Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-07-31
TIE MULE "SNAsHER."

ed animal; and there was dreamy spec
ulative expire ssion about his eyes a,
though his mind were deep in the re
trospection of years gone by.
1t was slow work getting him home
from the railway station for his leg.
were encountered with heavy fetters.-
Yet the patient beast bore these insig
mia of disgrace with such an air of sutf
ering resignation and meek humility
that it cut into the heart. 1t was moi
to suffer this cruel intliction long how
ever, for we were met on the road b,
young ,man who claimed to be 6
nephew of Mr.. Berg After upbraidine
us severely for our inhumanity, he pull
ed cold chisel and hammer out Of
his pocket, and began to cut away the
irons from the sufferers limbs. It was
touching to witness the look of graft
tude which the mule bestowed upon the
friend at work about his heels: it seem
ed almost human. In less than ter
minutes the task was finished for the
chlsel was sharp, and then the mule was
free. The tragedy was enacted in less
than second; for it was simply the
drawing up Of the mules hind leg, and
then the. Strengthening of it again as
quick as flash of tightening, and all
was over. The young man died while
at til" post of duty.
When we went into the barn the
next morning, we found that he had
chewed off his halter straps, and that
all of the south side of the stable would
need to be rebuilt before it could be of
any use whatever. 1t was after this
that we called the mule ''.Snaqsher."
Uncle Seth insisted that Smasher had
never been properly broken, and that
his master had been too kind and len
ent with him; but he would very short
y demonstrate to this creature who was
master now and who was mule. One
morning, after we had rebuilt, the old
gentleman said that we would harness
smasher to the wagon, and take some
wheat to the mill. We expected to
have serious time with this business,
but to our surprise, Smasher offered no
resistance to being harnessed up, and
in short time we were gaily trottny
out OF the yard ''You See, Sammy"
said my uncle quite complacently,
''Smasher knows very well that he has
now found a master who knows"
And that was all either of us knew for
about fifteen minutes. We both came
to our senses at about the same time,
and | remember of hearing my dear
uncle say that the bolts and tires might
sell for something, bnt the rest of the
wagon would have to be used for kin
ding wood
After that the old gentleman and
Smasher had series of arguments
which lasted about month, and it
ended by a cash order from Mr.. Seth
barber to MIR. Goodyear, for one very
large and strongly made Indian Rub
Der man, which we suspended from the
top OF the stable by means Of a rope
around its neck, so that it would hang
directly behind Smasher's heels.
Whenever Smasher let out his rib-sma
sher ticklers against this image it would
gracefully give way, and then come
back to be kicked some more. This
invention seemed to please Smashel
very much, and after that he managed
to let the sides of the stable alone.
We then got a bar of wrought iron,
four inches square which we fastened
across the shafts of our new wagon fol
cross bar; and then, when smashe1
got into a tantrum on the road. he
found something substantial to receiv G
his blows. Of course this iron would
get very hot after he had kicked away
at it for two or three hours, and so We
| always carried barrel of water to COO
1t otf.-The hot stream rising up abou,
the mule, seemed to have soothing
effect on his nerves, and then he would
travel off very sweetly indeed.
One day his master came for him.
Smasher had jumped over the fence that
morning into Jack Ryder's yard; when
we went to lasso him for his master, he
had just finished swilling two paintuls
Of nitro glycerine which Jake had
brought out to split some very tough
and cross-grained logs with. Well, we
caught Smasher and brought him
around to his master, Mr. Ferguson
And then we told all about Smasher's
breaking up our wagon and the stable
and we casually mentioned the rubber
man, which had cost $500, and the iro1
bar. never saw so mad man in al
my life as was Smasher's owner when
we had finished. ''Ungratelul wretch
he exclaimed, GIT is thus thou repayesr
the many acts of kindness that have
been showered on thy head?" And ther
he picked up club and gave Smashel
! wbaok under the belly,