The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-08
ENLISTING THE MULE.
vi iScei i;5pc iil;ln tho r1nIlstlncnt Of 4,
Soldier Involved.
81. Lons Rcpnbhc.

mules are again pcnncd and one by
one they are trottcd up to the observa
ton stand. Perhaps the mule is not
quite satisfactory and he i, rejected
for bad temper. bad eyes or bad hoofs:
| thing that may be seen at Il glance
II he appears all right he is halted
ana viii . one man holds him and
with hand shields his eyes so he
4 cannot see what is going on. Major
Cruise takes the tall standard with the
cross rod on it, scale being marked
on its rise. DR.. Farrell opens the
mule s mouth, examines the teeth for
age and disease and telling at glance
hoy old the animal is from the rings
on his teeth. Then the eyes are
pccrcd into and the feet and legs
examined, and at last he turns to
Ma or Cruise and says: "All right;
y" years old. Then tag number
is put on the mule for reference and
he is given slap and sent into pen
that is held open for him. Then
| Major Cruise turns to Clerk Davies
and cries: bay mule, 16 hands, ], $50
pounds, and the figures are recorded
in a book and another mule is brought
up to be looked at, pokcd, examined,
measured and weighed. Although
such rigid examination takes time,
at least 100 mules are selected in an
hour.
When the mule is tagged he waits
his turn for the branding, which is
done by men under charge Of Clerk
Nichols. Although the branding
seems cruel work, it is done so quickly
aud nicely that the mule does not
seem to mind it in the least There
is no throwing down nor binding, az
might be supposed, the mules being
led up and branded without motion
on their part. A small hand forge
keeps the brands red hot. First u
numcral, either l, 9, or 3, is stamped
in the animals hoof to denote his
class, either wheeler, swinger or
leader. Then another hot iron is
lightly touched to the mules left
shoulder, not burning the flesh! but
slightly soaring it. With puff the
huir goes up in smoke and on the
mule y side the U. 9. appears, never
to be removed while the mule lives.
Then Tie mule kicks up his heels as
he is turned loose, and is driven into
the yards to be ready for shipping to
Chickamauga, Cuba or the Philip.
pines.
In such q mass of mules amusing
things are constantly taking place.
Sometimes q stubborn mule vaults
easily over five-foot gate, sometimes
the halter comes of and dozen men
spend 10 minutes trying to catch
him. One Of the most amusing things
is when pair who have been mates
are separated, one Of them bcing re-
jected. The two are driven into sepa-
rate pens, probably far apart, and
very soon they will be heard, with
their muzzles poked over the pens
towards each other, giving vent to the
most pitcous lamentations, while from
all parts of the building come hee-
baws Of sympathy.
"Mules have more sense than hor-
ses, says Major Oruse, aud many are
inclined to believe with him.
Sometimes they get homesick and
spend great part of the day braying
in grief. Sometimes an inohensive
mule will stand sad eyed and dropping
among his fellows. seemingly filled
with grief, when, without warming, he
will let fly pair of heels and land 80
heavily on his neighbor that tho play
on the ribs sounds like drum. Some
times the observer: as he stands
watching the examination will feel a
sudden nip in the rear and turn around
to find the tail Of his coat in mule 8
mouth. The conversations held by
hostlers with che animals often bring
laugh.
A burly negro leading q smooth
coated, fine-looking young animal and
calling: 'Whoa, baby! Is you gwan
try to git away from 20 papa 2" seems
to be understood by the mule, at
least.
The price paid ranges from 800 up
to 1925 or $3.50. With the rapidity
with which the work is done It is no
uncommon thing to buy $4,000 worth
of mules per hour, and sometimes as
much as $4,000 worth per day! By
last Wednesday night 1900 animals
had been taken and at least 5000, 900
worth Of mules had been bought on
the St. Louis market alone, all of this
money going to breeders and dealers