Historical mice, hysterical communities

(This letter is part of a collection and was written describing the mouse plague of 1914 and again in 1917. It was sent to Dubbo Photo News to illustrate the cyclic nature of plagues such as the one the region is currently experiencing).

The Editor,

The mouse plagues were terrible.

Dad had haystacks fenced in with iron dug into the ground. At night we used to go and chase the mice along the iron. They would fall into kerosine tins half full of water, which we had sunk into the ground. They would soon be full of mice. The men pushed with a flat stick to stop the mice getting out until they drowned.

They got very diseased with bumpy legs. It nearly makes me sick to think of it all.

We had to keep the table and cupboard legs in tins of water to keep the mice out of our food. It was a real battle.

They even ate the curls of little girls’ heads at night (this is the truth!). I have seen the curls lying on the pillows. Any wonder I can’t stand a mouse near me. I loathe them.

Mrs M.P.