Year: 1874

lSan Francisco Golden Era.l
| While my friend Clyde and myself
We're out in the hills back of the Golden


Gate Park last week, a jack rabbit came
! along and stopped to look at us.
If had thought to bring my revOl-
| yer along we would have jack on toast
| tor breakfast Tomorrow" | remarked.


Not with my consent" he replied.


What reason can you give for not
! cOnsenting9"


"A rabbit saved my life, and | have


not killed one since, and never will kill
| one again"


How did he manage to save your
life?"


Three years ago was living in Mon
tana: A smelter had just been built,
and it created demand for silver rock
| owned an interest in lead that had


been sunk on thirty feet. Thinking the


time had come to make it available, !


concluded to go t here and get some Mle
and have it tested. did so, and reach
ed the place just in time to take shelter
IN the mine from terrible hail storm.
L lighted my candle, went to the bottom
and went to work. had not been there
more than five minutes when / heard a


noise that sounded like cannon. The
rock over my head shock, and in O mo-


ment the shaft behind ME caved. You
can imagine my feelings better than !
can describe them, when found myself
buried alive. / tremble even at this dis
tant day when | think of that moment.
The roof of the shaft was rocks, and
when they came down they did not pack
50 tight but what the air came through
There was nothing that I could do to
release myself. / knew thatif relief did
not come from the outside | must per-
lsll. No one knew | had gone there. A
road ran past the mouth of the shaft &;
but It was not travelled much, and was
not likely to attract attention by calling;
nevertheless, shouted at intervals all
day. The following morning | COM
menced calling again; and all day.
whenever thought heard sound,
shouted.


When night came again all hopes of
being released had abandoned me. One
thing added great bitterness to my suf-
terlngs. lowed quite large amount
OF money, and, should my fate remain
unknown, my creditors would think !
had fled to defraud them, and my name
would be stigInatized.


will not dwell on the agOnies / en-
dured am sorry can not forget them.


The morning of the fourth day of
my Imprisonment | heard something
crawl into my grave. l lighted my can
die and saw Il rabbit. There was only
one aperture large enough to admit him
closed 1t to prevent his escape. | saw
III hum food to appease my hunger, and
my hand was raised to kill him, when
Thought occurred to me that prevented
the blow from descending. I had two
tlsh- lines; their united length would
reach to the road. took off my shirt.
tore 1t into strings, tied them together,
gold watch chain ; | tied itOn to the part
OF the line that would cross the road.
then cut several leaves from my dairy,
wrote on them my condition, and tied
them on to that part of the line that
would be outside. then tied the end
made out OF my shirt around jack neck
and let him out. He soon reached the
end of the line, and knew by the way
that he was pulling that he was making
desperate attempts to escape. Soon the
tugging stopped, and knowing gnawing
to be Jacks chief accomplishment,
thought he had cut himself loose. About
3 hours afterwards felt the line pulled,
then some one called; tried to answer,
but the hOarse noise | made died in the
cavern. ! then pulled the line to show
that ! was not dead.


"All grew still again, and I knew the
man had gone for assistance. Then
came the sound of voices; pulled in the |
line, and it brought me food. 1t took
all the men who worked in the shaft |
nine hours to reach me.


"a very large pine tree that stood near
the shaft had been the cause of my mis- |
fortune. 1t had been dead number of |
years, and the storm had blown it over |
The terrible blow it struck the ground |
had caused the cave.


Jack had wound the line around + |
bush, and tied himself so short that h. |
was imprisoned outside as securely as |
had been inside. He was taken to town.
put in large cage, and supplied with
all the rabbit delicacies the market af-
fOrded. He, however, did not thrive,
and the boys, believing that he 'pined
in thou ght,' voted to set him free. He
was taken back to his old girdling
grounds and liberated.


"He not only saved my life, but be-
came the benefactor of all the rabbits in
the ighbOrhOOd-th miners refrain
ing from shooting any, fearing it might
be him.