The Russellville Democrat., 1877-09-20
THE MULE.
Considered from Historical and
 Other StandpOInts.---A HsImOr- ous Review of the Distinguish ed Characteristics which have Made this Unique Animal Fa-E

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 ed Characteristics which have Made this Unique Animal Fa-
 nous. The mule is the orly animal that Noah didn't take into the ark with him. I have looked over the freight list carefully, and could not see q mule way-billed for any place. So clear headed man as Noah did not dare to take one on board, as he knew h. would kicK hole through her in less than a week. I don't know a man on whose head you could pour quicksilver and run less risk of it's spilling of, than on Noah's. He was dreadfully level headed man, and before the freshet was over everybody realized the fact.
 The origin of the mule IS cnvelop- ed in great deal of mystery. Ira dition informs us that when the |
 flood had subsided, and the ark had landed on Mount Ararat, Noah was very much surprised in one of his first observations to find good healthy mule standing on the top of an adjoining mountain. The same tradition informs us that the mule is the only animal that lived through the flood outside of the ark.
 The mule can be considered in a good many ways, though the worst place to consider him is directly from behind, anywhere within ra- dius of ten feet. I never consider a mule from that standpoint, unless l am looking through the fue of a boiler.
 The word mule comes from Greek and signiiied ''to stop" and the mule himself comes to stop also. Like multiplied by like produces like. Grasshoppers multiplied by grass hoppers produce famine, and potato bugs multiplied by potato bugs pro- duce rise in the price of yeast, but when you try to multiply mules by mules, they don't multiply, hence the You may study your arithmetic and read through all of Trains lectures, but you can't tell why this is so any more than you can tell why woman cannot put on arubber without lean ing up against something.
 The mule has one more leg than milk stool, and he can stand on one and wave the other three around in as many different directions. He has only three senses-hearing anu seeing and smelling. He has no more sense of taste than stone jug, and will eat anything that contains nutriment, and he don't care wheth- CT it be l per cent. or 99. All he asks is to pass along his plate, with whatever happens to be handy round the pantry, and he won't go away and blow how poor the steak was. He just eats whatever is set before him and asks no questions.
 Mules are naturally deaf, but that supreme wisdom which teaches the little boy to wipe his nose on his his sleeve has fitted the mule out with pair of ears that counteracts it's deafness, so that he can hear as readily as person when you don't want him to. These ears answer a double purpose-as tunnels to pour sound into his head, and as fans to brush away flies and keep hls head cool. They are hung by hinges to the side of his head, and flap back ward and forward like pair of wet trousers round boys legs. In cold attitudes quite tasty business IS done in mules ears. The ears are cut off and dried, and sold for snow shows, and then the stubbs are trim med up and the mules are sent West and sold for horses. In this way great many fine horses were pur chased for the army by the United States.
 If were to have a large picture of innocence to hang up in my par lar, l should get correct likeness of a mule. There IS innocence enough depicted in a mules countenance to fit out Sunday School class. It looks as guilelesss as an angle-worm.
 A mule never grows old or dies. Once brought into existence, he continues on forever. The original mule is now alive somewhere in the South, and is named Robt. Tombs, because he is so stubborn.
 Mules are chiefly found in the G~,tb and tNnn+ frhax, boua haop