Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-06-11
An lnvincihle Mule.
4 SOMEWHAT USRELIABLE BIOGRAPHY. BrT
GOOD.

=
GOOD.
From the Salt Lake Tribunr.,
Jerry made his appearance in Ivan
paugh district. in Arizona, early in its
history. He was a mule. Very pro
nounced mule Joe Singleton brought
him into the district He said lie gave
500 for him in California. He expected
to get some work out of Jerry in the
mines. He didn't.
Jerry was the color of a sunbeam buf-
falo robe, large and angular, and knock
knead before and behind. Very, behind.
He had only one car. The other had
probably been cut off by some one in
fit of anger. 1t was, no doubt, the last
mules ear that man ever cut of. Jerry
was a mule that would resent anything Of
that kind When he was going to sleep
his surviving ear would nod, and nod,
and sink lower and lower until 1t 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.
Tried him at a whim for raising ore.
Jerry didn't work long until he had
misunderstanding with his driver. he
kicked the driver and drove him oil the
hill. Jerry was SO certain that no miner
would work IN the shaft when he was at
the whim. 10 do SO would be taking
chances with the ore bucket lie was
harnesscd to a water cart, but kicked the
head out of the water barrel. Next he
WAS placed in team. His habits were
demnralizing to the other mules in the
team. and he was removed from their So
ciety. 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 morn
ing one of them was dead. Jerry weuldn
work at anything He Just wanted to
wander around and enjoy himself.
Il got so he had nearly all his time
to himself. He roamed about the camp
and vicinity. One day he fell into an
abandoned shaft, 80 feet deep. No one
tried to ge. him out. 1t WAS thought he
might end his useless existence In there.
He could be seen at the bottom nodding.
Finally. after he had been i'll five days,
Tom kerrigan took pity on him. Tom
was kind 10 animals He said Jerry was
a bad mule, but he ought not to be al
lowed to atarye Tom rigged ropes, got
help ard hoisted him ont Then he walk
ed up to Jerry and, pa;ting him alice
tiOnately, said;
Had pooty rough time, didn't you.
old boy?'
Tom disappeared in the shaft. Jerry
had Strengthened ont one of his hind legs.
Tom was taken out very seriously injured.
He fingered between life and death for Il
long time. He had to have one of his
legs amputated, and finally got mp with q
stiff arm. He is making his living as Q
musician in San Francisco now. hand
organ.
Jerry did not have paint brush tail.
His owners had always seemed to like Just
Ms natural tail They loved him.
Jerry was getting to be prominent II
Granpaugh. He Was Il rising mule. iii;
conduct. however, WAS beginning to tel
on lis owner. Joe Singleton hal come
into camp steady Young man, but hs
was getting a little reckless ami dlsslpa-
ted Trouble on his Elnd.
Joe was getting poorer and he neede'
his mules assistance. He tired Jerr,
once more, drawing the ear In and ont o
the tunnel. Jerry drew the car out once
Ia a l-ickine manner. just as he return
ed lrJin the mouth OF the tunnel to th'
face If it a big blast went off prematur"
ly. Outside parties ran into the tunnel
peering anxiously through the smckc t
see if the five men working at the fac
were injured They were all dead. Jerr.
was missing. The blast had made an ur
expectedly large hole in the floor of tn
tunnel. When the smoke grew less dense
Jerry was discovered standing at the boi
tom of this hole, unhurt, chewing pee
Of fuse. Jerry would eat almost any
thing. He was partial to pieces of bacol
rind, wagon covers and collars. He coul
make comfortable meal on axle grease
At one time he was stealing barley from
sack there was some giant cartridge
mixed in with the barley he picked u
one of the cartridges a number Of me
were watching him, expecting to see hi
meet horrible death they thought
would be fit ending of his career. Jerr
chewed and the cartridge exploded Hi
tail made little tremulous moves thi
was all. He spit out the shell ard too
another cartridge.
A new man from California came mi
the camp. He recognized Jerry and JO'
He said Joe had not given hundred do
lars for the mule. That Jerry was frol
the San Joaquin valley, where he ha
been a prominent. leading mule. Ihi
tlGGG ldal tt'l mass iutttiii6o VI 'iiS -
zens there to determine how to get nd :
jerry. He was thinning out the farmnl
community. That, finally the count
court Of Mcrced county gave Joe Singl
ton. who was passing through the coui
tv. ten dollars to take the mule to Ariz
na. Joes hundred dollar story was e
pioded. He was joked about IT. L
drank harder.
Jerry wandered further and furth
away from the camp. Joe had despalr'
of him. Other mules would not ass
ciate with him. They felt constrained
his presence. He disappeared.
One day an Iyanpaush Indian can
into camp. His band made their hea
quarters on a little creek 20 miles ava
He was in trouble. He wanted to go,
washington to see the great father. /
said Me want talk great father Me
can man mean. Let mule go-mule c
tent Papoose he hit mule-mule he K
nanoose-kill squaws. Me big chief
mnle-mule hit me-he big chief.
1t was Jerry.
Joe Singleton died in an insane as
lum.