St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-05-04
Spanish MUleIeerS.

AlsluIlu Letter 10 Boston commercial Bulletln.
The harness is rOpe-strong and well
fitted for its use. The mules are gen
orally harnessed two abreast though
once or twice we had three in the first
rank-with two poles. The leaders are
directed by Il position. He does not
mount till they are at the full run. 1t
is Il point of pride to run at their side
and to spring up when the mule is in
full motion. The ''chief mate" as |
called him, sat on thorough brace, be
meath my seat. which was properly his,
at the side of the driver. But he was
not there great deal. He varied his
somewhat crampcd attitue by running
by the side of the carriage and of the
mules. He had long whip with which
he touched any one whom he or the
driver thought negligent. The driv-
ing, indeed, was conducted in Il sort of
caucus, in which my admirable friend
on the right, the driver proper, this
chief mate, whose official name | did
not know and the position held equal
although the rank of each was
firmly maintained. | mean that there
was a running conversation, all the
way, as to the success and prospects of
performance of the mules. ON our seat
we kept store of MacAdam stones.
with which from time to time the driv-
er hit the head OF haunch, as he chose,
of il mule who needed reminding. One
driver preferred stones as big as IL
peach, another had little ones not big
ger than nut.
All the staff smoked all the time they
could spare. So soon as we started
from pOSt-hOuSe. the driver handed
me the ribbons, and drove for few
minutes. This was to give him Il
chance to make his cigarette. He had
the tobacco, all ready, in one pocket,
and the paper in another. When the
cigarette was made, | would furnish
nv Matchbox, he would take off his
hat, and with an ingenuity which
have never seen rivallcd anywhere else.
he would light the cigarette while we
were in full motion. The chicf-mate
would then climb up from his lair be
low, where he had been making his
cigarette, and take il light for it. The
passengers on the seat above us, did
likewise, and we were thus ready for
the rest of the stage, having occupied
perhaps half or Il quarter of the time in
preparation. When our end of the
team was all well smoking, the poStil-
ion would jump off the leader, run back
and get light. run forward and mount
again while the mules were at their
regular pace. Not but what | have
seen position strike il match and light
cigar under the cover of his hat while
he was in saddle and in full motion
It,,l IL HI Il,
day was the feeling that at last in my
life | saw two daily duties perfectly
done, that of the position and that of
the cOachman.
The amount of conversation neces-
Sary would stagger the belief of taci-
turn readers. | do not remember that
the mules had separate names. but we
addressed to them Il running fire of
please, requests, suggestions, eXhOrta-
tlons, encOuragemcntS, warnings and
possible adiuratiOns- though of this
last | am not Sure-bOth in Andalusian
and, oddly enough, in Arabic. Any
language that they would understand
would answer, so it kept them to their
work. To say the truth never saw
creatures who needed prodding less.
They kept on, pressed hard on the col
lar, at Il relentless pace. AS eager to be
at the pOst-hOuSe as we were to have
them. But. on the part of our caucus,
as | called it, of three, although they
all did this thing every day of their
lives, there was that sort of eagerness
which you see i'll children going to u
circus for the first time, as if, on that
particular day, the doors would be
closed earlier than usual: as if we
might find the bridge down at Jean or
as if we were all bridegrooms going to
be married. And this was accompa-
MED by good nature almost ludicrous.
| dc not remember to have heard an
angry word spoken all that day.
There was one occasion, almost crit
ical, i'll which a vicious mare was
brought out rs one of the leaders. The
creature refused to start so ObstinaUelV
that the whole team was once and
again in contuSiOn-One mule was over
thrown-and confess | thought anOth-
er horse would have to he substituted
/ for her. But the whole council, which
included the grOOms and the keeper OF
the post-house, may he a dozen per-
sons managed the mad creature with
out the slightest show of hot temper
You might have thought she was d
/ trout who would not bite, so quiet were
they IN their treatment of her, vet :,
determined. When she did start tia,
] position ran bN her side "A mile hefnr,