Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-07-23
MULE AND LIVE WIRE.
Sedate Hybrid's Lively Interval With
an Electric Current.

The electricians of the various cleo
trio companies in the city all have
variety of amusing stories up their
sleeves, one of which they occasionally
let out, but the best one heard lately
was that told by Captain Thomas
Chamberlain, in charge Of the city fire
alarm and police telegraph system,
while in route TO Monroe Park the other
afternoon to witness a ball game. He
told the story substantially as follows:
There is a part OF the Spring Hill
read trolley that is not protected by
guard wires, and not long ago one OF
the telephone companies was stringlng
some wires at the lower end of ST
Francis street. when enc of their wires
fell across one of my wires, and then
onto the trolley. Around at the cor
ner of st. Michael and Commerce
streets my wire, which was thus
charged with the heavy current, passed
about half an inch from one of the con-
verters of the electric lighting company
and an arc was formed. This burned
my wire in two.
Just at the moment that this hap
pened there was standing across the
farm wagon, which was loaded with po-
tatoes. The mule had his head down
and his ears pulled down over his eyes
evidently engaged in deep study of the
days of his childhood, for he was an ole
mule and his race was nearly run. The
owner of the aforesaid mule was il
store nearby barteTing for Il e sale o
the potatoes.
This Was the condition of affairs a
that corner just before that electrified
wire fell and settled quietly on the 5acl
of the mule. In an instant there VA
a change in the landscape. That mule
woke up suddenly. He was surprised
He could not understand why he felt S
gay. He evidently thought it was hi
second time on earth" He cou!dn,
ok a pin in himself to find out whethe
or not il was dream, but he did TIL
nevt host thing that a mule can do, AM
a thing at which most healthy mule
are adopts. He let fly his heels. Sim
ultaneOusly with the putting into pla.
Z
wagon and potatoes sailing through
Commerce street. BAN! Slam! KeT
jam, went the heels of that old mul
against the frail sides of that wagoI
and it's load of potatoes, and for tim
it fairly rained potatoes and pieces o
wagon.
The owner had just settled on a pric
fer the load of potatoes when he hear,
a sound as of a cyclone coming. IL
fastened to The door to see what wa
the cause thereof. He could scarce be
lieve his eyes. There, before his as
tonished vision was "OId Pete work
ing his heels just as merrily as he ba'
done when he was a 2-year-old, wall
the chain traces clanked respon5iV
symphony to the touches of the mule
heels. Visions of various and sundr.
saplings that he had worn to a frazzl
tC get pete" out of a walk rose befor
his astonished vision, and he could no
account for it.
Finally a negro discovered that it wa
all caused by "one O. dem 'lectrl'
wires" and he went at the wire with {
Ratchet to cut it. He was about as as
tonished as the mule when the hatche
went up in the air and he received
severe shock. But his act caused
transformation scene. All the gayet,
left cold Pete as suddenly as it hac
come and he once more relapsed into
thoughtful mood, while the owner wen
around gathering up the fragments o
the wagon and potatoes that remained
Mobile Register.