The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-04-10

Else in Price OF Cotton Makes Natural
| Demand, But War Has Increased tho
| Demand Until Now Mule Il Worth
More Than II Horse-EreedIng VIII Pay
HH HERE will be a famine in the
mule market In the next few
years, as the result of war,
that will prove very trouble
! some TO the Southern farmers. This
il the opinion Of every mule raiser aud
| dealer in the Southwest. 1t has sent
up the price of the sturdy and stub
born animal that does the bulk of the
farm work south OF the Ohio aud
| Potomac; and the price still tends up
ward, and will cost the British War
Department half million more than
| its original estimate i9r mules. But,
| however great the advance in price
| it will not mend the matter or prevent
| famine.
| The mule has been found so neces-
sary in war and the American mule so
superior to the Spanish and Italian
animal that there has been drain on
the market in this country which it
cannot stand. The market. more
over, was caught IN somewhat de-
nuded state, with smaller crop of
animals on hand than ever before.
Mule raising for some five or six years
had ceased to be as profitable as here
tofore and manymule growers had re-.
tired from business.
| The bulk of the mule crop is grown
i'll Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky and
| Tennessee, the animal being shipped
to the South and Southwest. There
was a steady decline i'll prices until
| 1897, when, in consequence of the
Spanish War prices advanced. This
| decline is partly attributable to the
fall in the value of the horse, due to
the greater use of bicycles, trolley
cars, etc. The horse, however, has
fallen off more than the mule in value.
and the latter, i'll spite of ignoble
origin, commands better price.
The average value of mule, includ-
ing the young and old, is St4.9G; of a
horse only S37. 40.
| The Cuban instruction brought
the mule back into favor and created
demand for mules, which has con-
tinued ever since. Just now there is
period of war, especially in tropical
countries, where the mule is an abso-
| lutte necessity. The demand for the
animals has, therefore, greatly in
creased, and at the same time the adj
vance In the price of cotton has caused
the Southern farmers to improve their
| places and increase their stock, which
| they greatly needed. There is a suii-
clent amount of mule stock left over
to supply the present demand, but at
| greatly advanced prices. But when
|
| cause mule famine. The mule crop
is slow one and not to be harvested
in n single year like corn or wheat or
cotton. There are comparatively few
mulo breeders operating stock farms
| just now. 1t will take some time to
get these farms in operation, purchase
the jacks and brood mares. Then
there will have to be long wait and
a year or SO to bring the mule colt to
maturity. Altogether it will take
three or four years to get any return
| from an Investment mado now In mule
breeding. By the time the mules are
| put upon the market there will be n
| mule famine. There is the predic-
ton, if it can be called n prediction,
based upon the solid fact that tho
United States has cut down its output
OF mules from thirtythree to fifty per
cent. just at time when the demand
for mules has become greater than
ever because of war.
The export of mules from this coun-
try year ago was not over 1000
annually. In 1897, with tue Cuban
war, it rose to 5000. It was probably
20, 900 to $4,000 last year and will be
even greater for 1900. The Spaniards
first began the export of mules for use
in the Cuban revolution. They found
the animal extremely valuable and
indeed necessary in their campaigns
against the Cubans in. the mountains.
They had to travel long distances from
the railroads, and they needed latge
numbers of pack mules, animals that
could stand the climate of Cuba.
Spanish commission was established
at New Orleans for tho shipment of
mules to Cuba and perhaps 10000
were sent to that island to help sub
due the Cubans. On the very eve of
the war between the United States
and Spain, Spain still had large
number of mules in this country. A
cargo Of the animals had been placed
"PVA NllD tDphul5u hlehueI buenVeu-
tura, which was about leaving for
Havana, when IN order from Wash.
ington stopped tho shipment on the
ground that the mules were intended
for the Spanish army 60 30 used
against this country. The animals
were disembarkod and driven back to
the stock yards, and the Buenavontura.
which had remained hero dangerously
late in order TO take on the animals.
put ont TO sea, only to be captured by
the American feet in the Gulf AMI
condemned rs prize Of war. The de-
cision was subsequently reversed and
the value OF the vessel paid over TO the
owners.
The Spaniards announced Thorn.
selves well pleased with their expert
encos with American mules and do
olared that n bountiiul supply of
these animals doubled tho efficiency
OF au army operating i'm the field. and
having long expeditions 60 make.
When the United States went to war
with Spain, 10 proGted by the expert
cncc OF that country aud supplied its
army in Cuba with n large force of
mulCs. The Same thing was done in