The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-07-22
DENNIS AS A
MULE tanner.
How our Popular Il. w. X Il.
Conductor was lnVeigled into
an Encounter with 81 vicious
Animal at DeImar.

conductor was InVeiSleu lhto
an Encounter with a vicious
Animal at Delmar.
!: !. !. j" ]. !.
ieG@5O-/;aA sE told in a recent
kyYe ! MANI issue of the Wing
r.. .saSIF MINI the pleasant story
,dA NV of a generous ac
~ N ~ ron by our popu
'HES lar conductor, Mr..
\ - b. F, Dennis of
the P. w. e g.,
when stationed at Fort Delaware during
the war, and the no less pleasing sequel
to his generous act, which occurred
recently in Washington Hotel, when
be accidentally met the son of the Con-
federase soldier whom he so many years
long gone had so nobly served.
Meeting an acquaintance on the train
last week, and who by the way is also a
warm FREUD and admirer of Conductor
Dennis, we repeated to him the story as
published, and which he greatly relished e.
by the way" said he, you have no
idea what versatile genius Conductor
Dennis is. Your story shows he possesses
the noble magnanimity of tie true soldier
on whatever side enlisted; that he has
heart as kind as a woman's. and which
should beat in every soldiers bosom.
| That he is faithful railroad officer; that
he is genial companion, that he can
tell good story or sing good song as
occasion requires. Now | can tell you a
funny story of him, which illustrates
neither the heart nor the sentiment of
yours, but possibly is funnier, and shows
the Conductors wide versatility, as
we'll as fertility of resource
| A number of years ago, Mr.. Dennis
was engaged IN duty on the Delaware
| Railroad, the terminus of that road at
| the time being Delmar. A man of
| impressive aud soldier like bearing, as
we'll as of genial and social disposition,
he soon became the centre of an admiring
circle of friends and acquaintances about
the hotel which he made his headquar-
| tiers. When it became known in that
vicinity, in addition to his other
accomplishments, that he had been
favorite pupil of the great Rarey, whose
reputation as horse tanner was world
wide, Dennis influence as local oracle
on horses went up to ninety in the shade,
and really without intending it, he soon
earned the reputation far and near, of
being an expert horse trainer and tanner.
Now it happened that there lived
about two miles from Delmar farmer
named Hastings who owned an unusually
large and peculiarly ugly mule. Forbid
ding as he was in appearance, his dispo-
sition was as ugly as his body, for in
temper he was a fiend incarnate. Always
obstreperous, he was periodically subject
to is of madness resembling hydropho-
bia, when he would bite and tear to
pieces everything about him. His owner
had bought him i'll the city, where for
years he had been walloped and cuifed
to a clay cart in brick yard, until every
particle of original amiability if he ever
had any, had been beaten out OF him.
His record of previous service before
coming to Delmar was rare one. He
had "chewed' the ears off of three Irish
men, and shipped the lower lip from three
"coons," had knocked the lights out of
two Dutch rlen from Manayunk, and had
trampled nearly to death five Dagos,
until no one could be found bold enough
to venture near him, when he was duly
sold on a warranty for want of use, at
Philadelphia Horse Bazaar.
Nor did he redeem his good name, or
prove alse to his bad oae after coming
to Delmar His kick was something
terrible, and the fear it inspired was
heightened by the nervous whIsk of his
paint brush TAIL the ominous droop of
his huge ears, the tremendous "geehaw"
of his malicious laugh, and the powerful
leverage of his left hind leg. He could
in word, throw his hoof wick eder, bray
louder, bite harder, hump his back
higher, and pitch his ears farther than
any mule ever seen in Della ware, and
that is saying great deal.
When his owner heard of the great
horse tanner who was located at Delmar,
he naturally argued that man so
famous for tanning horses, ought to be
able 10 make some impression on mule,
80, as the case was desperate one, he
called on Mr.. Dennis one evening, finding
group at the hotel.
Are you the man whose name is
Dennis, and who knows how to handle
bad horses?" asked the farmer addressing
our conductor deferentially.
"If know myself believe | am that
man." replied the conductor with that
air of impressive confidence which the
man conscious of power generally wears,
and turning upon the farmer one of his
most searching glances.
well, look here" said the farmer,
chow are you on mules?"
Now in all his previous dissertations
on horse tanning, Dennis had always
laid great stress upon the power of the
! human eye. That backed by the neces
sary nerve, a man could conquer any
| lower order of animals by masterful
| glance of the eye. That famous military
heroes and soldiers possessed this power.
| That Alexander the Great had it, and it
was the secret of his power when still a
youth he conquered the great charger
Bucephelas, which neither his father,
Philip of Macedon, nor any weaker
groom had ever dared to stride. That
Rarey and all modern horse tanners had
learned the secret of fairly looking
down. and masteri. the most obdurate
brutes.
So, when Farmer Hastings suggested
a mule as tie test of Conductor Dennis
skill as an animal tanner, there was a
slight tone of contempt in his voice as
he replied:
"Mulesl How am on mules? Why
man, know as much about mules as il
had originally invented them. Given
the worst specimen ever known, with
the proper eye power, and he could
whisper little secret into the ear of any
living animal, that would bring hin
obedient upon his knees"
The farmer then told Mr.. Dennis that
he owned mule with an ear larg,
enough to whisper into, that he was al
animal of fine tether, and of excellen
natural points. but for want of use anc