The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1880-04-24
AN INVINCIBLE MULE.
{ Correspondent e Salt Lake Tribune. |

paugh District, III Arizona, i'll its early
history. He was a mule. Very pro-
nounced mule. Joe Singleton brought
him into the district. He said he 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 sunbeam buffa-
loe robe, large and angular, and knock
kneed before and behind. Very, behind.
he had only one ear. The other had
probably been cut off by some one in q
fit of anger. It was, no doubt, the last
mules ear that that man ever cut off.
Jerry was a mule that would resent any
thing of that kind. When he was going
to sleep his surviving ear would nod, and
nod, and sink lower and lower until 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 Tried him at whim for raising
ore. Jerry didn't work long until he had
u misunderstanding with his driver. He
kicked the driver and drove him off the
hill. Jerry was so uncertain that no
miner would work in the shaft while he
was at the whim. To do so would be
taking chances with the ore bucket He
was harnessed to water cart, but
kicked the head out of the water barrel.
Next he was placed in u 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 of them was dead. Jerry
wouldn't work at anything, He just
wanted to wander around and enjoy
himself.
1t 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 thirty feet deep. Nc
one tried to get him out. 1t was thought
he might end his useless existence ii
there. He could be seen at the bottom
nodding. Finally, after he had been il
five days, Tom Kerrigan took pity OF
him. Tom was kind to animals. HI
said Jerry was bad mule, but he ough
not be allowed to starve. Tom rigget
some ropes, got help and hoisted him out
Then walked up to Jerry, and pattin!
him affectionately, said:
Had pooty rough time, didn't you
old boy?"
Tom disappeared in the shaft. Jerr.
had Strengthened out one Of his hind legs
Tom was taken out very seriously in
jured. He fingered between life an
death for a long time. He had to hav
one Of his legs amputated, and finally &c
up with u stiff arm. He is making hi
living as a musician in San Francisc
now. Hand organ.
Jerry didn't have paint brush tai
his owners had always seemed to lik
Just his natural tail. They loved life.
Jerry was getting to be prominent
lvanpaugh He was rising mule. H
conduct, however, was beginning to te
on his owner. Joe Singleton had con
into camp steady young man. but
was getting little reckless and diss
pated. Trouble on his mind.
Joe was getting poorer, and he needt
his mules assistance. He tried Jer,
once more, drawing the car in and out
the tunnel. Jerry drew the car at ono
in kicking manner. Just as he +
turned from the mouth of the tunnel
the face of it, big blast went of Or
maturely. Outside parties ran into Il
tunnel, peering anxiously through Il
smoke to see if the five men working
the face were injured. They were
dead. Jerry was missing. The bla
had made an unexpectedly large hole
the floor of the tunnel. When the smc
grew less dense, Jerry was discover
standing at the bottom of the hole, u
hurt, chewing piece of fuse.
Jerry would eat most anything. ]
was partial to pieces Of bacon rim