The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-17
THE LITTLE RAT MULE,
DISAPPEARING FROM THE STREET
RAILWAY SERVICE.

! SOOQ one certainly. Many OF L0em QOD
look much larger than a good sized billy
goat, being so small that they are hidden
from the people in the car by the dash
board in front. 1t certainly does look
cruel to make them pull car loaded
down with people, load that would
strain powerful horses on an up grade.
1t is like great many other things,
however.
1t is cruel only in appearance. The
| little mule is equal to this and much
more. If the car would hold more peo-
pie he and his mate would pull it any
place, and on level would take it skip
ping along so fast that you would almost
begin to think no other motive power
was required to realize rapid transit. He
has endurance, speed aud strength, and
thrives where an animal more hardy and
stronger in appearance would soon die.
In rapid motion he goes by jumps and
jerks, but he accomplishes the desired
result, and is one of the most servicea-
bic animals to be had in the street rail-
way business.
He Is, however, rapidly disappearing.
giving way to mechanical motors. As
the old darky said when he saw the cleo
trio cars, 1.-The Yankees is great peo-
pie; they want satisfied ter free de
nigga, and now they've done gone and
freed de mules" That is about the case.
In st. Louis, for instance, the little rat
mules-and, for that matter, the larger
mule and the horse-are few in number,
not one in thirty for those employed as
recently as three years ago. With our
increase in population. new industries,
ETC., this is a somewhat remarkable
statement, but it is correct.
The little rat mule is peculiar ami
NAL. Born and raised in the southwest,
Texas and Mexico. he is now going to
the south and southeast for service on
the plantations. In the very recent past,
when all the street cars were drawn by
horses and mules, the demand for them
was very great for that purpose, but as
things generally equalize themselves, so
has the demand for horses and mules.
The street railway companies which
have changed to cable or electric motor
power have generally disposed of their
live stock to very fair advantage, though |
there are still on hand some of the little |
rat mules that are unused.
This little animal Is one of some value, |
though he does not look it. Twenty dol |
lars would be a very fair valuation, but |
in fixing that estimate you would be
away off the mark. Unbroken he COM |
mands considerable more than that.
The cheapest lot that ever came to St.
Louis, probably, was one of 200, the
price paid for them being a few cents
less than twenty-six dollars per head,
but they were unbroken. He is stub
born little brute, and there is considera-
Die labor in breaking him SO he can be
put ahead of bobtail and trusted to
he average driver. Thus broken he
has value of sixty to seventy-ive dol
airs.
One would naturally suppose that his
'aiser would break him, and get his en-
,anced price, but, as a rule, he has come
o the st. Louis railroads as wild as
;ould be, and also as stubborn, but the
employees of the companies have had
,reat deal of fun in breaking them in
nd reducing them to tractability. They
lave also had some exciting experiences,
90, as the little fellow has heels quite as
erviceable as his larger relative, and he
,nows how to use them too. You have
.ot to look out for them, and you have
'ot to put some muscle into use when
on think you have an easy task to hold |
hem with the lines. This is not at all
asy sometimes, as he has strength and |
a very hard mouth-hard
nough to pull bobtail car by it with !
ne traces slackened. ;
1t has been said that 1t seems cruel to
IN these little fellows to a street car
'aded down with passengers. To the {
Ontrary, there are few animals which I
ave an easier life. The pulling of the
AZ is nothing to them. They can laugh {
t that and grow fat. Twenty-Five TO '
lirty miles a day for them is nothing at c
Il. and that is about what they COW c
:, with rests between trips. Through '
18th their days work, they are turned
Ito big yard, where they run and roll
! they please. They never die, or at O
asst the employees of the street rail- 4
avs never hear of their dying. When f
ley approach that period of life they
e sold or sent off to the farm, where
iey may still be of some use.
They are aged before that time comes.
)wever. There are, for instance, little !
t mules as much as % or 25 years old q
in |
i've been in the service twelve and L
teen years. And still they are, to all Y
,pearances, good for several years yet. u
ley are as strong and active as ever, L
and viii likely a year from o
wv start in for a second life on south L
n plantation. This is a long time for IS
animal 70 tramp over granite and a
her kinds OF paving. through mud and .
all kinds OF weather, but the limit L
5 seemingly never been reached with L
Is hardy little fellow. He might be L.
bjected 70 twice as much, possibly, and
IL not fall under IL
In addition TO performing service
ual to that of the horse or the large :
lie, the little rat mule is one OF the "
siest animals known in the care re- g
ired. 1t might, N fact, be said that L
really does not require any care. he \
1rlshes best when allowed TO rough it. %
is, Of course, fed grain and hay. but =
is not in the least fastidious about his
d, as is the horse, and in the absence
anything else would probably manage
i've on old boot legs He likes moth IN
,
zap food-St. Louis Globe-Democrat. bs