Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-30
AN INvINCIBI.E .
A Somewhat Unreliable Biogra-
ply, BVf Good.

nounced mule. Joe Singleton brought
him into the district. He said he gave
500 for him in California. He ex-
pected to get some work out of Jerry
in the mines. He 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 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 it hung
down over his eyes. Jerry was dream
ing then of his childhood days. He
was an old mule in meanness.
Joe tried Jerry at various kinds Of
work. Tried him at a within for rails
ing ore. Jerry didn't work long until
he had a misunderstanding with his
driver. He kicked the driver and
drove him off the hill. Jerry was so
certain that no miner would work in
the shaft when he was at the within.
To do so would be taking chances
with the ore bucket. He was har-
messed to a water cart, but kicked the
head out of the water bar
rel. Next he was placed in a team.
His habits were d%emoralizing to the
other mules in the town, and he was
removed from their society. One
evening he and another mule were
tied together to keep them from van
dering too far, and turned out to
browse for the night. The next morn
ing n oil 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
clmp and vicinity. One day he fell
down an abandoned shaft, thirty feet
deep. No one tried to get him out
1t was thought he might end his use
less existence there. He could be
seen at the bottom nodding. Finally,
after he had been in five days, Tom
Kerrigan took pity on him. Tom was
kind to animals. He said Jerry was a
bad mule, but he ought not to be al
lowed to starye. Tom rugged ropes,
got help, and hoisted him out. Then
ne walked up to Jerry, and patting
him afectionately said Had a pooty
rough time, didn't you, 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 be-
tween life and death for a long time.
He had to have one of his legs ampu-
tated, and finally got off with a stiff
arm. He is making his living as a
musician in San Francisco now. A
hand organ.
Jerry did not have a paint brush
tail His owners had always seemed
to like just his natural tail. They
loved life.
Jerry was getting to be prominent
in lyanpaugh. He was a rising mule.
His conduct. however, was beginning
to tell on his owner. Joe Singleton
had come into camp a steady young
man, but he was getting a little
reckless and dissipated. Trouble on.
his mind.
Joe was getting poorer and he
needed his mules assistance. He
tried Jerry once more, drawing the
car in and out once in a kicking man
ner. just as he returned from the
mouth of the tunnel to the face of it a
big blast went off prematurely. Out
side parties ran into the tunnel. peer
ing anxiously through the smoke TO
see if the five men working at the
face were injured. They we're all
dead. Jerry was missing. The blast
had made an unexpected large hole in
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 almost any,
thing. He was partial to pieces of
bacon rlpd, wagon covers and collars.
He could make a comfortable meal of
axle grease. At one time he was
stealing barley from a sack: there
were some giant cartridges mixed in
with the barley; he picked up one of
the cartridges; a number Of men were
watching him, expecting to see him
meet a horrible death; they thought
It would be a fit ending to his career.
Jerry chewed and the cartridge ex.
ploded. His tail made a little tremu.
lous moye-that was all. He spit out
the shell and took another cartridge.
A new man from California came
into the camp. He recognized Jerry
and Joe. He said Joe had not given
500 for the mule; that Jerry was
from the San joaquin valley, where
he had been a prominent leading
mule; that there had been mass meet
AAro " SlbinGuS W uSlbTmllG HOW TO
get rid OF Jerry-he was thinning out
the farming community; that, fin ally
the county court of Mercer county
gave Joe Singleton, who was passing
through the county, $40 to take the
mule to Arizona. Joe's hundred
story was exploded. He was
joked about it. He drank harder.
Jerry wandered further and fur
Their away from the camp. Joe had
despaired Of him. Other mules
would not associate with him. They
felt constrained in his presence. He
disappeared.
{. One day an Iyanpaugh Indian came
into camp. His band made their
headquarters on a little creek twenty
miles away. He was in trouble.
de wanted to go to Washington.
to see the great father. Mclean
man mean. Let mule go-mule eat
tent. Papoose he hit mule-mule
he kill papoose-kill sauaws No b;g