The daily gazette., 1880-02-05
Buying and Selling Mules.

EXTENT OF THE TKADE-WHERE THE
SUPPLY COMES FROM AND WHERE
THEY GO.
ATLANTA, Feb. 1.-The stock yards
in Atlauta are full Of mules. There has
Iever been such a supply Of these useful
animals on the u atket. Few people have
any idea how great the mule trade of
At.anta is. Since 1868 it has been enor-
nous. IL spite of the fact that year be-
lore last about 5000 mules were dis
rbuted from this point, the demand has
rot decreased, and the present season
as been one of unusual activity. From
he rich bluegrass valleys of Kentucky
Ind the great stock farms Of Tennessee
thousands of the finest mules in the
world come TO Atlanta. HundIeds of
farmers come to Atlanta just to buy
mules. Al any hour In the day the
stock yards, Of which there are four or
i've in the city, are being inspected by
purchasers. Many of the. Jolly drovefs
who come here bring as many as three
aud four carloads of mules. None Of
hem come without one carload.
Freight charges are heavy, and 1t would
not pay to bring fewer. The mules are
always in splendid condition when they
reach Atlanta. They are fat, sleek, and
50 active that they throw their heels
,round with a native Iecklessness that
iusures respect. Good mules are always
n demand, and bring good prices. They
are now worth from 500 to $3.50 each,
according to size aud general condition.
CLey are taken from Atlanta to all parts
If Georgia and Alabama, South Carolina
and Florida. Many Of lhe large drovers
will not retail their mules, but sell them
by lots to traders and speculators. Some
Of these hardy Kentuckians and Tennes-
,eeans have made fortunes raising mules
since the war. They conduct huge stock
farms, where the young mules are made
;at and strong on The richest grass and
grow up 10 "their majority" in climate
which is the best in the world for all
kinds OF horse-1esh. There are other
mule traders who do not own foot Of
and, and never bother themselves about
.aIsing mules. They buy them from the
farms at advanta, ,eous prices, ship them
10 market and pocket few thousand
every month ot the season. The mule
raider is a character, and Individually
rot like anybody else, He has liberal
views a genuine Kentucky joviality, a
love of fun that carries him TO see all the
sights when he comes to that city. 1t is
remal kable what respect these men have
.or the mule, The reporter heard one
of them say the other day that he saw a
child fall in the streets just ahead of a
drove of mules rushing at full tilt down
The street. Ev, rybody expected in the
next instant to see the hoofs of the rush
ng mules crush the little one 10 death.
But the good-natured mules coinpre-
nendrd the danger. Every one Of them
,kpped over the little child, and left IL
As safe as if it had been In its mothers
lap all the while, That the mule has
been slandered is quite probable. The
mule trade of Atlanta brings hundreds of
thousands of dollars here every winter
aud spring. The dIOvers spend thousands
of dollars here every wiuter and spring.
The drovers spend thousands here. The
farmers who come here to purchase
mules spend thousands more. Ia Geor-
!a and the South successful agriculture
depends largely on the mule. Some one
has said that two things in creation have
fully demonstrated their eternal fitness
for each other--the negro and the mule.
A negro never works so well as with a
stout mule; a mule never rises to its
highest possibilities except under the
guiding hand of darkey. With darkIes
and mules our fields will continue TO
Yield their rich Increase.