The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-02
GOOD WORDS FOR THE MULE.
He May Break Ribs, But That's Only
His PIayfulness.


In all the range OF natural history there
is no other animal which has been the
object OF so much derision and abuse as
the mule. Not even the evii-minded and
! malodorous skunk has so unenViable a
reputation. If any scholar in times so
far future that the present race Of men
shall have come TO be regarded as pre-
historic and the mule shall have become
extinct, digging In the crust of the earth
for evidences OF ancient existence. shall
chance upon the now prevailing type Of
mule literature. he Will be forced to the
conclusion that our race fostered and
maintained an animal Of unprepossess.ng
appearance long Of ear in front and
OF reach behind, for the sole purpose Of
poklng run at in song, story and illus
The future excavator will be wrong
The mule is not so black as he Is paint
ed. Truly he has his bad points, but
they are Overmatched by his good ones
and those who know him best appreciate
him most. So well IS he considered that
a hrm In Jersey city, the Bishops Sons
company, exports him TO the extent Of
about 5000 head annually. ana our neigh
bors In the West Indies and South Amer
lea are glad to pay from $50 to $3.50 for
MIN according to his breed and personal
character. Recently a Sun reporter visit
ed the mule yard, which Is an institution
IN Jersey city. It stands at the junction
OF Grand and Bishop streets, and il has
accommodations for about 10000 mules
should IL be necessary to crowd that num-
Der In a contingency which has never
yet arisen.
About 400 animals were placidly loafng
about the yard when the reporter called
IL IS characteristic Of the mule 10 loaf
whenever ne gets chance, but he more
than makes up for il when he gets at work
These mules were a calm, contemplative,
honest looking crowd with just a tinge of
mournfulness in their expressions. No
body can look a mule in the face and not
be convinced of the animals absolute
straight forwardness and good faith. In
the race, by the way, is the proper way
70 look at a mule. He can't kick with
mis- fore feet; and If he is straight for
ward from front view he is likely to be
equally straight backward from the rear
BY advice of David A Bishop, who did
the conducting, the reporter took good
care not to pass close behind any of the
IAN this talk about the mules vicious
ness is bOsh. said Mr. Bishop; 'but he
is likely to branch out little in mere
playtulness and excess of good spirits, and
sometimes that results badly for persons
in his immediate vicinity. ! knew "A man
once who had a mule that would follow
MIN around like dog, 1t was so fond Of
him, and once after he had been on a long
journey that mule was so glad to see him
back that 1t just had to show Its joy some
way, and that man got three ribs broken
and his under jaw knocked so far out of
place that II never got back. Yet there
was nothing vicious in that animal"
While speaking Mr. Bishop had led the
way over TO the watering trough where a
number of the tenants were having
drink. Near by were a feed manger, a
hay rack, and a salt manger. The ami
mails paid no attention to their human
Visitors beyond q raising and projection
of their awning-like ears.
This is the kind of life they enjoy"
said the mule raiser. IT'S just about
their style Of temperature, there aren't
any flies 10 bother them, they have pen-
ty to eat and drink and altogether ]
doubt If you could find another spot on
earth where the average of cOntentment
higher *
an ambitious sort Of creature. All he
wants Is to be let alone and he's happy.
For all that it would take a very little
thing TO bring about riot here that would
send you and me Vaulting over that fence
In one second If we wanted to save our
bones. All that you would have 10 do to
start il would be to drop a rail down on
the heel of one of them. They're very
suspicious of any attack from behind ana
very quick to resent il. The first one
would send the rail flying In the air ana
it would come rafting down on another
would join in, and the hrst thing you
knew the yard would be full of flying
hoofs and the air of thuds like the bang
ing of muffled drum. That's the sound
one mules hoofs make against another
mules ribs. There's a surprising power
of resistance in those ribs. It's a good
of mortality here would be very high"
DO the mules ever night among them
selves just for the fun of it?' asked the
mot those of the same variety We
have number of varieties here, and we
keep each herded separately. I've seen
fierce and exciting, for these animals have
a sort Of bull dog 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 a
Kentucky thoroughbred mare produces
a good mule; The jacks often come at a
high price. I've known $500 10 be paid
! for one. The mules we get here are
mostly from A to years old, between
! ketable. North America breeds the best
| mules in the world. France exports
many, but they are fat and lazy and can
| not 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
| $40 a head for ira lsportation and s. or IS
| for duty, so the mule accumulates con-
! siderable cost by the time he arrives.
! Speaking of a mules strength, here is a
| peculiar fact, that they seem to gain in
! SEPARATION by working together. I've
| known twenty mules to haul a thirty-ton
load without protest, where if you
! had tried 10 persuade any one of them
| to start off with his share of 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
mo; very cheap, and they don't re-
qutre much care. They look after them
! selves mostly, and unless they get stirred
! up over something and get into a general
row they don't make any trouble All
! we have 70 do for them is to give them
/ food and drink and occasionally cut their
| hair. Oh, yes, we do quite a barber bust
ness here. When the hair begins to get
poor and scanty, We just drive the mules
/ into pen and shear them two by two.
| After shearing or 'roaching as we cali
| 1t, they feel very gay and risky"
As Mr.. Bishop led the way into another
! division a soEd-built horse with several
| DrandS on mis- sides walked across the
| yard, followed by a pack of mules. When
he stopped all the mules stopped and
| gathered around him in admiring con-
| temptation. This horse was Rarus. one
of Buffalo Bill's animals quiet and peace
! able in the open. but a demon when sad
! died and mounted. He is used TO lead
| the mules on board ship. All mules have
this same respectful admiration for a
horse, regarding him, probably, as a su-