Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-04-08
Old Sol.

Died, March 8, 1886, Old Sol, aged
thirty years. He was mule and died
of old age. Every resident of the viii
lage for the last twenty-five years knew
and respected him. He was the largest
mule ever raised in this vicinity, and by
all odds the smartest. During the war
his owner was frequently offered the
price of span of average mules for
him, but he would not part with him.
When would-be buyers appeared to be
getting rather too thick, Sol would
suddenly disappear and hide himself in
some thicket in the big pasture, as eff
fectually as many drafted man did in
the mountains at that time, and dozen
men might beat that pasture all day in
vain; he turned up at such time as he
thought best and not before. At other
times, when threshing machine came
on to the place, or when he had worked
week or two against team, they TAX
ing it day about, and he putting in full
time, Sol would hide out, and the only
way to do was to wait till he got
ready to return of his own accord. He
hated machine for the reason that be
had rapid gait and usually had to do
half OF the pulling, which he was capa-
BILE of doing.
Was there balky horse to be
brought to time, or a refractory colt to
be broken9 Clap it in beside of Sol and
the job was completed in one session;
for when he started Everything vent
nolens volens, and by the time they
! had been dragged, up or down, twenty
or thirty rods, they were glad to paddle
along on their oan hook. His last
owner had great reputation as =
horsepower, but have always thought
that half of the credit belongs to Sol.
When the Turkey Valley railroad
was being built, several of the young
men in the vicinity, including Mr.. BIS
(his owner's) son were anxious to go,
but their parents wanted them to re-
main at home, but go they must, and
SO they went and took Old Sol along to
take care of them, he being considered
the wisest one of the whole outfit, and
their friends felt much easier when he
concluded to accompany them. But
Sol. didn't like the associations, and
made break for liberty, taking bee
line for the Mississippi. He was, how
ever, overtaken. captured and ignomin-
iously taken back to the dump. His
mule heart was nearly broken; he grew
thin and weak, and at last they brought
him home, and sorry looking mule he
was
But when they turned him loose in
the old pasture, he started in run
around the lot, swung around the circle
several times, then turned his head
toward the stable, gave one exultant
bray and went quietly to eating. He
soon recovered his former flesh and ac.
tivity, but whenever after that he was
hitched up and driven toward the river
his gait was very slow and unwilling.
| well remember my first introduce
ton to Sol and it took just three days
to get well acquainted, and perfect the
introduction. He had his own peculiar
views as tn whom he would work for or
with. | was sent to the stable TO take
him and to pillow corn, and entered the
stall to put on his bride, but missed it
about four feet. He didu't kick, bite
or crowd, but just raised that wise old
head up to the stringer overhead, and
might just as well have tried to put the
bride on the top of a telegraph pole.
Mr. B. performed that operation for me
and we proceeded to the field. The
first through went all right. but when
we came to turn. he wished to take one
row and | another. | had my way af-
ter much jerking and some rather
pointed remarks, and we shot across
the field much faster than ] considered
necessary. made the turn again, break
ing down several hills of corn. and still
putting on more steam. At the next
turn | commenced repeating to him an
exhortation that had learned down in
Secessia, and heard often repeated to
the off lead mule, when was a govern
ment mule myself. adding a kick in his
flank as he darted by me. That raised
his dander. | had just time to crap
one pillow handle and away we flew,
sometimes the pillow in air, sometimes
skimming the ground, and myself
strung out in the rear. sometimes with
one foot on the ground, but oftener
with neither. The turns were made in
= jiffy, and he dragged me back and