The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-16
A Bucking Mule.

Buck1nR mule.
THE NANTUCKET MANS ADVENTURE IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF CALIFORNIA.
Correspondence Of the Hartford tConn.) Cou-
rant
In 1850 a whaling mate from Nantucket
was fitting out for the mines near our back
door. in Sacramento. He was a tall, seri-
ous. large-ieatured man, probably the head
Of family at home, and might have had
handsome daughters IL he had any. He
was particular in his outfit. and was long
time getting ready. He couldn't easily find
a mule to suit him because he wanted
an extra large one. Meanwhile he was
gathering his traps and attending
horse auctions on X street. After about
a fortnight he came down street with
big mule In tow that sold cheaper, he said,
because there was no sufficient mate for
him in the country. There was consider
able sloping deck-roOm on him, and great
capacity for pack-saddles and the hanging
on OF camp and mining furniture. The
Nantucket mate had tent, gold
washer-the latest improved pattern, In
sections-two picks, two shovels, fry
ing-pan, a box OF salt meat, do.
bread, do. clothes, some sort OF long
fire-arm, and little demiiOhn OF choice
liquor that | remember. and | doubt il ]
recollect half he had; for he was 4 great
provider, and skilled in slowing ships
against the chances OF a long voyage. The
mule was gOod-looking one. No by
stander suggested anything against him.
and | guess in ordinary service he was
kind. The mate appeared TO have no sIls-
picons OF the animal, since his size was
all right. He may have been thinking
OF some pet old farmhouse in Nam
tucket that he knew would carry all the
boys that could pile on him. In those
early California days very few people OF
New England birth realized the compress
ed energy in Il mule. As have limited,
the big mule himself might not have been
aware OF his latent powers. But there is
no telling. He stood grave and still as
| church among the chips near the wood
pile at our k-door, while the mate, an
expert rigger. with plenty OF voluntary
help, was packing. | was just then laying
the soup-bone keel of dinner, and clean
inc UP the kitchen after breakfast.
There was one pack-Saddle and one
riding-Saddle on the mule. strung along
amIdships, remember The reader must
understand that buckng mule or horse
can develop perfect hinge In his back
that is not reckOned in ordinary equine o.
teolOgy. | have thought since that this
mules back hinge must have come between
the two saddles, for at the pOSt-mOrtem
examination OF this particular mining
expedition il was discovered that the
girths OF the saddles found upon the
ground were neither broken, uubuckled,
nor united, but simply shed or shucked
of. or Il score OF observers no one saw
exactly how this was done, the movement
was so rapid and such dust was flying.
The mule was for a minute the invisible
centre OF a stOrm-clOud, from which ra-
dated, rs from an explosion, the fifty or
sixty articles ] have enumerated. But !
am getting ahead OF my story.
A bucking animal, you see-and as ]
write, and reflect, and recollect, it seems.
after ALL a. il this mule must have been an
old hand at it-can swell himself by taking
i'm wind, so rs to burst his girths, or he
can shrink and collapse so rs 10 loosen his
straps, and then. by that hinge in his back,
he can drop the seat OF a saddle plumb
perpendicular, and iounce it over his
head or tail, aS the ease Of the ease may
he. to the ground by tremendous stiff
legged force against the earth. The buck
ng mule, at his greatest height in m;dair,
doubles his head and heels together by that
hinge so as TO look like a pair Of saddle
bags or wet trousers flung over lariat. In
that position there is absolutely no seat for
"A rider, and most people in such a predica-
ment feel Willingness TO alight, aside from
the attraction OF grayitation and before the
arrested batterlngram force OF the mules
legs against the ground shoots the rider
a T. a.. .
Not much mule was to be seen between
ears, tail, and hOOfS when the mate had
knotted the last tie OF his hampers, Delayed
the spar line ship-shape, and swung his
long leg like derrick from our big chop
ping-block over the animal, all ready to
make sail. He had on pair OF weighty
Spanish spurs, and some declared after
ward that the mate would have got safely
under way il he had not grazed the mules
belly with the fukes Of one OF those an
chors. But this will never, probably, be
known. In one instant the mass Of hard
and woodenware, with the bags, was in
fearful motion and shot up into the air.
thought the whole concern would tumble
down through the canvas roof OF our
Kitchen and spill the dinner OF forty peo-
pie. But guess the mule had canvassed
the whole business otherwise. As the
dust settled and our wits gathered from
amazement aud alright, the mule, clean
a. he was born, was seen calmly crop
ping weeds that grew where we flung
Stops; the mate. with surprise and bruises
struggling for mastery on his face. was
gathering himself out OF our wood pile
A spare boot, parted from its fellow, first
fixed his wandering gaze, and a smell from
the wrecked demiiohn helped restore his
senses TO his quarter Of an acre Of scattered
property. He said simply: Il guess I'll
sell that mule" and we heard afterward
that he chartered an ox-team for his freight.