Thomas County cat., 1890-02-20
THE MULE.
UREAU OF SOUTHERN NEWS
j. +. PATRICK. General Manager.
Raleigh. y. T..


RnleigH. i. &.
Why should letter. in a series of let
ers from the South. be devoted TO the
nue? Because This animal is u very
large factor in the industries of the uth
and because there is IL large capital IN
vested in il as IA means of doing business.
Not from accident, hardly fr,.m choice:
but because II can do work winch no
other animal could do. and at less cast. /
In ITS ability 10 do hard and ditticnl, work /
it holds middle place between the horse
and ,h. OK Slower than the horse and
less fiery. it works in safety where Il horse
would soon ruin itself. Faster than the
OK ii will do more work in given period
of time. Hardy, long-Iived. easy to Keep.
and patient under i'll usage, the mule Is
the working animal of The South. The
mule does the p,owing. hauis the cotton
from the field io the gin. and thence I"
market II hauls the | 'es To the sawml'i
and the lumber TO ,he railroad; the crude
,urp, niine To the di>tiIlery. and the refln-
ed spirits of 'urpen,ine and the rosln I"
tine depot. II carries its owner IN It's
back To the village store and The po>loince
and safely home again in the darkest
night and through the most tangled
| woods. A farmer says he works one
horse. a tw., horse, or four horse farm. rs
the case may be, but mules do the work.
A man keeps Il team for general work; II
i, usually two mules. n man runs >in-
gle wagon for odd jobs at dra!Ing; bu; u
mule generally draws the wagon. Ii
man wishes to make a long Journey III
snort time he will select the niue; tor u
mule trained to the road will travel more
miles in a day and for more successive
da> S lhaH any horse. The writer wish
ing on one occa Ion to ride short DIS
tance to the city and back tine shortest
possible lime was pui I'M" heavy, tw'-
seated top wagon with driver. behind
good road mule The distance Was made
in very qlick time; with rapid. steady
trot, up and down steep hills hich would
break The wind OF any morse We nave ev-
.r seen. A gain, rs most of tue manual
, labor of the South is done by negroes, Il
, is necessary tn place in their hands n.i-
nal that " ill not Le ruined by their in'n-
a -elnent. Asa rule negroes are cruel 10
The lower animals. They shout a la 4
y,layc wh, ,cl the mule understands: hey
I sco!d, Il. al and thrash. and drive the Muie
> Straight int. lhck Is and ianSlcs VIII, II
wuu ii ruin any ether animal. In 1"ct.
" the TWO animals seem Made tor zach "tn
r cr They seem To know each other, II d
harmonize quite as we'll us tue "hi.e
' man a,.d The horse. Ii the darky be
Y comes uverconliient ani caIcle>s III tue
e management ,,f his co-laburer the indie
y is likey 10 call back his thoughts by some
unexpected evolution Of muscle not iaid
down in the athlete $ catalogue Ot health
giving motions. Ii the darby ovcIl"ad'
the mule. the mule don't pull, that Is \ j
, If the darky seIZcs young Tree where
with 20 persuade the mule to pun. th'
.r mule kicks The darkv shouts. tnrashes
and abuses the mule with all kinds .
language; the mule looks peaceful and
kicks This interch ,use Of expIessiOu
"a OF esteem and affection goes on until th'
- darky throws uf part OF the LOAD
puts his own shoulder 10 the wheel. Thel
=. the mule pulls aud the load goes. and VI
=, is lovely again. TIE darky sings an
=. whistles, ami the mule meditates, no
p, vengeance; for thee two companion
-, never harbor any i'll will toward eac
=, other. bu, on some new and effective WA
p, to educate the negro up 10 the prope
Il. manner of treating his friend.
cr When it is remembered that fifteen {
twenty mules are needed t. work sa
ct mil. and that Saw mills are numbered Il
ut tnuusand, throughout the South, II WI
ct be seen that the breeding of mules Is III
a small business AS u rule mules al
IN not bred where they are most Us Il. he'
lie tu,ky is The great breedl g state. WIN
Ir. N,rtn Car lima are the largest users an
lie Consumes The owners uf saw mills u
MI The most tut breed none. Ii a mil own
f. loses AN animal from amy cause hc star
,le til. next day to tId one; ana! in Two da
c; ihe cars bring in Cne or more To repia'
ms the loss. The value of u really good mu
,.e i, about one Lunured and twent! u
dollar: uf u good pair. Two hu"drcu ~
hit, du.laIs uorses are not held 50 h'g
hs Aud MANY man III the pine woods
-, t.e Gotten tie.,., viii Iriusc one hundr
tx dollars Tor his mule mo would mol
the ce,., a horse as a gilt, with the cOndi,''
IiH that he be Obliged 10 keep aud Use
mr.. some mu.es are very aandsume
wn $ ecx. we'll fed. fawn colored mule Is II
its ou, good mule, but u han,lsome al
mai. One Of the finest road teams
ever saw both in appearances aud spe
and endurance. was a mule and horse
u bright lawn color. The two were b.
al handsome and they were well matched
NH We haze been able thus far 10 VI
>. srme god things about the mule. \