The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-17
SILVER IN A DEAD MULE.
A Story of Mythical Character Fror
the Mines of Colorado.

A Story of Mythical Character From
the Mines of Colorado.
The teamsters driving up Aspen Noun
tain early yesterday morning, says the
Aspen Chronicle, were surprised to see
dago, they called him, opening old Pete.
The latter is the old bay mule that, it is
elaine ID, has been working in and around
silver mine for good many years, and
which fell down Aspen Mountain week
ago and broke his neck. Old Pete was
pretty hard to cut open, as he was frozen
as stiff as the proverbial poker, and the
dago hacked at him with an AK for two
hours before he mined into his NAV, but
when he got into the bowels he drew q
butcher knife from the sheath at his side
and commenced to cut in with it.
Two teamsters, who were passing down
the mountain with load of ore at this
time, were SO much interested at this
iuncture that they stopped to see the end
of the exploration. Their curiosity was
not long deferred, for they soon saw the
Italian throw the knife aside, make a
dive into the beasts belly with his right
hand and produce an oblong black ball,
which he held up near his face and
examined critically. The mule -skinners
| could stand 1t no longer, SO, tying the
reins to the brakes, they jumped down
| from their wagons and made their way
| down the mountain to the place where
the dago held zip his treasure. For it
really proved to be treasure-some
twelve pounds of silver that looked as if
1t had come out of retort instead of q
mules stomach.
"Who told you that mule had ball of
silver in his belly?" asked one of the
| teamsters ~tt
"Mula worka in silva nina always has
a balla silva in bello," replied the dago.
"Who gave you the pointer" urged
the teamster.
"Mea worka in silva nina In Hispania
Tonga TINA, always killa mula, taka,silva
balla outa bello."
"But who told you old Pete had this
bonanza in his belly?"
"Mea knowa old Peter Tonga time in
j San Juan compana. me knowa he snuffa
up heapa silva in his bello, keepa there
tilla you killa him, cutta open, take out
bello. He worka in a heapa damno,
Tonga, richa tunnelo, where breath silva,
keepa in bello tilla he expire. He nc
usa longer nova, mea knowa; cutta him
open, take out bello In rHispania dc
Castillo mula no Iva hundred ammo, lika
in Colorado. He worka in silva nina
decem ammo. Hegetta killa fora silva In
hisa bello. In Hispania man knowa
heapa moro as ina Colorado; heapa
damno much moro smarta in Hispania. .
The teamsters insisted the heapa,
damno, mucho smarta Spaniard should
ride down to the Rust Sampler with
them. where the ball of silver was
weighed by Mr.. Vary, and sized UP
twelve pounds and four and three-fourthS
o1nces II wos there examined bv .
representative of the Chronicle, and was
a very interesting subject to the student
in curiosities. The dago wanted to sci
it TO Mr.. Vary at its par value, bu
another man came up and advised tho
Spaniard to take it East, and sell 1t Il
some museum, where lie would probably
realize larger price fromit as curiosity
This the Spaniard determined to do, anC
took his treasure trove with him to hi
cabin, where he will conceal it until III
can dispose of it to advantage.