The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
THE UNDERGROUND MULE.
Live Gathering Rams at the YOnkcrs Aque-
duct-Their Tricks and Their Manners

Live Gathering Rams at the YOnkcrs Auue-
duct-Their Tricks and Their Manners.
New York Graphic
The last man killed on the new aqueduet
works was kicked by mule The animal struck
him with both hind feet in the stomach and he
never breathed after receiving the blow. He
was employed by Brown. Howard d Co, con-
tractors. The methods Of the mules employed
in the shafts cannot be said to be peculiar for
the mule is n mule wherever he may happen to
be located; but they afford an interesting story
to all but the man who happens to get kicked.
These mules invariably turn their heads to the
electric light, and Of course to all who descend
the shafts the first impression is combination
of binding light and the most impenetrable dark
ness 1t takes at least half hour for the new
conner to accustom himself 70 The situation. and
meanwhile he is as helpless as if he lad no eyes
at all Descending shaft, he is apt to find him.
self close TO mules heels. The cunning little
beast irritated by the intrusion, pushes the man
back with his launches, all the while turning his
head TO see the effect of his strategy, and when
the man is at the proper distance the heels fly
up and he is pretty apt to awake from the con-
fusion arising from profound darkness, binding
light and the noise Of picks, shovels shafts and
the general machinery, to find himself either
dead or suffering intense agony. Not long since
Mr.. Hegeman, engineer OF O'Brien s. Clark, de-
scended shaft 10 which he was not accustomed
to find himself at the rear of fractions mule.
He, however. instinctively understood the situa-
ton, and when the mule began backing him up,
he seized the animal by the tai ana Kept close
to him, and finally, placing himself at the side of
the mule, with rocks at his back, succeeded in
escaping. They say that the expression in the
animals eyes Mr.. Hegeman swept to the front
of him concentration of chagrin, admira-
ton and disappointment impossible to the most
expressive of human countenances, and that il
he had been empowered with speech, like the
ass of Mr.. Balaam, he would have brought down
the dome of the excavation with the most awful
profanity. The boys employed in the works are
largely responsible for the mischief wrought by
these underground mules. They plague the
animals in order to get them to kick 1t amuses
Them and possibly the mules too. They tell
wonderful stories as to the agility of the mules.
One OF the little beasts, they declare, kicked
sixteen feet and then wept profusely because
the limited amount of the surrounding excava-
ton wouldn't permit him to do justice to the op-
portunity. They also buck 1t is a common
practice for the underground mule to bunch his
legs together and lift himself to the roof above
him. the object apparently being to 60 through
that obstruction to the upper atmosphere by the
shortest possible route. Failing to execute the
somewhat difficult feat he comes to his original
position with the force Of battering ram, his
legs still bunched, evidently designing to get out
by the opposite route; and, failing in that, he
winks viciousy looks around for something to
try his hind legs on, and then hangs his head and
assumes an attitude of hopeless despair.