The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-02
AMERICAN MULES FOR AFRICA.
How They are Shipped From the West
 bV Way oP NaN GrJaonc

How They are Shipped From the West by Way of New Orleans.
 1 When English capital and American 1 thrift combine something is going to happen, and the result Is very apt to { be both interesting and stupendous, as 1 is the case in the recent purchase, in 1 the United States, of nearly nine thou
 sand mules by the British government,
 and the transportation of the same | from interior points, through the port ' of New Orleans, to South Africa, for the use of the British army in the
 TransVaal, In September last Major II. J. Scobell, of the Royal Scots grays, | British cavalry, arrived in New Or
 leans, and in the usual unostentatious
 manner of the English man of affairs,
 went quietly to work obtaining bids
 from the various stock dealers through
 out the west, making several trips for
 the purpose. He personally closed con-
 tracts with dealers in St. LouiS Mo-,
 Kansas City, Mo-, New Orleans, La.,
 and in north Texas, for 8,S20 mules, or
 upward of three hundred carloads, at
 an average cost of about eighty dollars
 per head, f. 0. b. steamer New Orleans,
 or total of over seven hundred thou
 sand dollars for the lot. In addition
 to the mules Major Scobell also pur-
 chased two hundred carloads of hay,
 oats, bran, etc, from New Orleans, St.
 Louis and Kansas City firms
 The larger portion of the mules and
 all of the feed reached New Orleans by
 way of the Illinois Central railroad the
 entire shipment being loaded aboard
 the transports at the Southport docks of that company, where the facilities
 for handling such large conslgnments are uueXcelled. The mules were moved from Kansas City and St. Louis in special trains, made up of large patent stock cars on exceptionally fast sched- ues, the run from St. Louis to New Orleans, distance of seven hundred and six miles, by way of the Illinois Central, being made in twenty eight hours, which is practically passenger train service. From Kansas City, miles, by way of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis railroad to Mem phis, thence over the Illinois Central, the through run to New Orleans was made in forty hours, including a stop over at Memphis for feed, water and rest. On arriving at New Orleans the animals were unloaded and placed in large stock pens, where they were held and cared for until the vessels were ready to receive them.
 The British government chartered the Pran, Montezuma. Corin- thia, Hurona, Manchester City, An selma de Larrinaga and Hermes to transport the animals from New Or leans to destination. The cost of such was about one hundred | dollars head. These boats were spec tally fitted up for the service, being lighted with electricity, carrying their own distilling plant, and every stall provided with an automatic cock from | which water for the mules can be let | out regularly three times a day. The i feeding is done by hand, sufficient | number of hostlers being taken along | for that purpose One or more veteri- nary surgeons accompanied each ves- sel, to take care of such of the animals IS might fall such on the long voyage, | which will consume at least twenty six lays from port to port The Manches- Ter City the largest of the transports, being three hundred and fifty feet long, slowed away 2,090 mules in her five lecks, to say nothing of sixty-flve car oads of feed. three thousand kegs of mule shoes and nails, and nearly three hundred men, including officers, crew md hostlers.
 The mule-shoes, of which there were hree thousand kegs, were specially or lered from Troy, N. Y., by way of the Illinois Central for shipment on the City. As this steamer was xpected to clear New Orleans shortly fter the order was placed, quick ser ice was ssential.-Leslie's Weekly.