss s1S5Rsa \; & 1 pnlle %h ea
s Dc sest Bundled 1Re Eets!pp IN it;aaa'
q 06t three timesstQ Attend to thez ear
! - before he got lelGs tS butsit1 MOI
~ minutes he caught another and
!, 8. q ss'ss
black and white tom cat appeared and
went TO ayeing the lively rats. Johnny
tied his little team to the prop when he
heard the cars, and the tom cat sat On