Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-06-21

could see the luscious Concord grapes
on the arbor of that cabin porch. He re-
membered the big juicy yellow peaches
and wondered if the first husking bee
had been held yet. Right before his eyes
was the mule, and his thoughts revert
ed to him at intervals. He fell to wish
ing most emphatically that he had been
born a mule and had not been bought
by fool man who had not sense enough
Something of this sort must also have
been passing through the mules retlec-
tons, for he paved the ground in a dis
contented way that only aggravated
O'Rourke's discomfort. O'Rourke threw
stone at him and accompanied the &C.
ton with an exclamation that made
Sullivan demonstrate:
Don't swear or I'll never catch fish,"
The mule kept on paving and
O'Rourke, incensed, went to where he
was displacing the rock and earth.
The first piece of rock he picked up was
heavy and it glittered in the twilight.
He ran for his pick and in few min
utes had uncovered ledge that showed
silver and galena so plainly that even a
tenderfoot could not help knowing he
had found something that was valuable.
Suddenly shout from Sullivan was
heard. He had hooked a four-pound
salmon trout and was calling to
O'Rourke to stir up the fire and put on
the skillet. O'Rourke paid no attention,
and Sullivan, as he came running to the
camp fire, Numbered out: "Where the
devil are you? Don't you hear what
say?" Then he saw O'Rourke, and ran
over to him, holding up the fish by the
gills. In answer to his excited descrip-
ton of how he caught the fish 0'Rourke
handed him piece of rock. Sullivan
had prospected for years. The instant
he took the rock in his hand he let the
trout fall on the ground. Then seeing
the hole O'Rourke had dug, Sullivan
dropped on his knees and looked into
it. He tugged at the jagged edges of
blood started from them; but he did not
feel the pain. BY this time it was get
ting dark, and O'Rourke came with a
torch from the campfire. He stepped on
the fish as he came and then gave it a
kick which knocked it some distance
away.
"We've struck it at last" said Sui
Ivan.
1t was midnight before the two men
could think of anything else than their
discovery. There was no more grass to
be had and the mule stood idly by
watching his masters work. Suddenly
O'Rourke seemed to remember that the
mule had first attracted him to the
spot. Then and there the men took an
oath that if the mine turned out what
it seemed to be the mule should never
have to work any more. Then they
hunted up their trout and had the most
enjoyable supper they had ever ate be-
fore or after.
1t was only 60 miles to Spokane Falls,
now Spokane, and after they staked
their claim Sullivan stayed to guard it,
while O'Rourke went to Spokane for
provisions and to raise money on the
mine. A few pounds of samples were
packed on the mules back and in less
than week O'Rourke returned with
plenty to eat and men who represented
money to look at the mine. Sullivan
had been living on fish and deer he
had killed. The two prospectors re-
ceived $150,00O apiece for their claim,
which has been sold since for three
times that amount.
Down in the Potlach country O'Rourke
purchased ranch. He took the mule
down there and hired a man to look
after his wants. The man received a
salary for seeing that the mule was cur
ried, fed and pastured. The man was
made to realize that it was serious
matter, and that any neglect of the
mule would stop his pay. Thus it came
about that the little scrawny animal
got to be fat and sleek and impudent.
He lived to be 1s years old, dying only a
year and half ago.
O'Rourke when he returned to his
Missouri home found everything Just
as he had left it, only his father was a
little deeper in debt and the mortgage
was little nearer due. The neighbors
said it was such pity, because all of
his family were such hard workers;
that is all except the one that had
traded for the mule and disappeared.
When the scapegrace came back and
not only paid off the mortgage. but
also added 100 acres to the paternal
possessions, and then got out of the
country as soon as possible, the neigh
bors lnarveled greatly.
O'Rourke and Sullivan were never
poverty stricken again, although they
lost some Of their money. Both of
them have said time and again that
they never derived so much benefit out
of the discovery as the mule did.-~To
this day the trademark on every sack of
ore from the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
mine is a mule, and in the Office that
was blown up few days ago there
hung life-size picture of the mule that
was lazy but found mine.--N. Y. Sun.
Embarrasaed His Father.
A gentleman recently visited new
district police station and was shown