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Article: It takes a pack rat to know one; A human collector finds she has something in common with the local rodents.(THE HOME FORUM)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- October 6, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Elizabeth Brown
"Why isn't the phone working?" my daughter called from the kitchen.
I walked over and picked up the receiver. Sure enough, there was no dial tone. I tried the phone in the bedroom - still, no success. The repairman from the phone company gave the final diagnosis: "Pack rats," he said. "Chewed through the phone lines. They do that sometimes. Better watch out, though," he went on, nonchalantly. "Can go for the electric lines and start a house fire."
Rats. In an old volume of 'The Illustrated Library of the Natural Sciences,' the entry under "Rat" describes the creature as a "12-ounce engine of destruction." On the facing ...