The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-07-16
JIM ANDwENCH SOLD.
UNCLE SANS TRANSFERS HATED TO
see THE FAITHFUL PAIR GO.

~ Years They Had Besn Together In the
servies Of the Government.
"At l5i At 15i Going at ISL Who
says the half' Do I hear iti Only ei5
for this mule? Why. gentlemen, she's
worth more'n that IL she never did an
other lick o. work. Whoa. wench, you
little old darling Fifteen dollars am
oferedi Can't get the balfa Fifteen
once Do hear the halfa No? Fifteen
twicei Third and last call and sold to
Mr.. Carl for $15." And the auctioneer,
who was also the civilian clerk in the
post quartermaster' Office, tenderly ca
ressed the face. gray with age. Of the
little brown mule, and, brushing his
hand across his own eyes, walked slowly
back to his desk in the Office
Wench was led Off to the blacksmith
shop to be branded on the left Of the
neck. IL @. s. inspected. condemn
ed. sold" Twelve other mules had
passed under the hammer ahead Of her
that morning and then to the branding
iron. The last one before her was Jim,
whose neck was still smoking with the
burning mark Of condemnation. He had
gone for 1850.
Two years ago the quartermaster had
picked out Wench and Jim to submit to
the inspector for condemnation, but one
at time the teamsters had all come to
plead for their retention. and he had
yielded to their entreaties. Last year
again he had marked them for the list,
but again gave way to the teamsters.
But this time the chief quartermaster
stepped in with his authority, and, re-
marking that there was no place in the
Quartermaster's department. for senti-
ment, ordered Wench and Jim to be
condemned and sold.
For moro than o score Of years these
two little beasts have faithfully served
the government, and all this time they
have been mates In the pack train they
logged along together; in the wagon
train they pulled over the same spreader;
In the camp they ate out of the same
feed box; in the stable they stood in the
same stall; in the corral they were al
ways found side by side. Tonight, for
the first time in this quarter century,
they will be apart. for Jim was bought
by Mr.. Hammond, and Wench was
knocked down to Mr.. Carl, and Uncle
Sans exchequer is richer by $780,
No place for sentiment in the quar-.
termaster's department. or course not,
yet "breathes there the man with soul
so dead" that he does not believe these
two little dumb creatures will miss each
other this night and many night7
As the sale went ON the teamsters
stood ON one side like mourners at
comrades burial; on the other, the
farmers and ranchmen and contractors
and lumbermen from 90 miles around,
all there to bid in as cheap as possible
the mules the quartermaster' depart
ment was done with. Against the name
of each mule on the list stood the legend,
"Old and worn out in service"
There were old Rooney and Bevis and
Boss and Schaeffer and the rest Of the
teamsters who have driven and packed
these mules over thousands of miles Of
mountain and prairie. Are they to be
laughed at for wearing sad faces now?
Yet they bore the ordeal like men good
and true until Jim was led out. Then
you could see their sleeves, one after
another, drawn across their eyes.
s'This here's awful, boys, +" old Rooney
ST can't stand it. I'd rather
see the Cover 'ment bust than see them
two mules sold"
You're right, Rooney" old Bevis
spoke. "A government mean enough to
sell them two mules aim at to stand.
But their comments were stopped by the
auctioneer's third and last call on poor
little Jim.
After the sale was over farmer,
wearing canvas overcoat that he had
bought at a previous sale of condemned
stuff and that bore in the middle Of the
back the big black letters, 81. c."
stepped mp to the teamsters and asked
why they hated SO much to see the last
two mules sold.
"WhyT" asked old Schaeffer, half an
CRY, tossing the moisture off his wrin-
killed. cheek. Because they're the best
friends we ever had. Them two mules
was back with the pack train the day
Custer and his men was wiped out. They
toted packs during all the 1875 and
1877 campaigns gin the Indians.
They're the best pair Of leaders that
was ever in this corral They can drive
the'selves. and in their young days,
whenever there was fight or skeery
place to 60 through or q hard pull to
make, they was the first ones called for.
They Helped haul the Seventh from here
to Riley, and the Eighth from there up
here. There's never been campaign or
q march from this post that them mules
amt gone on it. And they've never
been separated till today, an burned II
I b'lieve they'll work q lick by the
selves. Do you, Bevis?'
II sho' hope they won't," this old
fellow answered bitterly. And they
walked away to the teamsters' mess
New York Herald.
An Adventure In the Sahara.