The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-29

cook and one blacksmith look after each
train. The boss packer supretends the
packing in general The eargodore looks
after the physical condition or the AMI
mails and adjusts and equalizes the loads
they are to carry. He washes the sore
backs with CASTLE soap and hot water.
and adjusts the saddle so that sore
back will cause as little pain as possible.
The blacksmith examines the hoofs or
the mules, and sees that they are kept In
good condition. Contrary 10 general be-
lief, an army mule receives much better
treatment than most mules owned by civ
ilians. The army mule - looked after
almost as carefully as are the men, Inc
short chunky mule. about IL 70 IL IL
hands high, Is the best for pack purposes,
especially I'm a mountainous country.
However great many mules now at the
barracks are 10 hands high. They are
fine lot Of animals. sleek and well fed,
for which the Government paid S94
head. An army pack mule carries n load
weighing from $50 to 800 pounds. Each
train carries ammunition and rations for
men and animals and cooking utensils.
one pack may be made up Of two boxes
OF ammunition and two sacks OF oats or
shelled corn. all weighing 80 pounds
Another pack may be composed OF sides
Of bacon arranged In layers and thrown
ion. Another pack may be made up Of
cooking utensils and -four and another OF
bedding sc. But each pack is adjusted
so that II will weigh only go or 800
pounds. IL takes an experienced packer
TO adjust these packs by the weight
quickly. A boss packer receives 500 a
month salary a CargOdore so month,
and common packer $50 month. The
saddle used Is known as the Tom Moore
pack saddle. The name comes from the
inventor. Tom Moore, an Irishman, who
was master of transportation under Gen.
Cook during the latter's Indian cam
paigns i'm tho west and Southwest. Moore
Is dead. and his military monument IS
his army pack saddle. 10 Is a spring
bowed saddle, with soft cushions on each
side, with two big pieces of leather run
ming back TO the crupper. and the saddle
and pack are dashed 10 the animal by
broad canvas girth or cinch. Singular to
say. the favOrite pack saddle Of the sold
iers from the west Is of Spanish make.
and is called the "aperarO." Some mule
trains have a gray mare, known as the
bell mare" which the cook rides. IL Is
a well-knOWn fact that mules Will follow
an old gray mare just like a flock OF
sheep will follow the belWether. With
a train Of experienced mules and ex-
perlenced men. the fifty pack animals can
be saddled and packs adjusted and ready
for % march within fifty minutes or one
hour.
In the process Of training yesterday at
the barracks sixty-thrCe mules, or one
train. were placed In a corral at one
time. Tom Horn. who will De the boss
packer Of what will be known as Horn 5
train" not only superintended the train
ing Of the mules but also OF the men who
l.. D. ..glra flFfr ar
men physically are selected, as pack
ing IS one Of the hardest and most tire
some duties I'm the army service. The
mules being unaccustomed 20 a strange
place with strange ceremonies, ran from
one end OF the corral to the other and
engaged IN kicking matches. particu-
larry wild mule would invariably refuse
20 be led when a strap was fastened to
his halter. and he would cliyate 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 a veritable tug-of-war be-
tween man and beast one amusing
spectacle was when q big bay mule lay
back its ears. sent its hind feet into the
air. and then ran from one end OF the
corral % the other. with a small chunky
soldier al the other end of the strap
going over the ground al hop, skip and
lump. But the plucky soldier held on 10
his end OF the strap. and the mule Jerked
him hitler and thither among all the
kicking and excited mules In the corral.
RE appeared TO be In imminent danger
Of losing his life. but he escaped unhurt.
Finally the mule was conquered and sad
died. and then the spectators applauded.
After saddle had been placed on a mule
he was turned loose and allowed 20 80,
SO that he would become accustomed to
his now paraphernalia. After an hour Of
this training the mules were caught ana
the saddles removed Sometimes con-
trary mule gave the packers chase, but
biz Tom Horn only had fun by dexter
Ously throwing a 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 I'm teaching them 10 form IN line be-
fore a long strip OF canvas TO be fed.
No ratlons are used IN this training. but
a lonE. straight row OF saddles was COW
cred with a strip OF white canvas. Then
Tom Horn and his men, using ropes for
whips drove the mules together toward
the canvas-covered row OF saddles The
mules kicked and cavorted, and often a
half dozen would break away and run,
while those before the canvas would not
stand still. Finally one mule after an
other was caught. and a strap fastened
20 the haltar, and then led up with his
head TO the canvas. The haltar straps
were tied together.
This tedious process was continued for
one hour until all the sixty-three mules
, were tied together. their heads 10 the
row of canvas. They appeared 20 be tied
10 one long strap IN way similar 10 a
chain running from one hitching post to
another. At first a few mules jumped
over the row OF saddles, but they were
quickly made 10 jump hack 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
I'm 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 20 eat when
they stood at the canvas on the ground.
The manner in which Tom Horn man
aged these unruly mules proves that gen.
tleness is far better than brutality even
IN the treatment OF stubborn mule.
While 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 angriy. much less use any brutality
in whipping. When the mules were driv-
en- together they were only tapped lightly
by the ropes In the hands OF the men.