The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-07-11

Mules In the Mines.
The heat in the Sutro tunnel for sew .
oral thousand feet from the face is very I
considerable, ranging from IS to 100 |
deg. Fahr., and feels all the |
hotter for being partly deprived of |
oxygen. At the face where the men |
generated at shaft No. 2, two miles :
away, and 1,042 feet above the tunnel
level. are constantly discharged, one
from the blower, the other from the
compressor pipe, and though the air at
this point is los deg. Fahr., the air is
quite comfortable. One switch-mule is
employed ON each shaft, which is used
for bringing car at q time from the
SWITCH thousand feet back-tO the
face OF the header; it is then taken back
with the loaded car to bring other
empty ones forward, in which manner
trains OF fifteen or twenty cars are
made up. This mule, from the time it
is unhitched from the empty cars, and
while it is waiting to be hitched up to
the one being loaded, manages to put
its nose up to the air-pipe. and keeps
moving its head up and down, in order
to get all the air possible in the few
minutes allowed it. One day last week
q man in charge of the switch-mulc was
seen coming out of the tunnel in the
middle of his shaft, and on inquiry why
he made his appearance ut this unusual
hour, he said he had come out after an
other mule to do the switching, for his
regular switch mule had become REBEL
ious. and utterly refused to do any
duty. He declared the mule was stand
ing in front of the air-pipe, near the
face, and no amount of cOaxing, whip
ping, or pulling could induce it to
leave, and he was compelled to start
out after another mule in order to per-
init the work to proceed. After a few
hours, by dint of force, the refractory
mule was brought out, half dozen men
being required to pull and push it
along. It has since been put to work
on the outside, for it would be useless
to take it in at switching any more, for
it would repeat the same performance
at each shift. The intelligence of mules
is displayed in q remarkable degree
when used underground and in danger
GUS places. They gradually learn to
understand every command the driver
gives them, and in the header when
the signal " fire. is given, they instant
" wheel around, with their backs to-
ward the blast. One day q mule neg
lected to wheel quite around. but stood
ut right angles with the tunnel, and,
though over 400 feet from the face, a
rock four inches in diameter struck it
in the side, making an ugly wound,
from which the intestines protruded.
He had to be thrown on a flatcar, taken
out, and shot. A curious freak about
mules is that when anything touches
their heads they dodge; while touch
in horses ears makes them throw
up their heads. For this reason
horses cannot be used under.
ground, for they would soon break
their skulls, while mules never gel
injured in that manner. The switch.
mules, when the men are eating. &c
from man to man begging for some:
thing to eat, and they will eat cooked
! meat, pies. drink coffee IL fact, take
anything the men have. One of the
mules, when the men are not looking,
is in the habit of upsetting the mems
lunch-pails and helping himself without
leave. They have also taken to drink
, ing ice-water, and are not satisfied un
: less they get their regular allowance
The mules which pull the rock-trains
are driven three or four tandem, each
having torch upon its head, which
keeps bobbing up and down as they
d. move along, and they present q very
novel appearance as seen from a dis
lance, in the darkness. All the mule
in the tunnel work eight-hour shifts
the same as the men. Notwithstanding
this short duty, they rapidly wear out
and it is a pity to see them painting ant
+, blowing in the confined air, with per
SEPARATION streaming from them. Tn
mules have q cloth fastened to thei
brides, which is put over one eye be
fore they emerge into daylight. Thi
cloth is removed after they enter tn
tunnel on the return trip. The Objec
is to have them reserve one good eye +
see from, for the uncovered eye, ex
posed to daylight, is incapable of see
ing anything for some time after enter
ing darkness. Whenever it is neglecte
to bandage an eye on the outside. tn
mule staggers and tumbles about in tn
darkness, and refuses to 60 ahead. TIL
mules, of course, all have their names
and Jane, Nell, Luce, Fan, Tom. Bill
Jack, Frank, are sure to be among tn
lot. One mule has been facetiOusl,
christened Susan B. Anthony. The
are great favorites with the miners
especially when underground, and the
answer the call of their names like pc
dogs; and, strange to say, in that heal
ed atmosphere they soon lose their pre-
verbal tendency for kicking. Th
driver generally stands on small pla
form in the rear of the first car. ant
since he cannot reach the mule.
driven in tandem, with whip, he SHE
small stones with the greatest dexters
ity, of which he has q good suppl
before him. Two trains generally TO
low, one behind the other, for shout
an accident happen from caves. breal
ing of wheels, or of cars getting off til
track, one driver assists the other j
overcoming the difficulty. The :no'
durable mules are those with short leg
large bodies, compactly built, an
weighing abont 900 pounds. Thel
are, altogether, about thirty mules en-
ployed in the Sutro Tunnel, though
greater number is kept on hand.-Sat'
lNev.) Independent.
The Megaph0ne.
The latest, as we'll as the most cur
Gus. of Prof. EdisOn's inventions is tn
megaphonc for which he has but jus
filed his caveat. It is sort of SCUM
opera-glass. by means IT its use pei
sons partially deaf arc enabled ~ he;
the faintest sound with distinctness.
concentrates and multiplies the SCUM
in as high a degree as is required. B