The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-30

of flying hoofs and the air of thuds like
the banging Of muffled bass drum
That's the sound one mules hoofs
| makes against another mules ribs.
There's surprising power of resist
ance in those ribs It's a good thing,
| too, for If there wern't the rate of NOR
tally here would be very high
do the mules ever fight among
| themselves just for the fun of IT,
| asked the reporter.
Not those of the same variety. We
| have number of varieties here, and
we keep each herded separately. I've
seen duels between two mules and they
| were fierce and exciting, for these ami
mails have a sort of bulldog grit, and
| they won't give up while they can
| stand
What is the best brand Of mule?"
"a cross between a Spanish jack and
| Kentucky thoroughbred mare produ-
ces a good mule. The jacks often come
at high price. I've known thirty-flve
| hundred dollars to be paid for one.
| The mules we get here are mostly from
| four to seven years old, between which
ages they are the most easily marketa-
BILE. North America breeds the best
mules in the world. France exports
many, but they are fat and lazy and
cannot be reused to hard labor by any
amount of coaxing or abuse. The
South American breed are small, and
while they have the spirit to work they
haven't the strength; so we ship to
those countries. 1t costs forty dollars
a head for transportation and six dol
| lars or eight dollars for duty, so the
mule accumulates considerable cost by
| the time he arrives. Speaking of a
mules strength; here Is a peculiar fact,
| that they seem to gain inspiration by
! working together I'VE known twenty
/ mules to haul thirty-ton load without
a protest, where if you had tried to per-
suade any one of them to start off with
] his share of a ton and a half behind
| him alone, he would either lie down
and try to die or else attempt to kick
/ the load in two and take the lighter
half
Are they expensive to keep" asked
| the reporter.
No; very cheap, and they don't re-
| ouire much care They look after
| themselves mostly, and unless they get
stirred up over something and get into
a general row they don't make any
trouble All we have to do for them is
to give them food and drink and occa-
sionally cut their hair. Oh, yes, we
| do quite a barber business here. When
/ the hair begins to get poor and scanty,
| we Just drive the mules into pen ana
shear them two by two. After shear
| ing or reaching as we call 1t, they
feel very gay and frisky"
AS Mr. Bishop led the way into an
| other division, a solid-built horse with
several brands walked across the yard,
followed by pack of mules. When he
stopped all the mules stopped and gath
cred around him in admiring contem-
plation. This horse was Rarus, one Of
Buffalo Bills animals, quiet and peace.
able in the open, but demon when
saddled and mounted. He Is used to
lead the mules on board ship. All
mules have this same respectful admit
ration for a horse, regarding him, prob
ably. as a superior being. Before Ra-
| russ time Mr. Bishop had spotted
horse named Harry, whose occupation
and chief pleasure in life it was to lead
the mules consigned to foreign ports on
board ship, and then gallop down the
gangplank neighing with glee while
! they were being imprisoned on deck
They are very good sailors as a rule
and of q consignment of fifteen hun
dred that went to Cuba not long ago for
use by the Spanish soldiery not one was
seriously affected by the voyage. or
the relative values of horse and mule
Mr.. Bishop says:
'The average life of a mule is about
the same as that of a horse. The mule
has greater power Of endurance, can
pull more weight, is less nervous and
more patient, is more intelligent, and
with proper treatment is equally docile.
When a mule runs away, which is sell
dom, he doesn't smash into everything
that looms up in his path, but lodges
obstacles and shows himself possessed
of some little common sense. A horse
doesn't show any when he's excited.
OF course the mule is no match for the
horse in speed or beauty. Physically,
| however, he is the sturdier animal.
His digestion is better, he isn't so liable
to disease, and he can better endure the
rigors of heat and cold. AS a. worker
he is slowly but surely replacing the
| horse"
One attribute which Mr. Bishop failed
to mention in the list of his pets char.
acteristics is the voice. When the mule
yard bursts into blithe chorus all Jer-