The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-22
MULES FOR WAR SCARCE.
SOUTH ALMOST STRIPPED OF THESE
VALUABLE ANIMALS.

| | WAli DG ~ III NiAc
mule market in the next few
years, as the result of war,
that will prove very trouble
some to the Southern farmers. This
is the opinion of every mule raiser and
dealer in the Southwest. 1t has sent
up tho price of the sturdy and stub
born animal that does the bulk of the
farm work south of tho Ohio and
Potomac; and the price still tends up
ward. and will cost the British War
| Department half million more than
its original estimate for 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 a drain on
the market in this country which it
cannot stand The market, more
over, was caught in a 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 many mule growers had re-
tired from business.
| The bulk of the mule crop is grown
in Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky and
Tennessee, the animal being shipped
TO the South and Southwest. There
was a steady decline in prices until
| 1897, when, i'll 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, in spite of ignoble
origin, commands better price.
The average value of mule, includ-
ing the young and old, is $44.96; of a
horse only $3740.
The Cuban insurrectiou brought
the mule back into favor and created
a demand for mules, which has con
tinued ever since. just now there is
n 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 ad-
vance in the price Of cotton has caused
| the Southern farmers to improve their
places and increase their stock, which
they grentiy needed. There is sufi-
cIent amount of mule stock left over
to supply the present demand, but Mt
greatly advanced prices. But when
this supply is exhausted it is going to
cause mule famine. The mule crop
| is slow one and not to be harvested
in single year like corn or wheat or
cotton. There are comparatively few
mulc 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 made now IN mule
breeding By the tune the mules are
| put upon the market there will be
mule famine. There is the predic-
ton, if it can be called % prediction,
based upon the solid fact that the
United States has cut down its output
of mules from thirty-three 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 a year ago was not over 1000
annually. In 1897, with the Cuban
war, it rose to 5000. 1t was probably
10000 to 25, 200 last year and will be
even greater for 1900. The Spaniards
first began the export of mule, for use
in the Cuban revolution. They found
the animal extremely valuable aud
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. A
Spanish commission was established
at New Orleans for the 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
upon the Spanish steamer Buenven-
tura, which was about leaving for
Havana, when au order from Wash
ington stopped the shipment on the
ground that the mules were intended
for the Spanish army to be used
against this country. The animals
were disembarked and driven back TO
the stock yards, and the Buenaventura,
which had remained here dangerously
late in order to take on the animals,
put out to sea, only to be captured by
the American fleet in the Gulf and
condemned as a prize of war The de-
cision was subsequently reversed and
the value of the vessel paid over to the
owners.
The Spaniards announced them.
selves well pleased with their expert
ences with American mules and de-
clared that bountiful supply of
these animals doubled tho efficiency
OF an army operating in the field, and
having long expeditions TO make.
When the United States went to war
with Spain, it prodted by the expert
ence OF that country and supplied its
army in Cuba with large force of
mules. The same thing was done in
the Philippines, and the Government
demand called for Is, 900 animals.
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