Arizona republican., 1893-07-19
A MULE MOTHER Of a Perfectly Developed
 Colt. A Salt River Valley
 Phenomenon. An Extraordinary Event of Night Before Last. A Procession of Skeptical Indlvldu- als Convinced That Mule
 May Be Mother.

An event, the like of which does not occur with sufficient regularity as to cause comment on that account, was reported yesterday afternoon by man who lives a few miles east of the city. It was the birth of colt to a mare mule, whose previous life had been un- tainted by suspicion. At first no at tention was given the story, but the narrator assured his audience that the birth was fact and that the mules maternal relations to the colt could be easily established by visit to Gold . man Bros. ranch three and a half miles east of the city.
 The story excited J. NJ. Orosco and though he didn't believe it he decided that the cheapest and easiest way to allay the feeling in the matter would be to drive out to Goldman's,
 He returned astounded and con- yinced he had seen something he had often heard of in some adjoining county or district, but whose real place of occurrence had been as elus- sive as will O the wIsp. He found mule securely tied to a mesquite sucking colt which looked as if it might have been foaled some time within the previous twenty-four hour 8. This eight alone convinced MT. OrOsco, but there were other indisputable evidences of a recent foaling. The conduct of the mule, her maternal ap- prehension for the safety of her off spring manifested by vicious attempts to bite and kick spectators, were cal culated to remove any lingering dou bt as to the relationship. The colt was caught by riata and dragged out of reach of his hybrid parent, who tugged at her rope in an attempt to reach her baby.
 The colt bears all the marks of a horse colt except the hoois which re- sem ble those of the mule in that they are small and as large at the crown as at the base. It is almost skin and bone indicat ing its dams poverty of nutrition during the prenatal period. Nor is there visible prospect that it will fare better now, for though it suckles vigorously and constantly, the dame udder if there be one is not per ceptible.
 As soon as MT. Orosco returned to the city and submitted his report, pro. cession which was continued until late last night get out for the rarch. All who returned, were convinced that the mule is the colts parent on the mothers side, but every body else was skeptiCal and swore that the truth of such an event could be established only by ocular proof.
 The brevet mare and her illegitimate child will be brought 10 town today and all skeptiCal persons may see some thing concerning the possibility of which naturalists are divided, the ioal | of mule.
 ] Anent this strange relation, for many years, old Jim Casey, was a famous 1 livery man and dealer in males and horses at the classic town of St. Joseph. l Mo. MT. Casey, was something of Q practical joker and for the edificaton of 1 people who have a weakness for phe- nomena, he kept mule aud a horse colt together in a pen and made false and unauthentical statements about their relationship. The likelest vic. | tins of Mir. Casey were new newspaper reporters, who are naturally on the
 look out for things marvellous.
 The new newspaper reporter within twenty-four hours after his ,riumphaI entry into town was confidently in. l formed by some friend of the paper or which he was employed of the wonder. ful event which had transplred a, l Casey's the night before.
 1 The reporter risked a dislocation oi his neck to interview Mir. Casey, tine mare and the colt. There were the two latter mute evidences of the truth of the rumor and there was MT. Casey a voluble Corroborating witness.
 He usually went into details and afforded much valuable information overlooked by naturalists in the con. pilation of standard scientific works. 1 The reporter went away full to the neck and elated he had seen what prophets and kings had desired to sec and had not seen, beside he had a Scoop" which would forever establish his reputation among his local CO laborers. The next morning under con, spicuous headlines would appear an account of the phenomenon" together with the impression made by Mir Casey.
 The reporter later in the day would be called upon to refer to the fle and read discouragingIy similar account of similar event at Mir. Casey's, some three months before. It was not al. ways the same mule and the same colt since colts will outgrow even the pre-. tended relationship, but Mir. Casey never permitted himself to be without q colt for the laudable purpose above described.
 Hence at every reappearance of the "prodigy" in the papers, readers were want to remark "Thare,s a foreion TO.