The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-06

ing the scouts and the color guard comes
the pioneer company, with wagon full
Of spades, shovels, picks, axes, scythes
and other tools. Reaching place that
has to be bridged the General selects the
most available point, and with shovel
In his hand he directs and assists at the
work himself. The msodus operundi of
bridging is somewhat novel. If cobble-
stone and sod or willow branches will
not make a road bed the train-master
cries poles" and every teamster brings
the extra wagon tongue he always carries
with him and lays it devotedly down at
the Generals feet. These poles are then
placed crosswise-two or three layers of
them dollhouse fashion, and the crevices
are filled up with brush, sod, mown
rushes, and every available substance
three or four hundred bridge builders
can lay their hands on. The bridge done,
the artillery and ambulances are sent
across, being of the lightest tonnage, and
when they cut through repairs are made;
then the mule teams are sent across; and
did you ever see lot of six-mule teams
cross one of these bridgess 1t is an
event in lifetime.
The animals are driven by single
line and long snake-whip, especially
the whip. The line is attached to the
lefthand bit of the nigh leader" and
he may be considered the rudder of the
"outfit." The helmsman sits astride of
the "nigh wheeler" and if he wants the
team to "gee" he jerks at the line saw
agely, and it is moral certainty that the
mule will turn his head away from it and
60 "gee." If he wants to shaw" he
pulls steadily on the line, drawing the
mules head around, and he goes "haw. ;"
There's nothing more easy in all the phi
losOphy of life. The position of mule
whacker in an army train is about that
of rOustabOut on a river steamer or
marine in the naval service. His chief
requirements are to crack a blacksnake
whip and swear. Well, the mule-whack-
er "haws" and "gees," swears and
cracks his whip, jerks the line, and digs
his spurs into the animal he is riding till
he has got the team in position, then
with dart, few jumps and final tug,
under frightful torrent of oaths and
whip-lashes over the poor animals
heads, the other side is reached. The
mules hop around moment under the
smarting cuts they have just received,
and with bray Of relief tug on patient
ly just as good, meek people do when
they have met one of the trials of life,
passed through it, and come out purified
A wagon train crossing creek or a gully
is as good as Fourth of July celebra-
ton, and reminds me strangely of
one when / stand at dstance-the
cracking and shouting and hurrahing
that is always done, suppose, is abso-
lutely necessary; but it's very disagree
able to the off-wheeler" The destiny
of an 81 ff-wheeler" is absolutely terri
BILE. If fifty whacks are given to a team
of mules in crossing bridge, find by a
mathematical calculation that the "off-
wheeler" gets forty-three of them. Half
a dozen gentlemen with long black whips
always stand at crossing to assist the
principal whacker. Their duty is some
what the same as his, only they stand
still, have the free use of both hands,
and have better purchase for their
feet than saddle-stirrups, so they can
whack harder and more frequently than
he-and the majority of their blows fall
on the "otf-wheeler fl was an i" Off
wheeler" | should memorabilia Congress
to have the position of assistant-mule-
whacker abolished. You see these men
these assistants-stand in the middle of
the gulch and the wagons go down so
quickly that the leading mules run under
while their whips are in the air, but the
off-wheeler" gets along just in time to
catch the downward stroke; and as the
tug comes in going up the other side the
assistants generally get time to whack
him again before he is out of trouble.
While the wagons are waiting at one of
these gulches-waiting for their turn to
cross-you hear an occasional bray about
one-sixth as many brays as there are
mules in the wagons. 1t is the off
wheeler. 1t is simply a short, subdued
bray, but it means great deal-Black
Hills Cor Inter Ocean,