The evening times., 1900-01-29

ernment so much so that the order has
been increased to 24.00o. and will probably
run up to 10000, with from three TO four
cargoes OF mules leaving New Orleans each
week
The Boer sympathizers in Cape Colony
have endeavored TO arouse a prejudice
against the American animals brought
there, and the papers, which are known to
be lukewarm, are filled with stories that
the imported mules have brought glanders,
charbon, and other diseases into the eoun-
try. There is an outburst of glanders
among the animals landed in South Africa,
and was possibly due to the exhausted con-
dition in which the animals reached Africa
which rendered them prone to the many
diseases that prevail there destructive to
horses and mules.
The Afrikander protest against The im-
portation OF American mules has led The
British Government to order the inocuia-
tion of all the animals with the Pasteur
serum before being shipped from here;
but this inoculation has shown NOS SIN
gle glandered animal thereby going long
way to prove that the outbreak Of gland
ers among the American pack animals was
not brought there by them. In 10 wise
dissuaded by the protests OF the native
farmers Of the Cape Colony against the
importation of American mules the Brit
ish War Office will increase the amount
OF fits purchases: and after experimenting
with Italian and Andalusian mules IL has
closed its purchasing bureaus in Naples
and Gibraltar. and will use only American
animals bought in the Southwest and
shipped through New Orleans.
The extent of the purchases will depend.
Of course on the duration OF the Boer war;
Present appearances would seem to call
for 30 600 or more mules. IL the war con-
tinues year longer. or IL the British meet
with much difficulty in invading the Trans
vaal or the Free State. the number needed
may be doubled or trebled. War is heavy
consumer OF mules. They wear out in
comparatively short time. for they receive
very little attention-one of their chief
merits being their toughness and their
ability to take care of themselves and to
endure all the privations TO which they
may be subjected. They are completely
used up and OF little value after a cam
paign, as the United States found when 1t
tried to sell some of the superfuous mules
employed in the santiago campaign.
Valuable Or trmy Use.
Whether the mule would be useful in
a temperate county is question that
cannot well be determined. His toughness,
his s,0lidness, his ability to get along with
little care to stand any climate, and to ex-
list with far less water and food than his
half brother the horse. would seem to
make him a valuable animal for army
packing purposes in any climate. but TO
his importance. value and indeed necessi-
ty in a campaign in a tropical or semi
tropical country the United States. Great
Britain and Spain can all testify.
He is now more important 10 an army
than a horse and as essential as the ar
rillery itself Without him an army can
no longer move any distance without dan
ger Of running out OF it's supplies. The re-
cent fight at NicholSon's Mex bore evil
dence TO the importance Of the mule in
warfare; for the result OF the battle was
largely due to the mules, which ran OH
and left the British without ammunition
these animals. by the by. were Spanish,
not American mules. the first cargo OF the
latter having not yet reached Cape Colo
ny. At present nearly all the mules at
the front in South Africa are the American
animal. who are giving Generals Butler,
Catacre. and Methuen valuable assistance
IN their campaign.
II can be readily seen from these facts
why a mule famine is threatened in the
early future when the present supply OF
mules is exhausted. Mule breeding has
started up largely in all parts OF the West
and Southwest in consequence OF the i'm
proved value OF the mules, but the supply
OF brood mares is now limited, and II Will
be some years before the new crop OF ami
males is on the market