The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-05-01
DESTRUCTIVE WOOD RATS.
a.,.u nodents Of the West I'"t are
a Continual source oil N'
nncc to liners.

sehieveus little animals pop
roo,yn ns wood and bush rats
hovo heen the pest of hunters anu
miners from the Rockies TO ene T
ciic coast. a.. A,,;l+ in the
,o,vor branches Of trees, occu-
sionally are found in a secluded piaSe
On thc ground, says Mary feapouy
Sawyer in Youths Companiqn. uo4h-
A large quantity of sticks IS sasn
cred and carefully made INTO d CON-
shoned structure, often ten feet nlgn
and six feet wide. There are seVerai
oneninps into the center, leading 70
tbe nest proper. This is made OF ING
inner part of the bark, drleu sia'
leaves or anything available oao'",
anines are sometimes heapea arouru
IL nests. and are supposed TO Dc
used as a protection from coyo'ss
and other enemies.
The wood rat of the Pacific coas'
is larger than than It's eastern oous
ms and differs from them IN some
important particulars. Almost any
Ia settler can tell stories OF ITS deP-
radotions with results which are
somatimes tragic, but often comic.
Tbe climax was reached when a
bag containing a hundred doilars
worth of gold dust was missing lne
arcomer was about to receive n
summary punishment inflicted III
49, tin,es when n wood rats nest
,uas discovered in the attic over the
cabin. 1t contained all the mlss'ns
things. even the precious metal, ans
the stranger just escaped suffering
for a crime of which he was lnno-
cent.
One Of the most remarkable anec-
dotes relating to a wood rats nesS
was told by a retired mil owner.
When work on his sawmill was ended
n quantity of stuff was stored IN
tbe adjoining buildings. In the man
house. containing the kitchen ana
dinfng-room, a lot of packing 1or tne
enoine was put. and half a dozen
KEGS Of spikes. There were tools
and cooking utensils in the closets
and \ large range in the Kitchen
During the time that work was
stopped at the mill the place was not
occupied for several years. Its only
Guests we're tramps, who broke into
ID and used il as a temporary shelter
When The owner entered the house
after an absence, Of TWO years a re-
variable object ATTRACTED bis atten-
lion. Ii was a structure which coy
cred the entire top of his range
This was q rats nest-the OUTSIDE
made Of spikes, which were arranged
with precision, the points outward
The central part, or nest proper, was
made OF fine sheets Of hemp packing
interviewer with the spikes and
around the nest were found the fol
lowing articles: Three butcher knives
, a large carving knife, fork and steel
| several dozen table forks and knives
/ some plugs Of tobacco, the outer case
Of a silver watch in one place, the
glass in another and the works u
another, most of the small tools OF
, the place, some large augers and
' purse containing a little money. 80
The mill owner, after carefully Is
aiming the nest, said it was th'
most curious one he had ever seer
. The heavy iron articles used in It
construction and their studied ar
rangement showed a superior orde
OF intelligence and unusual skill. Fl
5 could not at first imagine where tn
e purse and watch came from, but cor
/ Guided that they must have bee
e taken from some tramp who was er
e ioying sound sleep in the r%at-haunte
e building.