The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-30
MrLE SkAsov nAs OPENED.
Tens of Thousands Now Hound for tn
Atlanta Market,

OF cavalry on the charge. aud down the broad
street comes n roughly clad rider mounted on
a gray horse and at his heels n troop Of sorrol.
bay. brown. lllck. dun and .colored
mules. followed by two other wild riders In a
sallop. cracking their long whips aud utterlne
the peculiar cry Of the mule drover.
The mule season has opened. At all hours OF
the day the same spectacle Is repeated. for this
is the great point Of distribution Of mules for
several States. The mules, from three to four
years old. are shipped here by tensof thousands
from the rich grain fields and grazing lands OF
Indiana, Kentucky and western Tennessee by
the STOCK dealers and are put on tho market.
Planters, lumbermen, turpentine operators and
contractors In railroad building conRreuute
here from oil points. and from about the middle
OF january until March 1 is the busy time in
the mule trade. To observe the many droves.
one naturally wonders whore they all go. but
they are disposed Of in some way, and many a
wild. unbroken mule colt, fresh from Its home
In the West. will soon be wearing the
shuck collar and names Of the Georgia or Ala.
bama cotton plantation. followed by a lusty
darky. and guided by the Geo. whoa. hawi"
OF the plouRhman. while the hooking bird
chirrups his drowsy too-doodle and tee-deedle
on the old worm fence at the end OF the row
or perhaps II will be straining and Juggling Mt
the great high-wheelcd lumber cart among the
pine barrens OF southern Georgia, lashed and
cursed by the driver. while the huge log Is
drawn over the rough ground from the forest
to the mill. But before the mule Is thus taught
to earn its living II must 60 through various
preliminaries OF preparation. bargain. and
sale. and must take a weary journey in the
crowded stock cars.
TIT mule is . peculiar beast. Naturally skit-
fish and yet docile. It Ia easily trained. but no
amount OF education can overcome the per-
Versity OF Its nature. You may ride one twenty
five years In perfect safety, and when you least
suspect It the tickle brute will make you throw
a somersault and kick you to kingdom ZONE
before you strike the ground. It's nature Is
only consistent In It's Inconsistencies
In the first place the stock dealers visit the
mule-Rrowing regions OF the West during the
late fall and early winter and select such lots
as suit them. and these are shipped by the
trainload to this point Of distribution. Nat
urally uncouth and rather ungainly. the mule
must be trimmed and pruned into the most
presentable shape. Unlike its near relative.
the horse, a long tail and q flowing name tend
but to make the mule ridiculous In the eyes OF
the connoisseur. Therefore. one OF the first
things to be done Ia to remove all the super
fuous bristles from its neck and stubby tail,
and this is no easy task on account OF the
lurking contrary spirit OF the animal. 1t
u hIbI uc uIlNeu luJO u marrow SUlll
and battered. and then. while one man holds
the halter. another. generally an expert negro.
as the negro understands mule nature better
than the white man. proceeds to clip off the
name with a pair of big shears. The long hairs
are removed from the ears so as to give the
mule q pert and lively look. and then the worst
trouble begins. The danger end OF the mule
must now be approached. and. for fear OF some
sudden uprising Of the heels. the animal Ia
backed up against a board partition which Is
higher than the mule can kick in its cramped
position. The operator seizes the tail. draws it
over the partition. and with the shears proceeds
to divest It Of hair. leaving only a little tuft
at the tip. and when It is released 1t resembles
nothing so much as a short section Of rubber
pipe.
Sometimes the halters are left on the mules
for convenience. but as a rule they are taken
off. and with a sky-aspiring swing OF It's heels
the freed animal bounds out into the corral to
air its improved appearance among its long
cared comrades. There Is another popularity
about the mule that is hard to comprehend. 1t
will follow a gray horse to the jumping-off
place and then plunge over the prccipice after
its leader. For this reason the rider who leads
the drove is always mounted on a gray stecd.
Occasionally a member OF the drove will dash
down q side street or across a vacant lot. but
the two horsemen In the rear are after 1t in a
twinkling. cracking their long whips. and after
n few gyrations the frightened mule catches a
sight Of the gray horse OF the leader and hears
the familiar "ho-ee. ho-eel' Of the rider. and
away 1t bounds to rejoin its comrades.
Down at the big Triton lumber mills. a few
years ago. the w~oodsman, rode o gray pony
at night, In a short time 1t was noticed that
the pony's name and tail were disappearing.
and the renson was soon apparent. In their
fOn1naSa for the QrnY DOny the mnlnS wara
s3ai!t That t f had to be a. placed lac TINA IL a s aaH b ss' iis S4l
Ono night the pony succeeded In escaping
from the stall. and the mules gathered around
and a frollc began. The Waterman was some
mails burst open the big gates. and away went
the whole gang; thupTdserinS down the road
the teamsters, were, aroused, horses were SO:
cured and a chase began which lasted until
LATE LATE s IL The 70 t9i tSs,4 Sr Site fsaSeF and Bpt no the dnS os
the entire band Of seventy-ive or eighty was
missing.
planters affect fine mule teams, instead OF thor
oughbred horses. for driving, There Ia no such
individual possessing Characteristics that arc
separate and distinct. and there being only a
G GSa e fsbI@ Elm SIa1ys a% aeIsets the p.i see ,bss ms GS9s }n
attached to q carriage. dashinG along through
good indication OF the Independence and pros
perity Of the owner.
a RODu bululc WuIt IL u III tlt ppOH. ollc
that moves along In q FOX trot,'' will carry Its
rider over the toughest roads without a Jolt or
q jostle. and. barring the element OF possible
treachery, the rider may enjoy all the pIeasur:
able sensations Of a sail over smooth and sunlit
waters. or n swing In a hammock under the
magnolias when the summer sun rides high In
the heavens.
The young mules bring from 1925 to $3.50 in
and Of unusually good qualities. they some
times command a higher price.
The Sunday Concert at the Metropolitan.
The concert at the Metropolitan Opera House
last night WINS meant TO introduce two singers
new to these programmes during the present
season, but while Maurice Grau proposes the
weather disposes. Nine. Saville. who was to
have sung. is III with a cold. So Miss Suzanne
Adams took her place. Ernest Van Dyck was
a novelty. and the other soloists were
Frau schumann-Heink NJ. Plancon and
Miss Leonora Van Stosch. Herr schalk
conducted. and the programme took on
the rather s%erious. musical aspect which he Is
likely TO give II. His orchestral numbers were
the overture to THE Magic Flute" Chabrier's
II