The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-30
HENRY DECKERT'S MULE.
AS QUIET As a LAMB, BUT WAS A
TERROR ALL THE SAME.


Fooled By an Old Negro The Animal
Worked Very Well for g Few Days,
but Then Began Series OF Franks
That Established a Reign OF Terror
in Quiet Montgomery County
Household.
From the Philadelphia Times.
OF the yeomenry Of Montgomery county
shere is not more respected citizen than
Henry Deckert Of Upper Providence. From
his boyhood be has been called Hen, and 50
accustomed has he become to the abbrevi-
sted name that he always writes il that way.
During the past two weeks Hen has under
gone great change, both physically and
morally, which his neighbors attribute to
his having In an evil hour allowed himself
to be persuaded to buy mule. The follow
ing account of the results Of the transaction
is given as q warning TO others who may
feel inclined to lessen their farm expenses:
Hen had, all bis life. been used to driv-
ing. He started when boy TO assist his
father in "geeing" a team of oxen and had
become so efficient that the old man retired
from that kind of recreation and gave Hen
full charge Of Nancy and Joe, as the yoke
was named. Hen kept on at driving the
IL.
brief season when no hauling could be done.
He was en- apt student and applied himself
diligently to bis books and in that way be-
came quits scholar. AS he grew older and
wiser be concluded that driving oxen was
700 antiQueted an employment for him and
persuaded his father TO sell the yoke. After
considerable hesitancy the old man con~
scented and the two started of one bright
morning for the Red Lion hotel, on the Lam
caster pike, where they succeeded in swap
ping the oxen in exchange for a pair Of
horses to drover.
From that day down to the latter part of
November horses were used for all purposes
on the Deckert farm where things prospered
SO well that Hen had, besides the work
horses, e handsome driving team that was
the envy OF the neighborhood. Two years
ago the elder Deckert succumbed to an at
tack of the grip, leaving Hen sole manager
of the estate.
While returning from Norristovn early
10 November he met a colored man leading
mule by a rope halter along the highway.
The mule was dark bay color. about ak
teen hands high, and in splendid condition,
with look of profound meekness in its
eyes. The beast and its leader were
walking along the road on an easy
jog, and both appeared perfectly con-
tented. As Hen came up to the mule
driver, the colored man addressed him as
follows; Say, mister, does yer know how
far tits ter Norrstowng' On being informed
that il was several miles, he replied: "Golly,
but Use tired, trudging erlong with dis yere
mule. Say, boss, don't yer want ter buy.
an I'll sold himitoy yer dirt cheap, will! He
is mine; Use had him MORN year, an Use
wants ter sell him pow'ful bad, I dose.
What do I want ter sell him fer! Because
my wife's sick and Iss got ter get some
ready money SO as ter get her nurse and
medicine. Use wouldn't sail dat mule no
how Only for de circumstances dat surround
me. He's good mule, no better In all the
county, and Use let you have him for $40,
an that's dirt cheap, is 1t.
81 don't want mule Hen replied, but
the man persisted in telling of the animals
good qualities and pleaded patheticslly
about his wltes suffering for want OF at
tentiop that Hen finally bought the mule.
and, hitching il on behind, drove on toward
homo. He had offered to drive the negro
TO his home, but he gratefully refused, say
/ ing, 'Ise Powerfully obliged ter yer boss,
but has ter go on ter Norristown for q
doctor and Use knows a colored woman up
OAR dat ar perfeshunal nurse"
Hen drove the mule home and put it in
the stable where he left IT TIL late 10 the az
H terpoon. When he went out to attend TO
4 his stock he found the mule had slipped its
4 halter and was nowhere to be found in the
stable, He hurried back to the house and
asked the hired man II he had seen the
animal. On being answered in the neg
ntive the two started out TO search
4 for the missing animal Going around to
4 the north side of the stable they found
n that the beast had jumped through a single
sash window that was six feet high from
the stable floor. They allowed its tracks
1 which led them through the garden where
ii had Jumped over the picket fence, and
4 walked toward the endbf the house. The
mule had walked up n the front porch.
and, finding the doorAjar, had proceeded
into the hall and was found in the little
nsrlor. standing in from of the piano. with
tnba Cd MT adr irin
himself in the old fasioned mirror that
hung on the wall ThS situation was most
ludicrous, aud despitesheir anger Hen and
the hired men we're compelled to laugh.
They were enjoying te thing SO much that
before disturbing hismuleship Hen went
and brought his motnr and sister TO enjoy
the sight. 1920
back to the stable and laced In long stall.
at the back end of With thr heavy bars
Il were securely fashioned The next morning
4 he was hitched to a srt, and never did
mule do better serVp in hauling corn
/ fodder from the field tehe farmyard. The
Il entire day was speniwithout the least
trouble. and at night Rn bCasted of his
bargain and Dragged oshe animals admir-
ing himself in the lookg glass. The mule
h had been on the prembs for over a week,
when Hen, one mornin before going to the
city, had told Joe, the red man, to use the
mule In narrowing p corn field. After
breakfast Joe led the hule CUT 20 the Held
and hitched him uoEhe harrow and was
soon driving him upsnd down the long
/ patch.
4 At about II o'clockos concluded TO run
No to the house for drink and left the
mule nibbling grass the headland. When
Joe returned he--hanot been away more
than fifteen mini teaeither mule nor har-
h row were in the fell He climbed the fence
and looked about tees if he could see the
beast. After scanug the field for sew
eral minutes De oed that on the far side
a panel Of the fencing was misc
ing. hunnirg aoss he found that
it had ben bken down by mir.
Mule. VIII, lad prably jumped the fence
and shentagged tihe pulled the harrow
throughifter him. Following the mules
tracks e passed o over the adjoining
field, don to the blow and up TO the
spring ouse, whas he found the mula
had bfen throua the door and was
busilYgaged flIig itself with milk, the
harroI damned aainst the outside of the
door me, the gea chains being Just long
enouto allow the,nule TO reach the milk
Jnhitchipc, Il r.