The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-02
HERD OF MULES ON A TEAR
cor AWAIT FROM CATTLE BOAT AND
GAMBOLLED ACROSS TOWN.

from West Side to East-Had Fun with
Cable Cars-wouldn't Stop n Funeral.
Sixteen risky Southwestern mules. destined
for service with tho British army In South
Africa. took runaway stroll across the city
yesterday afternoon. They got away
from q cattle boat at the foot OF West
Fortieth street. went across to Broadway.
chased. and were chased By. cable cars for a
while. fell in behind a Newtown funeral and
were captured after performance like a Wild
West show at tho East Thirty-fourth street
ferry. One young man lies on Bellevue Hos
pital cot because he didn't know enough to
keep away from the business ends OF the
strolers
The mules were part OF three carloads.
sixty-seven head in all. that came into Wee
hawken yesterday. from St Louis. consigned
to Fiss. Doerr & Carroll. OF this city. They
were loaded on cattle boat at Weehewken
and ferried over to the foot OF Fortieth
strset Cattle boats are simply floating pens.
Partitions divide each boat into several com
partments. gates open outward from each. and
each opens into every other pen.
William Lawrence. who is a driver for the
firm OF Fiss. Doerr 4 Carroll. was in charge Of
the dissm barkation. Lawrence Is not learned
in mules. Horses don't worry him at all THE
SUN reporter last night saw him take hold OF =
big dray horse. that had cast itself awk-
wardy in its stall. by the tail and
lift it to standing position as IL
1t were the easiest thing In the world and the
safest. But mules do worry him. With Eug-
enc Lena. commonly called Mike" because
he isn't Irish, and other employees OF the COM
pany named Callahan. Moran and Williams.
Lawrence set about letting the mules out one
at time and putting matters on them.
Three compartments were successfully emp-
tod Of their passengers. and the mules from
them were tethersd in long row along tho
pier. They switched their club tails In rhythm.
looked meek an imagined a vain thing.
Most OF the mules in the lot were young.
There was only one OF them over Eve years old
He was a gray, evil eyed. gaunt faced brute
and his imaginings were not vain. He was
among those left on the floating pen. With the
true malevolent sagaclty Of the veteran mue
he observed that the gates ofthe compartments
already emptied had been left open.
Likewise that the gates between pens as yet
occupied were not closed. Just as they entered
his enclosure and seized one Of his companions
the gray mule leaned over one OF the partition
gates and leaned his chin on it. The gate
swung in toward him. With whisk and a
snort and a chatter the gray reprobate scooted
of to the other end OF the boat and out along
the pier Every other mule on the float rose on
its four legs and waltZed and waved its hind
feet in the air
The men sprang out OF the enclosure and
forty M ulss. heads high in air and ears fairly
trembling with delight followed the gray mule
out to the pier and liberty. He cantered at a
leisurely pace to Eleventh avenue then turned
and backed up to the curb. With one ear up
and the other down. aud with an expression
OF mild approval on his vivacious counten-
ance. he watched his followers como pounding
up the street from the boat with the men run
ming behind them. The mules came right up
under his nose and Williams. who is a colored
man. swears that to each young mule as it ap-
preached him the gray one gestured with its
upright ear. directing it to go on across town
Lawrence had put a bride on one Of the
battered mules and was riding it without u
saddle at the head Of the pursusrs. A he APP
preached. the gray muIs tossed its head con-
tsmptuously and trottsd of after the runaways
Lawrence overlook and passed tho whole lot
OF them before he reached Forty-second
street There he took up position on
the northeast corner with the intention
OF turning the drove back to Eleventh avenue
through Forty-second street. Williams. with
the other men was coming up Dehlnd al his
best pace. his hat in one hand and halter
trailing from an9ther. nn Iva s,or,.,
'Nevah you min them proieetin' young mules
Jes' you catch dat gray. Don't. for hebbene
s%ks let dat sd gray am mule Give get I'M s,sy.
ar, o my Lawd he'll take EN- back down Souf
hefoah YOU see en- again. ID, you heIh me- Mr.
MIR. Lawrence. as had been said. Is not
learned in mule nature; His eooieriudgment.
Which TSss spSM % IL 1s'i into the
divvlement OF his long-eared wards. was all
upset The gray mule ~ was h making n deSspedi
f before e'f Il reached Lawr.sce The leading
mule was -coored young thing. with
moro OF horse than lackass in her soul, and
when Lawrence said violent words to her and
waved his arms she tam ,h ' Wt aown Forty
i The next i' twenty followed. ~ ''' ''',
The gray mule vent around the corner and nd
quarter mile track, He tossed his head high
in air as he ran and opened his great mouth
way over toward the centre OF town rolled out
| OF his sonorous throat.
b,r hs .nSrteS E.haa "a"
mule, into the rest OF the herd and threw il
the slightest avail. Sixteen Young mules
prcksd up, their ears. turned their ears and
noses up forty,second street and cantered
x!nS tsl YOU man. 1oa red wi ia 81, in
fT+;' S4' EsFyi H1" a2Gs 'S 5ySH
$sm ST % .Sds D Dat J sT9y S HsSSje
Park ter tend dem mules on picnc. Dere's
where dey boun Else dey goin' up see Mars
Dewey. Dem mules amt never goin to see
Soul Africa Nossir!
But Lawrence was far out OF his hearing
| chasing tho hera toward broadway. Williams
and the rest turned their attention TO the
headed- off delegation until Williams saw that
they were safely turned toward the nier again.
Then lifting his voice in selt;;ee1hortations;
grum blings and rebodings, Williams started
across town after the gray mules FOL owing
and Lawrence. 1t was long time before he
| found them.
The insnrrection at the pier, was declared at
one ear W, and the other ear for;
Forty-second street. and after surveying
| the crowds on the street. taking long and
| sweeping look at the upper Shanley's and
! the wondrous palace that Hamm erstein
| built and that he doesn't own any more. and
started down Broadway. The afternoon crowd
| on broadway was Just beginn ing to appear
The shrioks OF laughter and alarm from the
| base sports in front OF the Monopole
| and Martins aud the timil young
women who grabbed each other ny
| blocks in either direction. The tumult was
redoubled when the gray mule was followed
| by a red one a brown. two or three hlacks
| and A rom They strung out across