Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-13

the latters Indian campaigns in the
| west ana southwest. Moore is dead.
| ana his military monument is his army
pack saddle 1t is a spring-bowed sad
| die, with soft cushions on each side,
win TWO big pieces of leather running
| back to the crupper, and the saddle
ana pack are dashed to the animal by
broad canvas girth or cinch. Sineu-
| lar 10 say, the favorite pack saddle of
the soldiers from the West is of Span
| ish make. and is called the .aperaro."
Seine mule trains have a gray mare.
known as the bell mare" which the
COOK rides. 1t is a well-known fact
mat mules will follow an old gray
mare just like flock of sheep will fol-
low the bellWether. With a train of
experienced mules and experienced
men, the fifty pack animals can be
saddlcd and packs adjusted and ready
for a march within fifty minutes or
one hour.
IN the process of training yesterday
AT the barracks siXty-three mules. OF
one train, were placed in a corral at
one time. Tom Horn. who will be the
boss packer of what will be known as
Horns train,' not only superintended
the training of the mules bur also Of
the men who intended to serve as
packers. Only strong men physically
are selected, as packing is one of the
hardest and most tiresome duties in
the army service. The mules. being
unaccustomed TO a strange place with
strange ceremonies ran from one end
OF the corral to the other and engaged
in kicking matches. A particularly
Wild mule would invariably refuse to
be led when strap was fastened to
his halter, and he would elevate his
head and rear and plunge and pull
backward, while the soldier would pull
the other way at the other end of the
strap. Thus would be seen veritable
tuS-ofWar between man and beast.
one amusing spectacle was when a big
bay mule lay back its ears. sent its
hind feet into the air and then ran
from one end of the corral to the other.
with a small. chunky soldier at the
other end of the strap going over the
ground at a hop. skip and jump. But
the plucky soldier held on to his end
of the strap, and the mule jerked him
hither and thither among all the kick
He appeared to be in imminent danger
of losing his life but he escaped I'M
hurt. Finally the mule was conquered
and sadded, and then the spectators
applauded. After a saddle had been
placed on a mule he was turned loose
and allowed to so, so that he would be-
come accustomed to his new parapher-
MALTA. After an hour of this training
the mules were caught and the saddles
removed. Sometimes a contrary mule
gave the packers a chase but big Tom
Horn only had fun by dexterously
throwing Il laSSo and catching the
mule by one leg. or throwing the moose
over the nose, just as the notion seized
him.
The most difficult lesson for the mules
was in teaching them to form in line
before 4 long strip of canvas TO be fed.
No rations are used in this training,
but a long. straight row of saddles was
covered with a strip of white canvas.
Then Tom Horn and his men, using
ropes for whips. drove the mules to-
Gether toward the canVaS-coNered row
OF saddles. The mules kicked and
taVorted, and often a half dozen would
break away and run, while those be-
fore the canvas would not stand still.
Finally one mule after another was
caught. and a strap fastened to the
halter and then led up with his head
to the canvas. The halter straps were
tied together.
This tedious process was continued
for one hour, until all the sixty three
mules were tied together, their heads
to The row of canvas. They appeared
to be tied to one long strap in a way
similar to a chain running from one
hitC hing post to another. At first
few mules jumped over the row Of
saddles, but they We're quickly made to
jump back into their places. Within
twenty minutes after all the mules had
been thus tied they were standing in
line quietly before the strip of canvas.
Packer Horn said that every mule in
the train would learn to stand in line
before the canvas without being tied
after a week or ten days training as
the animals would then know that they
would get something to eat when they
stood at the canvas on the ground.
The manner in " nich Tom Horn
managed these unruly mules proves
that gentleness is far better than bru-
t1iltN even III lIie treatment VI u Stt'
born mule. While Il mule cannot be
coaxed into doing something. and force
must be used, yet Packer Horn used
only gentleness and did not permit any
of his assistants to Yell angrlly, much
less use any brutality i'll whipping.
When the mules were driven together
they We're only tapped lightly by the
ropes in the hands of the men. Cen
| orally the men swung the ropes round
| and round over their heads and did not
| tout h the mules. but simply drove
| them back quietly. When dealing with
! a stubborn mule Packer Horn never
used a club or whip, but simply salu,
"Yuh: Yuh-h-h," in Il soft tone Of
voice. He even threw up his hands
and exclaimed. "Shoo-o-o,' when sew
eral mules would try to run by hiln'
| and treated them as quietly as a
woman driving a hen ana chickens 20
| the rocst Horns method proves that
| even the much -despised and much
abused mule appreciates gentle treat
| ment and is willing to obey KIND mas
ter. 1t is a we'll known fact that
| trained army pack mule is docile, as a
| rule. In some respects he has more
| rI,o