Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-26
An Innvimcihle yIule.

Jerry mace his appearance in Ivanpaurh
was mule. Very pronounced mule. Joe Sim
gieton brought him into the district. He said
he gave 500 for him In California. He expected
10 get some work out Of Jerry in the mines
Jerry" was the color Of sunbeam buffalo
T T large ana angular, and knock-kneed be-
one ear. The other had probably been cut OH
10y some one in 1t OF anger. 1t was, no doubt.
the last mules ear that man ever cut or 'Jer-
that kind. When he was going to sleep his sur
wing ear would nod. and sink lower and lower.
9ni1l IT hung down over his eyes "Jerry was
dreaming then OF his childhood days. He was
an Old mule. In meanneSs.
Joe tried Jerry" at various kinds OF work.
Tiled him at whim for raising ore. Jerry"
didn't work long until he had a misunderstand-
1ng with his driver. He kicked the driver and
drove him Off the hill. Jerry was so uncer-
tain that no miner would work in the shaft
While he was at the whim. To do so would be
messed to water cart. but kicked the head out
OF the water barrel Next he was placed In
team. His habits were demoralizing to the
other mules in the team and he was removed
from their society. One evening he and another
mule were tied together to keep them from
wandering too far, and turned out to browse for
the night. The next morning one was dead.
Jerry wouldn't work at any thing. He lust
wanted TO wander around and enjoy himself.
III got SO he had nearly all his time to himself.
tie roamed about the camp and vicinity. One
deep. No one tried 10 get him out It was
thought he might end his useless existence in
there He could be seen at the bottom noddlng
Finally. after he had been in five days, Tom
ktrrgan took pity on him. Tom was kind TO
ANNALS. He said Jerry" was a bad mule, bat
he ought not be allowed to starve. Tom rugged
Inen ne walked up to Jerry" and patting him
aieciiOnately said:
Had poorly rough time, didn't you, old
boy?"
Tom disappeared in the shaft Jerry had
Strengthened eut one of his hind legs. Tom was
taken out very seriously injured. He fingered
between Mss,a life and death for long time He had
10 nave one OF his legs amputated and finally got
up with stiff arm. He is making his living as
a musician in San Francisco now. Hand
organ.
Jerry didn't have paint brush tail. His
owners had always had seemed TO like lust his
natural tail. They loved life.
Jerry was getting to be prominent in Ivan
paugh lie was a rising mule. His conduct
however. was beginning TO tell on his owner
Joe Sing teton had come into camp q steady
young man, but he was getting little reckless
and dissipated. Trouble on his mind
Joe was getting poorer, and he needed his
mules assistance. He tried GERRY" once more,
araWing the car In and out OF the tunnel .Jer-
~ drew the car at once In a kicking manner.
just as he returned from the mouth OF tne tun-
nel to the face of 1t, a big blast went off pre-
maturely. outside parties ran into the tunnel
peerlng anxiously through the smoke to see If
the five men working at the face were injured.
They were all dead. Jerry" was missing. The
blast had made an Unexpectedly large hole In
the floor OF the tunnel When the smoke grew
less dense Jerry" was discovered standing at
tie bottom OF the hole, unhurt, chewing a piece
OF iuSe.
Jerry would eat most anything He was
partial TO pieces of bacon rind, wagon covers
and collars. He could make a comfortable meal
on axle grease. At one time he was stealing
barley from sack. There was some giant car
tridgeS mixed with the barley. He picked I'D
one OF the cartridges. number OF men were
watching him to see him meet horrible death
They thought 1t would be a fit end of his career
Jerry" chewed; the cartridges exploded. His
tall made little tremulOus move-that was ALL
ne spit out the Shell, and took out another car
fridge.
A new man from California came into c1mp.
He recognized Jerry" and joe He SAFE Joe
had not given enc hundred dollars for the mule
mat Jerry sNas from San joaquin Valley,
where he had been prominent, leading mule
zenS there to determine how to get rid of
Jerry" He was thinning out the farming
community. That finally the county court OF
MERGED county gave Joe Singleton, who was
passing through the country, ten dollars to
take the mule to Arizona. Joe's hundred dollar
story was exploded. He drank harder
Jerry" wandered further and further away
from the camp Joe had despatred of him
Other mules would not associate with him
They felt constrained in his presence. He dis
appeared.
One day an Ivanpaugh Indian came into
camp. His band made their headquarters on a
little creek 20 miles away. He was In trouble
He wanted to 60 to Washington to see the Great
Father. He said ''Me want to talk Great
Father. Merican man mean. Let mule go
mule Il eat tent Pappose he hit mule-mule he
mule-mule hit me-he big chief"
1t was Jerry"
Joe Singleton died In an insane asylum.