Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-10-01
THE WOOD RATS INDUSTRY.
Constructed a House of kin9'ine
Wood and Kent It-in -Repair.- y

Constructed. a House OF kinNinq
Wood and Kept It7in Re- aiTe- N
Jn-tbe natural history coming under
my observation | have not seen any
thug concerning the wood rat. II
may be that the rodent is too com
mon to attract special attention, but
am inclined to believe that. If he
IS widely distributed he is rarely Oh.
served
About two years ago | became in.
terested in a pair of wood rats that
seized upon and possessed themselves
Of my wood house for a habtation
The house is thirty feet long and one
end Of it used for a work bench re.
pair shop and tool house. The other
end is used mainly for storing dry
kindling wood and small stove wood.
The rats moved in when | was away
for a period and the pair found
good supply of dry pine sticks foot
to sixteen inches in length split from
inch boards. These were of various
widths from one to five inches, and
there were a number Of heavy sticks
Of scantling in a corner. With nota.
bic industry the rats had piled the
small sticks into fairly regular pyra.
midi using the heavy pieces they
could rot move for foundation and
frame, adapting their architecture to
the conditions of the location with re-
markably ingenuity.
Their architecture fitted in with the
landscape in the woodhouse so well
that it was some time before noticed
that the kindling wood was methodi-'
cally placed. AS wet weather came
and the kindling was needed, I fire.
quentiy took an armful into the house
without realizing that l was taking
gargOyles ani ices from a private
residence.
In removing the sticks I often
pulled down a quantity of the pile in
selecting. After doing this for some
days | began to notice that each
morning the pyramid was reformed.
the scattered sticks collected and
placed methodically. AS the wood
was used the pyramid grew smaller
aud mailer, but each morning all the
scattered sticks except some that be.
came wedged and fastened in the
larger and heavier wood, would be
found replaced upon the apex of the
diminishing pile When the wood had
been about half removed l began to
get occasional glimpses of the. rats.
Wien I removed sticks they lodged
in and out of the pile, as though they
would defend their castle to tho ex-
tent Of their power
The wood was never entirely re-
moved, and that which remained was
kept in fairly shaped pyramid until
il was not more than three feet In
diameter. The rats, of which / had
never seen more than two, became so
tame that they would remain in sight
on the sills near their house within
an arms length Of me at times. Lat
er IN the season the mistress of the
pyramid appeared with two young
ones.
| now began to miss some of my
portable property. Files, small chisels.
nails. measuring sticks, patterns.
pieces Of leather and such articles
would disappear from my work bench. |
These from time to time would find |
mixed IN with the sticks in the build |
ing material used by the rats. Since. |
am Informed. this is one Of the |
traits Of the animal They are so ex-
cessiyely industrious that they annex
almost anything they can carry or
drag with very Indifferent ideas of |
rights or ownership. They |
are partial to bright and glittering
things. such as bits of grass, tin and
metal They would doubtless acquire
and hoard money with almost trust
like perspicuity and acumen if they
were not so much addicted to twigs
and kindling wood.--Forest and
Stream