Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1874-11-11
How Mules Came into Fashion.

X
owe to George Washington for the in
PRODUCTION of mules into general use for
farm purposes
Previous to 1888 there were very few,
and those of such an inferior order as to
prejudice farmers against them as unfit
to compete with horses upon the road or
farm. Consequently there were noSd ,aks,
and no disposition to incregGnlry d~5ck;
but Washington becang,d constructio shat
the Introduction of nLl %ieraliy a.
mong Southern plant{'as y prov. to
them great blessing, as y are less
liable to disease, and longer. .Sed, and
work upon shorter feed, and much less
liable to be injured than horses by care
less driving
As soon as it became known abroad
mat the illustrious Washington desired
% ntock his MonntS Vernon estate will
mules the King of Spain sent him a lac
and two jennets from the royal stables
ana Lafayette sent another jack and twt
Jennets from the island of Malta.
The first was gray color, eighteen
hands high, heavily made, and of slug
glsh nature. He was named the Royal
Gift. The other was called the Knight
of Malta he was about as high 1.-the,
fiery even to feroeity.
The two different sets of animals gave
HIM the most favorable opportunity Of
making improvements by cross-breeding,
the result of which was the favorite Jack
Compound, because he partook of the
best points in both the original. The
General bred his blooded mares to these
Jacks, even taking those from his family
coach for that purpose, and produced
such superb mules that the country was
all agog to breed some of the sort. and
they soon became quite common. This
was the origin of improved mules in the
United States. There are now some Of
the third and fourth generetion of the
Knights of Malta and Royal Gift to be
found in Virginia, and the great benefits
arising from their introduction to the
country are to be seen upon every cult.
n ~ '9''''e in the Southern States.
still engaged in the WORK at hT5.IS7,..s
the horrible underground dwellings, !;
that city. A Herald reporter gives tn
full details of the operation lately made
from which we take the following des
cription of one of these fearful abodes
1t was at No. 30 North William stree
that the horrors of the undergroun,
system were brought out in all thei
hideousness. 1t is what is called
double decker one cellar under an
other In the first cellar, the ceiling o
which was on a level with the street
there was bar, piano and sofa, ant
to the rear of the front room three small
bedrooms. Going down a pair of mar
row, winding stairs the visitors fount
four other rooms, and, incredible as i
may seem, fitted up as bedrooms. Their,
was no way by which the light of da,
could penetrate into this horrid den, anC
light had to be procured before tn,
men were able to enter with safety
The closencss and stencil of this horrit
floor, which had little kitchen righ
adjoining the sink, in which, by the
stove, the cook slept, was overpowering
and more than once during the work ot
carrying out the beds the men had to e
up to the first floor (frst cellar) to escape
suffocation. Yet the miserable creatures
who occupied them seemed not to realize
what IA death dealing place they were
wallowing in. why" said one to tn,
reporter, my room down here is very
cool and I'm never sick" She wor'
death in her face, poor thing, and seem
ed not to know it, The proprietor 0
this den is named Curtis, and he swag
gered in and out during the furnitur
transfer with the air of dog at bay
He is also the reputed owner of No. 1
the same street, and busted himself ac
lively about the place when the eigh
beds were dragged out of the dark holes
called rooms, into which that cellar wa
divided.