Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-06-14

STORY OF THE BURRO
THE LITTLE "SAD EYED PHlLOSO-
PIER OF THE WEST"

''1h ~ "Io'' rs
Though a Pygmy In Size, His Strength and
Endurance Are Wonderful-He Is Ever
a Pioneer-His Bray Like the Warcry
of the Whole Apache Nation.
Strangers have to laugh when they see
the burro. His small body, enormous ears
and look of ~preternatural wisdom are as
good as the clown in a circus, but. never
theless this pyg1ny divides the honors with
the railroad in building up and developing
the southwestern part of our country, par
ticularly New Mexico.
Where the railroad lays down it's burden
there the burro takes it up. Not much big
ger than a mastiff, he is yet as strong al
most as a horse. AS a saddle animal you
would spurn him, not because he couldn't
carry you, but for the reason that if you
! should fail for III instant to keep your
knees punched up under your chin your
feet would strike ground, and Mr.. Burro
would quietly walk off, leaving you behind
him on the road. 1t is as q pack animal
that the burro excels. He is patient, strong
and sure footed. His board is not expen-
sive, for such costly delicacies as oats and
hay are to him us strangers. From the
time he was weaned from his mother he
has known no other rations than such as
he could procure by nibbling the grass by
the wayside.
On his patient back the lonely ~prospector
ties his worldly possessions, and following
behind with rifle and staff threads the
mountain trails in search Of the new Ell
Dorado. The delving miner, far up in
.1o,,l3orl ,,ooo l;,,> ~ onn, :, o,1-. - 600
:ious ore to the smelter and bring back in
return food, clothing and even water to
drink. When the mine, which began as a
zMere prospect hole, sinks deeper and deep
az into the mountain, the burro assumes
an added role-this time to bring lumber
FOR bracing the shafts and galleries, or per-
chance to build a more permanent resi-
dence for the miner himself.
When the mine has been established on
a paying basis, so that a large number of
men are required for it's operation, then a
settlement is formed around it's mouth,
and the iron rails are laid to connect it
with civilization. The burro's work is
finished here, and he pushes on to other
fields Of usefulness, far in advance. He is
ever a pioneer.
The word burro is simply Spanish for
donkey. Yet q burro is smaller thar q
| donkey-just a pocket edition of one, as
Lummis happily puts it. The difference
in size probably comes from difference in
food and work, continued through many
| generations. So far back as history ex-
tends the burro has been abused, over
worked and left to "hustle'' for himself.
No wonder he is small.
But Notwithstanding his scanty dimen-
sions he is wonderfully strong and endur-
ing and will grow fat on rations that
wouldn't keep q horse from starvation.
These qualities, coupled with his sure foot
edness, are the reason for his being SO val
liable as q pack animal.
His sure footedness comes from the in.
stinct of self preservation, which is far
better developed than in the horse. So far
the instinct is profitable, but it sometimes
leads to great annoyance. One day while a
burro train was being guided down a
mountain canyon the leader came to a
place where the trail led across the bed of
a stream. A torrent rushed over it in the
rainy season, but now it was simply dry
sand, as hard almost as a pavement.
The burro refused to cross, and finally
had to be pulled from the front and pushed
from the rear. Then, when half way over,
he deliberately lay down and commenced
to groan:
his mind a time long ago, when he had
stepped on just such an innocent looking
place. It was smooth and dry and yellow
and gave every indication of plain sailing.
His little feet had gone through, however,
and he would lave sunk out of sight in
the quicksand beneath had he not beer
rescued with ropes in the nick Of time.
Catch him trying that experiment again
Doesn't he know q quicksand when he sees
it?
But what ~discourages a burro quicker
than anything else is wetting his ears. HI
is very sensitive about those grotesque ap
pendages under any circumstances, but
wetting them simply breaks his heart. L
while swimming a stream, a few drops o,
water touch their inner membrane, hi
will give up and drown. This is no fc
ton. The fact has been verified many
times, although the reason may seem alb
surd.
Children are gerry fond of burros as pets
and many are brought from the west b.
rail to be used for that purpose. To theil
attendants they are at once the most anus
ing and provoking Of creatures. In tn
cars they are all right, but when it is nee
cSSaTy LOT CnClu 10 cFOSS d Guy Inc GrOuDI
begins. They will not lead, neither will
they be driven, and then, in desperation
the impatient porters lift and carry tn
kicking, struggling burros to the wagon
They are no sooner tied than they throw
back their heads in such a manner tina
they must inevitably strangle if left t
themselves. The only way in which the:
can safely be transported is tied behind
} wagon going at a "snail's gallop," with
rear guard armed with a stick to kee
them moving.
, When the children get their pets, ther
is amusement for the whole family. Thei
long ears, small stature and look of vas
wisdom nave a resistless attraction. The
g are very gentle, too, and soon become at
? tached to their owners. But if you valu
! sleep or have near neighbors keep you
:. burros stabbed at night. A back yard ma
seem just the right place, and with you
: new pets therein a few nights may pass i
q peace, but do not be deceived. Some nigh
you will be startled from your slumbel
S by such wild screams and shrill yells tha
g you will imagine the whole Apache natio
charging on your defenseless domicile. ]
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