Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-03-21
BEEBE-S MULE.
Old Fam GIides 500 Feet Down she
Mountain Side.

Old 'Fan'' Glides 500 Feet Down the
Mountain Side.
Samuel J.. Beebe's ancient mare mule,
Fan" is well known in Eureka, hardly
less so, in fact, than her veteran proprie-
tor. For the last 20 years they nave been
growing gray together in honest mining.
1t has been for many years one Of the
Beebe astride of his serious and faithful
'Fan," climbing the rugged side of Pros
pect Mountain. Beebe's picture would
not be complete without the mule, nor the
mules without Beebe. 'Fan" is one Of
those rugged old climbers that are framed
for work, and when she is told to climb
she knows her footing and climbs. She
can do more labor in Q slow-but-sure way
than any other female mule of her size and
age in the district. She is a most valua-
BILE brute every way, and so charming in
her behavior towards Beebe that
he has as much affection for her
as though she were bound to him
by ties Of blood relationship. The old girl
met with an accident a day or SO ago, and
made a narrow escape with her life. She
is q privileged character about the Silver
Conner mine, which is located on the west
side Of Prospect mountain, where it slants
down only q few angles less than 80 de-
grees. The sun has melted the snow on
the mountain-side, and in freezing it has
been turned into ice as sleek as glass from
top to bottom. For 1000 feet down there
is nothing to break the descent but here
and there q cluster OF two or three good
sized pine trees. While Fan" was nosing
around she slipped her foot" and down
she went. Beebe had scarcely time to
scream, 'sLook out, Fan +" when she
was O Her precious, but ungsinly,
hulk bounced and few through the air,
making somersault after somersault
with such rapidity that the eye could
scarcely note the revolutions. Beebe
looked ON and felt as though q demon was
pulling the heart out Of him. In despair
he was about to plunge headlong after
poor old "Fan," preferring to end his
days with her, rather than to prolong a
sad existence without her, when he saw
her come to q sudden stop between two
trees. Her body passed down, but her
head stuck. For q moment her neck
stretched like India-rubber, and he thought
she was in two forever, when suddenly her
neck contracted again and the body and
hinder-parts were drawn back up to their
proper place. Expecting to find her killed,
and having no solace left but to bury her
d~ecently, he summoned help and repaired
hastily to the spot where Frances had
probably heaved her last sigh. He
found her breathing heavily but COM
posed, with no death damp on her
forehead or any angelic smile on her coun-
tenance. Her head, which was ordinarily
the size Of a flour barrel, had apparently
absorbed the neck and was as big as a hogs
head. The only way to get her out was to
pull! her up hill which was i~mpossible-or
else to cut down one Of the trees at the
roots. This was done, after care
had been taken to secure Fan" to
the other with ropes, and with
the labor of Hercules she was
in the course of two hours, restored to the
summit again from which, she says IN her
eye, she will not tumble any more. She
Ia as good on her pins as ever, but her eye
is in q sling, and when she and Beebe
climb the hills together, now, the view is
blocked by a hogshead in front and you
can only see Beebe by looking from
behind.