The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-03
VERY ORDINARY LOOKING MULE
But he Could EverlastinRly Pull, and
None Would Bet He Couldn't Run.
From ne Galveston DailY News.

from Lue ATalNeSLOQ Daily News.
Brennan, Tex, Nov. 16.-A horse
trader named w. A. Neal, who came here
lately with lot of mules, has a black
mule-a very ordinary looking mule
which goes by the name of Pete. Yester-
day afternoon Neal tried to sell Pete to
Il. H. Dwyer, but they didn't trade.
Dwyer saying that the mule was not big
enough nor strong enough for his purpose
Neal insisted that Pete was as strong as
any ordinary mule, and made the asser-
tion that he could drag 500 pounds of salt
distance of twenty feet on the
ground at the end of rope 500 feet
long. Dryer laughed at the idea of such
thing. Then they weighed Pete and
found he tipped the beam at less than 900
pounds. 1t was evident to Dryer that
Neal was joking, and he offered to bet $50
that the mule could not do what the horse
trader claimed. The bet was taken, and
Neal offered to double the bet, and finally
they agreed upon the terms, and Neal
put up $3.50 to Dryers SO. There was
much speculation among hOrsemen and
the citizens generally as to what would
be the outcome of the thing, some saying
that Dwyer had good bet, others that
Neal would win, and still others believed
1t impossible for the mule to drag such a
weight attached to such long rope. But
they were not prepared to bet on another
mans trick. Nevertheless, some money
was put up, and everybody was on the
lookout for the test, which was set for
this afternoon.
AT 3 o'clock quite a crowd gathered at
Dryers store to see the fun. A couple
| of coffee sacks were procured and filled
| with Sand-bOth agreeing to substitute
sand for salt. These sacks, after being
filed, were placed on the scales and found
to weigh sos pounds. Neal did not object
to the extra five pounds. Then they
went 20 the rack and measured of 500
feet of new half-inch grass rope. This
and the sand were placed in a wagon to
which Pete was hitched, and carried
down Sandy street to a point directly in
front of the Central school building 4
big procession of citizens followed the
wagon. The sacks of sand were tied to
the rope and the rope was stretched out
full length. Pete was unhitched from
the wagon and the traces were fastened
to singletree hitched to the other end
of the rope. The distance of twenty feet
was carefully measured in front of the
sacks, and a stake driven down.
All being ready, Neal took the reins and
drove Pete down until the rope was taut,
and then, after ascertaining that every
thing was ready, said, Get up, Pete"
and Pete got up in a hurry. He Just
walked off as easily as if he was used to
IulS KIM OF WOfh. Neal gave MIN little
tap with a whip and Pete came near run
ming away. Finally he was stopped, and
it was found that the sacks had been
moved not only twenty feet, but about
fifty yards, and Pete could have appa-
rentiy gone mile or more if it had been
necessary. In addition to this, a half
dozen mischievous school boys, unable to
contain their enthusiasm when they saw
the sand bags begin to move, ran and
jumped on them and rode there till they
stopped. Pete didn't mind this additional
weight Of.two or three hundred pounds;
he didn't know it was there.
just before the test there were men
who said that you might put a bushel of
corn five feet in front of Pete's nose when
he was hitched to that stand and he would
starve to death, but after it was all over
everybody said, 20, well, knew he would
pull ith
Neal pocketed his money and said he
would bet that he could add 100 pounds to
the weight and 1000 feet to the rope, but
nobody took the bet. He then wanted to
bet that Pete could outrun any mule in
the country, but nobody had any running
mules.