The herald., 1898-09-11
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+ A BETTER BIRD +
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OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
BY HOGABOOM

At this particular time, while the very
air is charged with patriotism Of one kind
and another, and we are all telling about
how we licked the Spaniards, while the
fact Is that most of US haven't licked any
thing but war revenue stamps, wonder il
it wouldn't be good lime for me to let 60
my hold upon little matter that has been
on my mind ever since the war began.
This is not an idea I would care to pro-
mulgate, even If was dead sure what pro-
mulgate means, and 1t is not my own idea,
as the reader will soon see. Neither am
at all sure that there is anything new or
original about 1t, and l don't claim any
thing of the kind for it-al I care to do
| is to get it off my mind. My mind is funny
| hat way; ii won't stand any too much Of
| this sort Of thing.
| Some time ago friend OF mine. who
| takes deep interest in everything which
doesn't concern him in the least, put the
notion into my head. From there 1t was an
easy matter for it to get in onto my mind.
why doesn', this government he said.
dispense with the services Of the eagle,
which has been holding down that SYM
boil of liberty, and great American bird Of
freedom job for long while, now. and
give the mule a chance at it?''
1.-THE mule?" said I, astonished.
Certainly" said he. Don't you know
that the mule is a much better symbol
lof liberty than the eagle ever dared to be?
Isn't he more typical, and better fitted for
The job, all around?"
Well, didn't propose to discuss any such
fool proposition as that with the man, OF
course, but it didn't make any difference
10 him whether I proposed to discuss 1t
with him or not-he had it all figured out
to his own satisfaction, anu he was de-
.ermined to lay the matter before the
American public, 1t seems, and just had
to stand for it when my turn came.
Look a-here," said he, what has the
leagle ever done for the American people,
either in peace or in WARP"
1 told him that didn't know; he might
TASK Secretary Of War Alger, who knows
more abou. war in one minute Than do
all the afternoon. -...
Nothing" said. he, absolutely moth
ling; and that is all he's capable of doing.
too Now, what has the mule done? Been
the making Of us, and can prove 1t. Where
would we be now If we hadn't had the
mule? Tell me that. You can't do IT.; you
don't know; you're stumped."
1 wasn't stumped, at all; but I wasn't
going to make believe I was running he
leagle's campaign for him this fall, SO I
didn't say a word Then he thought he
had me. s..
"Whcever told you the eagle was
pretty bird anyway" he asked. where's
the beauty about him? Why, hen is
finer looking bird than an eagle. hen
hasn't got that ferocious look that an
Eagle has, but that is only bluff, any
how"
Speaking of mules. though" said !.
"you wouldn't say" rr
20, WELL" said he, at isn't beauty We
are after in mule, so much as 1t is utility.
Now we Americans think we are fighters,
don't we? Did you ever see the mule that
wouldn't fight? We don't go around with
La lantern looking for trouble, and neither
ldoes mule, but you never heard Of either
one backing away from trouble. did your"
had faint suspicion by this time that
he was trying to draw me into an argu-
ment. But wouldn't draw.
"Sense!" he exclaimed. "Say, you talk
about sense-a mule has got more Than It
knows what to do with. Did you ever
hear Sam Davis tell that story about the
mule that lived up in Nevada? They left
him one day at section house on the mar
all alone big bowlder came loose up the
side Of the mountain and rolled down. It
landed square across the track. The down
train wh!stled for the trestie, about Z
mile up the track. The mule heard 1t, and
he knew in a second that If she struck that
bowlder on the down grade she'd be in the
bottom Of the gorge two seconds after
wards, and there wouldn't be enough Of the
passengers left for one decent funeral.
What did the mule do? Hunted around
until he found bucket of red paint:
backed up to 1t, dipped his tail in. rushed
up the track, turned around and gave the
engineer the danger signal, and stopped
THAT train just six feet from that bowlder!
There's sense for you.' ;..,...5
am no railroad man, but 1t did seem to
me that there was some merit in that per-
Torrance, and admitted as much.
"Well," said he, II think so, too. Imagine
an eagle doing that" aps
I refused to even attempt to- imagine
, anything of the kind.
maybe you don't think mule can be
brave when there is any occasion for 1t,
either? Say, heard an old prospector
: tell a story the other day about an ordinary
plug of a mule that he had with him up
in the mountains one trip. He was all
alone, except for the mule, and they grew
to love each other like brothers; yes, sir.
like brothers. One day the man took sick
and lay in an old cabin up there on the
lonely mountain, not being able to sit UP
for three days and nights. And that mule
stood guard at the door all that time. The
second day big grizzly came along, nos
ing around the cabin, and the mule tackled
her. 1t was the most desperate fight you
ever heard Of, but the mule didn't get
any the worst of 1t. Anyhow, after couple
of hours fighting the bear went away and
never came back again. When he was able
to be around again, the prospector wanted
to fix up the mule a little, his hide being
pretty we'll cut up where the bear had
clawed him. But the mule waved him back
with his tail, and gave him look that said.
as plainly as words could have done,
Never mind me, old man. I'm all right.
No, don't even thank me; only die what
any other mule would have done under the
circums tances.'" -N
; All the while he was telling these yarns
I was trying TO think Of something to say
20, tho eaple T Thought ont nfce 1ittia