Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-20

Iron Company, which Is only one OF .
dozen similar big coal companies that
finds use for his services.
A vicious, stubborn mule, that snaps
mt it's driver, and kicks ut the tantaliz-
ing door-boys, several hundred feet be-
meath the earth's surface, Is neither an
attractive nor a docile patient, so that
the occupation OF the veterinary den
fist Is not pleasant, but he has studied
the peculiarities and wIckedness Of
his long-eared patients, and goes
about his work showing neither fear
nor favor, no matter how vicious his
patient may be. 1t frequently happens
that just as he has finished doctoring
the mules teeth at a colliery his pa
tients are so regretful over his near
departure that they make frantic eff
forts to keep mouthful of his person
with them, or, failing in this, they try
to leave the imprint of one Of their
sharp shoes on his anatomy as an ever
lasting souvenir of their appreciation.
The mules stubbornness, however, is
more than Offset by the dentists grit
and determination and he never passes
n patient until he has closely examined
it's mouth, and treated all the teeth
that are in need of his attention.
The teeth Of most mules, like those OF
human beings, require more attention,
although the former do not decay, as
the food they masticate is neither rich
nor destructive. Besides, nature has
endowed mules with a rough tongue
that is an excellent substitute for
tooth brush, and which the beast
whisks over and about his teeth after
he eats. One of the weaknesses,
though, is the habit of boiling his food,
which frequently causes dyspepsia or
other diseases such as affect humanity.
The boiling of this food Is not caused
by desire to hasten his meal so that
he can hurry back TO his work, but be-
cause his molars or back teeth, with
which he does his grinding, having
more work to perform than his front
teeth, with which he nips the perni-
cious door-bOy and driver, wear away
in the course Of Il few years. and be-
come much shorter than the front ones,
thus allowing the food to pass into the
stomach without being properly masti-
Gated. In cases of this kind the in
down an eighth or a quarter of an inch
SO that they are all uniform.
Filing the teeth is what the mule
dislikes. and ii is not much wonder as
he is locked in stocks. his head firmly
secured, and then while his tongue is
pulled to one side the dentist wears the
projecting teeth down with an instru-
ment that has greater rasp than
coarse file. AS soon as mule sees
the dentist with his bright steel instru-
ments he seems to realize what Is in
store for him. and distends his nOstrils
and eyes. He means pitifully when
tooth is being extracted. and seems to
be happy when the diseased molar is
drawn out. At times in showing his
objections to the operators heroic
measures, the mule jumps over the
bars behind which he is confined. The
molars of Il mule are 3 1-2 inches in
length, while the incisors measure
-, anu JuuSihS lIoIi his siShS VI
pain the nerves are as plentiful and
as sensitive as are those of human be-
ings.
An expert dentist operates on "a
mules day. and ii is said that n mule
patient will remember the operator as
long as he lives. The extraction in
struments are from two to three feet
in length. and the entire case of instru-
ments weighs fully 60 pounds. The
teeth of every mine mule are examined
and treated, If necessary once or twice
n year, and as soon as the dentist puts
former patients become unusually
nervous and vicious.-Philadelph
Press