New-York tribune., 1901-07-14
MULES FOR SOUTH AFRICA.
THE SHIPMENTS FROM NEW-ORLEANS
BY THE BRITISH HAVE NOW PASSED
THE HUNDRED THOUSAND MARK

mount station in this country for fifty thousand !
'a2re has been received This expectation of !
these animals is the largest the world has ever
irown, ard a military purchase by one coun-
Try from another it ranks with the greatest of !
any kind. Texas has been practically drained, |
ana Kansas. Missouri. Wyoming and other stock |
raising States of the South and West have been |
80 nearly depleted that the $40 animals of 1899
bring $50 to-day More mounts than men have |
gone 10 South Africa NeW-Orleans though the |
main mounting station. is only of half a dozen.
From Austria, Australia. Portugal and Canada !
animals have been drawn but owing to The facts
tnat their cost in other countries is from 30 to
100 per cent higher than in this, and that the
American mounts are better constituted to with |
stand the feVers to which they are subjected in |
Africa, every order that be filed is placed
here. In the beginning only large lots We're pur-
chased. but now, Of necessity corrals have to
be maintained at all the large centres in the
mule raising standardization and Dallas, in |
Texas: St. Louis and Kansas City, in Missouri. |
etc. To these individual animals are now |
brought. If they pass inspection they are pur-
chased on the spot When the collection at any
of these corrals is large enough stock train is |
chartered, and they rushed here.
The corrals here the most complete and
among the largest in the country. They cover,
including stables, hospitals, exercising fields,
&c. about twenty acres, and will accommodate
sub-corrals the animals assorted. First as
TO fitness for transportation: those out of con-
dition, sick enfeebled bruised in transit are
consigned to the hospital, where they are treat
Cd and exercised until fit to ship. Then they are
assorted according to special qualifications. |
Each animal is vaccinated, numbered on the
hoof and marked in different ways that desg- |
nate the service for which the veterinary sur !
geons have decided he is best fitted A broad
,al he haaN-
a to the light artillery a double
cross the cavalry and mark TO the pack
trains or some other unattractive branch of the |
service. All have at least three days rest and
light exercise after the railroad journey to this |
city before they shipped.
The fleet of transports engaged is made up of
transformed cotton carriers that used to ply be
tween here and Liverpool. Cotton carriers are ]
built nearly air tight as is possible, that
when fire occurs it can run for days Iefore it
becomes master. They are the best class Of
freighters and the largest, and, regular cattle
ships could not be had, fine figure had TO be
offered the owners to allow them to undergo the
alterations necessary to make such vessels fit for
stock to live in while crossing the Equator.
Sheets of steel were hacked out of their sides
ventilation above the Waterline and great
canvas air sheets were erected to collect and
force air through tubes into the lower com
partments The nail, saw, hammer and chisel
had no more regard for the carved cabin wood
work than they had for the rough pine Of which
the stalls were built from wheel to keel The
transports all fly the British flag. An average
Of E1S is paid for each animal that is loaded
whether it reaches its destination or dies en-
route. The freight exactly equals the average
cost of the mules and is $14 less than that Of
the horses.
The transports sail about once week, carry
ing from 400 to >, 900 head. The wind sails face
forward. and as it is necessary to be under way
TO force the draughts, the ship has to be loaded
as quickly as possible Gt generally takes about
twelve hours) and the boat is got off immedi-
ately thereupon. In rough weather the waves
often roll through the holes in the sides and
Gouse the animals. But that is a blessing. In
the long trip across the tOrrid the heat down
in the hold becomes awful. The animals are
backed in side to sde-there is standing room
only" All last summer loss Of no more than
10 per cent was considered splendid but this
year the losses are being held under that. AS
everything grows more systematic the percent
age of loss grows gradually less This is partly
due however, to the stiffcning Of the physical
examinations At first any mule Il II hands
high or horse II to 1G hands sound of limb and
20 good condition, acceptable recruit.
low only an animal with tried constitution is
sent-one that shows signs of being immune
rom certain diseases or that has been inocu-