Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1875 — Rats in the Mines. [ARTICLE]

Rats in the Mines.

Every mine in this township of any size and age has "a large number of rats in it. The writer of this has often seen hundreds of them congregated to hear whistling or singing or to get the crumbs left by the miners after their dinners. These rats are not poor, weakly things, but are large and fat and show that they live on the fat ot the land—that is, the odds ends of candles and the remains of din ners. We once secreted several candles at the beginning of the shift, in order to save the trouble of carrying them with us, but what was our astonishment on going to get one to find them all gone, except a small bit ot wick. The rats had smelt them out and had a grand meal over our property. We levied an assessment on the boss to replenish the loss. The miners never injure a rat, in fact they will protect them very zealously. This amounts almost to a superstition similar to that of the sailors. Frequently they have been tamed i The Eureka boyfNuct a white one that was bob-tailed and which used to come out very and sit in the middle of a group of men upon,its haunches and munch the tender bits thrown it like a squirrel would. It was a great pet of the men—either one of whom would have whipped the man who would dare to attempt to molest it. The rats underground ara far more fortunate and favored than thair surface cousins, for they have plenty toJeat, with no fear of cats or traps, and while the surface one is either freezing or melting the 44 miner rat” is enjoying an even, cool atmosphere. They by eating up the stray bits prevent them from decomposing, and when we think of the amousrt that necessarily falls from the miners’ meals this is an important item, for it helps keep the atmosphere pure. Women are sworn eriemies to all of the race, but the poor rodent has an ever-ready champion in, the hardy miner. —Grass Valley (Cal.) Union. '