The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-05-03
THOSE MULE.

W. G. hamburger, in the Wiudom
Citizen, writes as follows touching the
treatment of the army mule as compared
with the private soldier of the late un-
pleasantness:
Comrades, what shall we say about an
old white mule that has seen forty years
of service? But what mule is this2 Is it
the Zollicoffer mule, or one of them?
II he was in the Confederate service, our
Government has no oats for him. Was
he one of Gen. Burnside's six white
mules that helped the army over the
Cumberland Mountains, and that lived
through the cold winter of '63 ana '6l
without shoes, blankets or tents, and
with but one ear Of corn a day for sixty
days? If this mule is one of them, let
him have the oats by all means, Per-
haps he is the mule that went through
the siege of Knoxville on less than eight
rations. II SO. pass along the oats. Did
he carry heavy backloads of ammuni-
tion in addition to his own bed and
board2 Then psss the oats. Did be
carry musket with frozen fingers till
the skin came of? Did be belong to our
Brigade, which had one lank steer for
three days beef ralions, and not enough
greose about the whole animal to grease
a good sized army shoe: the Brigade that
had to borrow an old bacon.rihd with
string tied around it, to grease hundreds
of throats so the beef would not s tick in
its passage downward and choke q fellow
to death2 Ii so, pass the oats. Did he
help draw the artillery up the steep hills
and mountains, where the horses could
not climb? Did he go for three months
without hearing from friends and home,
because communications had been cut
off? Did he go six months at time
without pay, because the climate was
too warm for the paymasters? Bring out
the oats.
But whero is the proof that he is en-
titled to be placed upon the retired list2
If he is entitled to oats from the Gov.
erpment crib, has his claim been proven
up in the Pension Office? Did be pro-
cure the iron-bound oath of his family
physician that he was a healthy mule
when he entered the service forty years
ngo2 If not, did be procure the evidence
.c t,u1 ;,l l., r..
of heaves, ETC., when he entered upon
his forty years of service? Did he pro.
cure the evidence of his cmmandiue
officer that he never kicked over tho
traces. and of the Army Surgeon tha
he pranced up regularly to sick call ant
took bis portion Of quinine AMI blu,
mass? Was his military record examined
to find out if sometime during his fort,
years' service he was not treated for ring
bone which existed prior to his enlist
meni? Has he passed medical surve
aud been found unfit for further sel
vice?
II he has COMPLIED with all the tech
nicdl rules aud red-tape of tho Pensio
Office, and n special agent has been SCI
out to examine some man who p,rehanc
got within range of his heels once upc
time, and nothing can be found again,
him, place h,m on the pension roll (
two dollars a month, and then softe
his declining years by setting the new
paper hounds after him, and let thei
keep ringing in his ears such lovel
names as "old fraud" Government pa,
per-" "pension swindler, ""leaches upo
the Treasury" "the victim of rascal
claim agents" etc. But now if the Sc
retary of War has ordered the oats fc
that mule for life, without requirir
him to pass through the Pension Off
aud furnish all this testimony. then v
must come to the conclusion that IL
diseased, pain-rAcked veterans VIII
fought for a few 'oats," are not equal
this old white mule.