West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-07-03
very Pronounced nIuie

Jerry made his appearance in Ivanpaugh
district, in Arizona, early in It's history.
lie was mule. Very pronounced mule.
Joe Singleton brought hIm into the district
lie said he gave 800 for him in California.
lie expected 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 of by somO one in a III OF anger.
IL 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 eur
would nod, aud sink lower aud lower until
II hung down over his eyes. Jerry was
dreaming then Of his childhood days. He
was an old mule in meanuess.
Joe tried Jerry at various kinds of work
Tried him at whim for raising ore. Jerry
didn't work long until he had a misunder.
standing with his driver. He kicked the
driver, and drove him off the hull. Jerry
was 40 certain that no miner would work
in the shaft when he was at the whim. To
do so would be taking chances with the ore
bucket. lie was harnessed TO a water cart.
but kicked the head out of the water barrel.
Next he was placed in team. His habits
were demorali2ing TO the other mules i'm
the team, and he was removed from their
society. Oic evening he and another mule
| were Tied together To keep them from wan
dering 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. lie just wanted TO wander around
and enjoy himself.
Ii got so he had nearly all his time TO
himself. lie roamed about the camp and
vicinity. One day he fell into an aban-
doned shaft thirty feet deep. No one tried
TO get him out. Ii was thought he might
end his useless existence in there. lie
| could be seen at the bottom nodding.
Finally. after he had been In Ave daya
Tom korrigan took pity on him, Tom was
kind TO animals. He said Jerry was n
bad mule but he ought not to be allowed
to starve, Tom rugged ropes, got help and
hoisted him out Then he walked up to
Jerry, and patting him aHectionately, said:
'liad pooty rough time, didn't you,
old boy 2"
Tom disappeared in the shaft, Jerry had
Strengthened out one of his hind logs Tom
was taken out very seriously injured He
fingered between life and death for long
time. He had 10 have one OF his legs am
putated, and finally got up with stiff arm
He Is making his living as a musician I'm
San Francisco now. A hand organ.
Jerry did not have paint brush tail.
His owners had always seemed to like lust
his natural tail. They loved life.
Jerry was getting TO be prominent in
lvanpaugh. He was "A rising mule His
conduct, however, was beginning TO tell ON
his owner. Joe Singleton had come into
"a ot ~ I,,t L.
ting "A little reckless and disipated. 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 of the
tunnel, Jerry drew the Car out once. I'm a
Kicking manner Just as he returned from
the mouth OF the tunnel TO the face of it
big blast went off prematurely. Outside
parties went into the tunnel, pccring
anXiously through the smoke TO see if the
five men working at the face were injured.
The blast had made an Unexpectedly large
hole in the floor of the tunnel. When the
smoke grew less dense, Jerry was dscov-
cred standing at the bottom Of this hole.
unhurt, chewing n piece OF fuse. Jerry
would eat almost anything. He was par
tal TO pieces Of bacon rind, wagon covers
and coors. He could make a comfortable
meal on axle grease. At one time he was
stealing barley from sack there were
some giant cartridges mixed IN with the
barley; he picked up one OF the cartridges;
n number of men were watching him, ex-
pecting TO see him diea most horrible death;
they thought it would be ht ending Of
his career. jerry chewed and the car
fridge exploded. His tail made n little
tremulous mOve-that was all He spit
out the shell and took another cartridge.
new man from California came into
the camp. He recognized Jerry and Joe.
He said Joe had not given a hundred dol
lars for the mule. That Jerry was from
the San Joaquin valley, where ne had been
a prominent leading mule That there had
been mass meetings of the citizens there 10
determine how 20 get rid Of Jerry He
wps thinning out the farming community.
That finally the county court of Mercer
county gave Joe Singleton, who was pass
ing through the county, ten dollars TO take
the mule 70 Arizona JOe's hundred dol
lar story w0s exploded. He was ioked
about Il. He drank harder.
Jerry wandered further and further away
from the camp. Joe had despared Of him.
Other mules would not associate with him.
They felt constrained in his presence. lie
disappeared.
One day an Ivanpaugh Indian came into
camp. His band made their headquarters
on the little creek twenty miles away. lie
was IN trouble. lie wanted TO go to Wash
ington 20 see the great father. He said
''Me want talk great father Mclean man
mean. Let mule go-mue eat tent Pa
poose he hit mule-mule he kill papOose-
kill squaws. Nc big chief--ht mule
mule hit me--he big chief"
II was Jerry
Joe Singleton died In an insane asylum.