The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-08

and Missouri is furnishing them.
From the hills and valleys Of the
State the long cared animals are
coming daily, and the biz stock yards
It East St. Louis are filled with them.
Mules of all sizes and colors and
.inds are there, from the little, CHINA
.1on-colorcd, short-carcd animal, who
las passed his time Jerking plow
through Missouri uplands, to the big,
..rown, long cared mule. whose exist
ancc has been given to hauling Il
heavy wagon through bottom lands.
five thousand fine looking animals
together and forest of wagging ears
and swinging tails. lIcc-hays Of all
lcgrccs, from the deep bass to the
:rcmulous contralto. Biting, kicking,
-olling in the sawdust and hay Of the
pens, they await the rigid inspection
that will serve as their enlistment into
s]nclc Sam ) service. Some there are
from Kentucky and Tennessee. but
:hc larger part and the better mules
come from Missouri
To-day the mule who wears the
Government brand is the mule who
orayed goodbye to his comrades on
the green hills that front the Missis-
sippi; a week from to-day may see
him hauling heavy wagon over the
mountain passes Of Cuba or bringing
-ations to the troops cncamped at
Chickamauga.
The buying Of mules for the United
States army is under the sole charge
IF Major Thomas Cruise and his force.
Major Cruise is an expert judge Of
mules aud has had long experience
with the animals. With record Of
IS or more years of plains service,
lighting Indians and outlaws, Major
Cruise was chosen for his present
place, being promoted from Captaincy
for the Office. His plains experience
has made him convcrsant with tho
mule question in all its phases. The
red tape that is part Of the enlist
nent Of mule into the army is as
great if not greater than that attached
20 the enlistment of man BY the
time the experts get through with
mule and tag him as purchased, he
could, if he were able to talk, brag
that he is as near perfect as mule
gets to be. Probably the mule has
never during the previous course of
his existence done SO much trotting
in review, been pounded on the legs,
had his mouth subjected to so much
examination, his eyes looked at SO
long, or his legs rubbed So much as he
has when Major Cruise and his assist
ants are through with him.
The mules are the best and finest
that can be had, free Of blemish,
smooth Of coat, clear Of eye and in
the prime Of young mulehood. In
the great stable where tho selection is
made, in the East St. Louis Stock
Yards, SO pens, 80 or more feet square,
contain the mules That are TO DO
looked at. Each pen has half hun
dred and dozen hostlers are engaged
in showing the animals off. Major
Cruise and his staff arrive early, soon
after o'clock. The staff has plenty
IF work to DO, good, tiresome hot
work. DR.. FARRELL, of this city, is the
veterinary, Clerk Davies attends to
The work of the reports, Clerk Nichols,
Major Cruse's regularly appointed
confidential clerk, who holds civil
service position in the War Depart
nent, has charge Of the branding, and
at the close of work makes out the
report Of purchases. Major Cruise is
the only man in uniform, and as he
stands with the measuring scale in
hand he makes a picturesque figure in
his cavalry uniform and top boots
among the civilians who are present.
The order has come from the War
Department for the purchase Of / 900
mules. Three classes are wanted; the
"wheelers" ore the heavy mules, who
will be next the wagon in the team.
They must be at least IL hands high,
and must weigh above 1900 pounds
Next comes the "swing" mules, who
are in the center Of the team; they
must be over Is hands inches high
and must weigh | OIO nnunds Tho
light mules are used for leaders and
must be above Is hands high and
weigh over $50 pounds. Thus the
teams are to be made up, the light
mules in front to guide, the middle
weights following to swing the heavy
wagons around corners, and the larger
mules in the rear to do the hard work.
Major Cruise and his assistants