The morning call., 1894-02-04
RATS IN MINES.
They Are FavOrites With Under
ground Miners.
EngineerIng journal.

The hTst rats were brought TO the Comstock
from California In freight wagons. principally,
most likely, in the big "praitie sehooners,"
slowed away among boxes and crates OF goods.
Their rapid increase after their frs appear
ance on the Coms!OcN was astonishing. From
ten 10 fouItetn young are produced at a bntn,
and thrr are several litters each year; besides.
a ra; is great grandfather before he is year
Old. Then The rats that colOniZe tue ComstOck
towns encountered no enemies There were no
cats In the country.
The rats suon discovered the mines, and
found therein a congeniai home and a home
free from The terrifying presence OF members
any OF the lower levels of the mines, though
tney sometimes prowI about The surface of tie
tunnels.
In the first opening of the mines there was
no place Tor the rats, but as soon as the
timbers began TO be set up and cribs OF waste
rock built they were able 10 find safe hiding
places; also there ws room for them every
where behind the laggng OF the diiftS. AS they
Increased IN numbers there was Oh all sid-s au
increase OF space through The rapid extraction
OF ore Oy the miners.
They doubtless soon discovered that though
man was their enemy on the surface, he was
their friend down III the underground drif, s
nd chambers He shared his meal with them,
and they scampered and caI cred about him
with perfect lmpunty. Tie warmth of The
lower levels Appeared 10 be very congenial 10
the rats both old and yougg. Cold Is a thing
unknown 10 them. 1t is as though they had
been given immense hothouses in which TO
bred Any temperature they desire. from 60
degrees 10 130 degrees, Is at their command.
Rats are useful as scavengers in mines. They
deVUur all the scraps OF meat ana other food
thrown upon The ground by Tie miners while at
lunch, eating even the hardest bones, thus pre-
venting bad odor AS the decay OF the smallest
thing is unendurable in a mine, tile miners
never Intentionally Kill a rat.
lie miners have high opinion of their
sagacuy. The rats generally give the miuerS
The first notice OF danger. Wien a big cave is
about TO occur they are seen to swarm out of
the drifts and scamper about the floors of a
level at uuWOnted times. The settling OF the
waste rock probably pnches the ANIMALS in
their dens, causing them at once To leave III
search OF less dangerous quarters.
AT times, when mine has been shut down
for few weeks, thr rats become ravenously
hungry. Then they do not scruple To devOur
the young. old and weak OF their kind. During
The su pension of wOTk in u mine that is not
cOHDecied with Other mines that are running,
eyeIything eatabe In tie underground legion
Is deyouTed, even lie -drppings on The
floors. lien work Is resumed The almost fam
shed creatures are astoDisbingly bold ana
fearless. hen they will come out of their
holes ana get uDoD the undergo ouud engines
(even when they are IN rapid mutlon) ana drink
the oil ouI of the OilcuI s. quite regardless of
the presence OF the engineers.
A fire IN a mine siaughiers the rats by the
wholesale. Few escape, as the gases penetrate
every nook ana Granny OF the undeI ground re-
giOns, and often so suddenly as 10 aSphyXiale
them In their homes.