Show MINE superstitions IN OUR STATE 0 the mining industry like other branches of our complex life has its believers in the dos and arnts don ts of legends and superstitions A majority of mine superstitions date to other regions and are so old that their sur sources ces are obscured in antiquity while others are local and offer obvious explanations as to origin typical of the more ancient superstitions is the belief in the infallibility of the common rat as a portent of impending disasters according to the belief a tunnel or a mine overrun with fat contented rats is a safe place to work while conversely a tunnel from which rats are leaving is in imminent danger of caving in in there is a similarity between th this is I 1 belief and that of sailors that rats leaving a ship constitute a sure sign of disaster ahead another example of a very old superstition is the widespread belief that whistling in a mine drives away the good spirit and old miners can cite multiple case histories to back it up another is that cave ins are more likely to happen between twelve midnight and four in the morning and in consequence miners are more careful during the danger period according to old timers at park city a superstition was born in the early days of our own state stae when it was noticed that miners who had announced intentions of leaving for other occupations on such and such a day were oftentimes killed or injured while working the last shift so numerous were cases of of this type that a taboo arose concerning the last shift and miners who were leaving protected themselves by quitting a day earlier than announced |