The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-07-26
BIRDS VISIT MINES.
British Galleries Have Many
Strange Visitors.
Cats, Mice, Rats and Dogs Not Un.
common-AnImaI In Pit the Cause
Of Strike With Curious
Sequel.

London.-After a colliery explosion
at Llanbradach one of the rescue par
ties made\a surprising discovery
Perched on a tub in the mine was {
robin. Now, most collieries regart
the presence Of birds, particular,
those with white plumage, about pit.
as token" and the fire" which
had occurred was, therefore. attribut
ed to the intrusion of the perky little
stranger.
Rats are not uncommon about q
pit head, and some of them reach the
depths beneath, occasionally with ia
tai haste.
One. during the process OF falling
down a shaft, acquired such a mo-
mentum by the time it reached the
bottom that when 1t struck a collier
there was loud report as of an ex.
plosion. and the man was knocked
to the ground with great force.
In warm mines. too. mice are nu.
merous. A few reach a new pit in
the trusses of hay and bags OF corn
that are taken down it for the ponies.
and these, notwithstanding the
strangeness of their environment,
multiply SO rapidly that cats have 10
be installed In the stables.
1t might be supposed that they, at
any rate, would not take at all kindly
to the sub;erranean world, but they
soon become used to their surround
ings.
In one mine a fine pit tabby used
to knock off with the men on Satur-
day, but, unlike them, he did not
ST. It again on Monday morning. She
was always missing till Wednesday or
Thursday, when she returned from
the old and disused portion of the
mine.
A strike. however, plays far greater
havoc with the mouse population OF a
pit than any number OF cats, because
the food Of the ponies and of the men
and boys Is no longer available for
the unfortunate little creatures.
When. by way of example, the Dur
ham colliers joined in the great gen
eral strike last year many of the pits
In that county we're ove-run with
mice. but for some time after work
was resumed not one was seen.
Dogs also are among the animal
trespassers In mines. BY some means
a terrier entered a disused pit in
Swaledale. and for eight days it roam
ed about the workings without any
hing to eat
More remarkable was a dogs intru.
sion into a South Wales pit which
has the reputation of being haunted
The animal in question was seen
'rowling about the workings. and, as
seemed to vanish when an attempt
vas made to catch 1t, al number OF
OILERS at once "downed tools" and
vent home.
Some Of them then consulted a To- |
al wise woman. telling her of the |
vision" they had seen earlier In the |
ay, whereupon she predicted a dis
ster. AS result more than 200 |
1en refused to go down the following
norning. and, though the manager
Id his utmost to induce them to re-
ume work. they obstinately deter.
lined to remain idle.
And. what is more, it was not until
lree days later that al the men were
work again.
There were two curious sequels to
his incident. One, which took place
bout week afterward, was the pros
cution and conviction OF the fortune
'ller for causing the miners to abb
ent themselves from work
The other sequel happened much
lore recently. and was the discovery
a skeleton Of dog doubtless that
hich had been seen by some of the
iners) in the workings