River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-12-21
INTELLIGENT PACK MULES.
In the Course of Their Army Experi-
ence They Learn "A Good
Many Things.

SIN the government service" said an
e~x-soldier, 1.-The pack trains are led by
a bell mare and the mules learn to fol-
low her with a blind confidence that is
astonishing. After the surrender OF
Santiago the army Of occupation had
several pack trains that were kept in
a big corral near the camp. One day
Gen. Breckenridge came to visit Gen.
Shafter, who at that time had shifted
his headquarters to a point near San
Juan hill, and how to provide him with
a saddle animal was a serious question.
The climate of south Cuba had proven
very hard on our horses and they were
nearly all dead or disabled. In fact,
the only respectable looking animal we
could scrape up was a bell mare belong
ing to one of the trains, and the order
was accordingly given to saddle her up.
The general mounted and was riding
away toward headquarters, when sud
denly a most hideous and unearthly
tumult broke loose from the corral.
The mules had caught sight of their
leader and were frantically endeavor-
ing to get out and follow, eac n
braying at the top of his lungs in a
different key. 1t was the most horrible
noise ever heard in the province since
the b~ombardment of MORO castle, and
for the time being it looked as if the
crazy mules were going to tear down
the stockade. Gen. Breckenridge was
startled and reined up to investigate,
but meanwhile a dozen packers had
jumped into the corral and went to
work on the brutes with clubs, trying
to get them running around in a circle,
SO as to distract their attention. At
last they succeeded and the general
fortunately disappeared down the road
before the drove came to a standstiIl
again. He would have cut a unique
figure if he had ridden up to Skaters
tent leading a solemn cavalcade of GA
government mules, and that is exactly
what would have happened had it not
been for the presence of mind of the
packers.
"a pack mule that has seen service
gets very cunning. / remember we
had one old fellow who had been in the
army for IL or Is years, and he knew
as much as most of the men. He was
occasionally used as a leader and was
very fond of the job, because in that
case he had no load to carry. To see
him maneuvering to get to the front
was very comical. The regulation pack
weighs 200 pounds and the mules soon
learn to size it up to a nicely. refus-
ing to carry anything more For that
reason they are blindfolded while be-
ing loaded, otherwise they would be
continually looking around to see
whether the pack was inside the limit.
ION one occasion we received a coffin
to be sem to Siboney and the old mule
I referred to was selected to carry it.
The coffin weighed only 25 pounds, but
the mule must have concluded from its
size that it weighed a ton, and he i'm
mediately began to groan in the most
pitiful manner, exactly like a human
being. When the coffin was put on his
back he pretended to stagger and
sagged down as if he was carrying a ten
inch gun. At the same time he turned
his head and looked at me with a mourn
full expression that was as easily read
as so much print: Good heavensI' he
seemed to say, are you going to allow
me to be crushed by this enormous
burden?' We were all shrieking with
laughter and tried to make him take his
place in line, but not an inch would he
bulge. Finally he deliberately rolled
owe and knocked the coffin off. That
settled it. We let the old rascal take
the bell and 1 could almost hear him
%chuckling as it was Topped around his
neck. Another mule was then blind
folded and took on the coffin without
trouble."-N. o. Times-Democrat.