Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-28
TROUBLES WITH RATS.
In Mines They Steal Everything and
Are Too Familiar.

One of the places where maountair
rat dearly loves to make his home. says
a writer in the Anaconda standard. IS
in the worked out portions of quartz
mine Here he may have ro0my quar-
te-s without the necessity OF digging
them himself. Here he may ind cos!
hooks almost inaccessible where, like tn"
cliff jewellers. he may look out ON what
is going on below to mis- hearts content
and enjoy the pleasure of seeing Others
at work. l often wondered how one L
of the mine kept his fur in such splendid
condition till ] found one day iinc GEL
luloid comb in his nest-a comb he had
appropriated from the most fastldlons
man we had on the force.
1t came over us one day that we We're
using many more candies In The mine
than we should and it WAS noticcd that
if the men left any in the mine over
night they had disappeared by morning,
One Of the men took an ore sack ana
suspending it by a rope from mining
timber overhead kept his candles in
that They disappeared Just the same:
Then two of the candIesticks disappeared
from the shaft house i'll one night. We
knew then what was the matt"r- Inc
mountain rats were laying III supply Z"
last them for years after We should pun
out. We organized n scare .ilnS party.
found the nest and recovered more thar
n pounds of candles i'll 0'.r nest. Some or
900 foot level and carried to the nest 4
few feet from the surface. After that We
never left candles or cart;ksticks where
there was danger of the ra2e getting hold
Of !, t am a mc,hoalral NAH. fnkr to have
my things in place. | am glad to &C,
conmodatc. hut like things borrowed
Of me- to be turned; N",m"EH r.. III n,als
shop at times ard l had to hunt for them
So one day went after tn borrowers and
sDeared two Of them with the sharp end
Of my drilling spoon.
r,-n II
est of animals for his size. Sometimes
when | have been working in the mine
little later thar. usual | have me- Nj
Rat on his WY in as ! was coming OUT.
He would stand unmoved right in the
road until was Almost on top OF nm,
before he would hIeii.. ana run. l te!I
yu il gives a fellow 4 little Bit OF an
uncanny feeling sometimes to meet one
that way.
one OF the men in the mine r"ached
FOR a rat that was ,;t near nm enc d3 3Sr
him. and All the man could get was a tail
hold But that hold was good one. ana
tn" rat vert on minus his t'ishy append,
age The tail had just peeled off. and
knowing the tendency OF the mountain
rats TO turn everything +" account. [
have no doubt that rat il now exhibiting
curiosity to his brother rats at so much
a sight | worked in a mill once where
tao mer on The night SHIFT took their
lunch at midnight "A mountain rat came
around after the crumbs. and the men
out OF curiosity, thought they would see
how tame the rat would become in their
presence. In a little while he would eat
out Of the mems hands. Then he became
50 bold that as soon as the pail was
opened he thought he was privilcg cd to
help himself. He was such a nuisance the
men were Disguised. and came after me
for something with which to fix him. He
was very fond of cake. so put 4 little
cyaride in the next piece gil en- him. and
that put a stop TO the nuisance in short
ii az