Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-10-19
HAS A FORTUNE In BATS
A New Mexico Nan Finds Wealth
In Deem Cayerns

In Deep Cnyerns.
"Bats are the source of my reve-
nues," said John r. de Mier, Of Las
Cruces, New Mexico, at the National
Hotel, this morning. "Millions of
them are laying up annually store
of wealth for me and my descendants,
and for centuries back have been
accommodating fortune for me, the
lucky diScoyerer. ! am an extensive
slave owner in bats. No labor troubles
disturb my business. No discussions
about working overtime. No care.
no worry, no expense. 1t is better
than gold mine, for mines become
exhausted eventually. And see no
possibility that my bats will ever
des ert their post or cease 20 produce.
1t is an eternal supply which my
childIen's children may enjoy after
me. / am the owner of extensive
caves i'll New Mexico, which are, and
have been for centuries, the habitat
Of bats, These caves are of lava
formation aud ore sometimes six
miles IN length. The excreta of
these bats is the richest guano that
has ever been analyzed at the Agri-
cultural Department. Beneath the
guano are deposits of phosphate, and
since September, 1898, 3,3S2,24O
pounds of phosphate and guano,
valued at an average of $4S ton,
have been removed. In one cave
which was cleaned out, IL tons of
guano was collected FIVE months
subsequently, all of which was
deposited by the bats in that time,
1t has been estimated that 1886
tons of guano will be the annual
deposit.
The habits of the bats are vastly
interesting. BY day they are all to
be seen in the caves hanging from
the roof one dependent from the
other, sometimes in string of 10 or
10 deep. Sometimes the uppermost
bat loosens his grasp, perhaps he
becomes tired from the weight of
those depending from him. The
whole string will drop several feet,
but will never fall to the floor of the
caves. They hitch on to another
stringand remain there. When night
falls they all issue out into the
open. From one cave they debouch
in stream, which is 3 feet by s feet
at the least, and an hour is consumed
before the cave is emptied. There
are millions Of the little creatures.
One of our fayorite amusements is 10
drop stone through this moving
mass. Not one is ever struck. Every
tiny eye seems to see the missile.
''A circular hole is made through
the eight feet of bats and not one
but evades contact with it. The
young are carried on the breasts of
the mother until they become too
heavy to hang on. The sky is black
with them at times and the air is
filled with the sounds of their soft,
plaintive calling to each other. They
seem to be organized in squads and
captained by some older bat.
alt is interesting to watch their
re-entry into the caves at the fret
sign of dawn. Each squad watches
its opportunity to get in line. When
opportunity offers the whole squad,
in one single dash, drops down as
near the mouth of the cave as possi-
BILE, If baIked by another and more
successful squad. it does not retire
but waits where it Is for another
favorable chance, when it makes
another essay to enter the cave. Each
squad has its place in the cave and
finds it daily with unerring certainty.
81 originally pre-emptied these
caves in the same manner in which a
mining claim is made" - Washington
Traloe