The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-03-26
The Inv,ncihls Mule.

Jerry made his appearance in Ivanpaugh
District in Arizona, early in its history
He was mule. Very pronounced 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. lie didn't.
Jerry was the color of a sunbeam buffalo
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 fit Of anger. 1t
was, no doubt, the last mules ear that that
man ever cut off. Jerry was 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 il hung down over his eyes.
Jerry was dreaming then of his childhood
days. He was an old mule. In meanness.
Joe tired Jerry at various kinds of work.
Tried him at within for raising ore. Jerry
didn't work long until he hao misunder-
standing with his driver. He kicked the
driver and drove him off the hill. Jerry
was so uncertain that no miner would work
iu the shaft while he was at the within. 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 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 any thing. He just wanted
to wander around and enjoy himself.
1t got so he had nearly all his time to
himself. He roamcd about the camp and
vicinity. One day he fell into an abandoned
shaft thirty feet deep. No Que tried to get
him out 1t was thought he might end his
useless existence in there. He could be
seen III The bottom nodding. Finally, after
ne had teen in five days. Tom Kerrigan
took pity on him. Tom was kind to ami
mails. He said Jerry was a bad mule, but
he ought not u be allowed to starve. Tom
rugged some ropes, got help, and boosted
HIM out. Then walked up u Jerry, and
pattrng him affeetiouately said:
:" Had a poorly rough time, didn't yol,
| old boy ?"
Tom disappeared in the shaft. Jerry had
Strengthened out one of his hind legs. Tom
was taken out very seriously Injured. He
| fingered between life and death for long
time. He had to have one Of his legs am
putated, and finally got up with a 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 seemed to like just bis
natural tail. They loved life.
| Jerry was getting to be prominent IN
| Ivanpaugh. He was rising mule. His
conduct, however. was beginning to tell on
his owner. Joe Singleton had come into
| q, htnF ha
getting a little reckless and dissipated.
| Trouble on bis mind.
| Joe was getting poorer, aud be needed
his mules assistance. He tried Jerry once
more, drawing the car in and out of tuu-
mel. Jerry drew the car out once, in "A
kicking manner. Just as he retained from
the mouth Of the tunnel to the face of il, "A
big blast went off prematurely. Outside
parties ran into the tunnel, peering anx-
| iously 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 been made an unexpectedly
| large hole 10 the floor of the tunnel. When
the smoke grew less dense, Jerry was dis
covered standing at the bottom Of this hole,
unhurt. Chewing a piece of fuse.
| Jerry would eat most anything. He was
partial to pieces of bacon rind, wagon
covers, and collars. He could make a COM
Portable meal on axle grease. At one time
he was stealing some barley from sack.
| There was some giant cartridges mixed IN
with the barley. He picked up one of the
cartridges. A number of men were watch
| ing him, to see him meet horrible death.
They thought it would be fit ending OF
his career. Jerry chewed; the cartridge
exploded. His tail made little trcmulous
move: that was all. He spit out the shell,
aud took another cartridge.
A new man from California came into
the camp. He recognized Jerry aud Joe.
| He said Joe had given no hundred dollars
for the mule. That Jerry was from the San
Joaquin valley where he had been promi-
nent, leading mule. That there had been
mass meetings of the citizens there to de-
termine 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 pass
ing through the country, ten dollars to take
the mule to Arizona. Joe's hundred dollar
story was exploded. He was joked about
| it. He drank harder.
| Jerry wandered further AMI further away
from the camp. Joe had despaired OF him.
| Osher mules would not asso ,iate with him.
| They felt constrained in his presence. lie
disappeared.
One day an Ivanpaugh Indian came into
| camp. His band made their headquarters
/ on a little creek twenty miles away. lie
| was in trouble. He wanted to go to Wash
| ington to see the Great Father. lie said
"Me want talll Great Father. Merican mar
mean. Let mule go-mule eaS tent
/ Papeose he hit mule-mnle he kill papoost
kill squaws. Ne big chief-hit mule
mule hit me-he big Chief
1t was Jerry.
Joe Singleton died in an insane asylum.
4 TorK MEIpNE