Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-13
LONG-EARED GENIUS OF WAR
An Appreciation ofthe Rear-Action Battery,
Known as the Army Mule.
GREAT FACTOR IN MILITARY SCRAPS
His Courage, Endurance. Intelligence
aud 'apncity for work on
Scnnt HntionS-iii. value
ON the Increase.

There IS an eminent American army ON
Ger in tho Philippines who has revised
the proverb about heaven giving the vic
tory TO the side with the best guns. Heaven
gives the victory to the army with the most
mules" is his version. Today the mule is
regarded as the sine qua non OF modern
warfare. Should his muleship rise as a
unit aud balk on the firing line thcre
would be no more up-to-date wars.
Tho continued demand for army mules
In western markets has almost doubled the
price. -Four years ago yelvcty-eared
high kicking siXtcen-hand mule could be
bought for SO, and a good mule for $50.
Now a western farmer who owns a sound
siXtcen-hand mule will not look at less than
si35 for him. and almost any sort Of speci
men will fetch 500.
Since the occupation OF Manila 10000
mules have been shipped to the Philippines
alcDo. Three times that many have been
sent to Cuba and Porto Rico. English
mule buyers have drained the st. Louis
and Omaha markets since the commence
ment Of the Boer war. in spite OF the al
legged unsoldicrly behavior Of squad OF
American mules In General Buffers COM
mand, who on three occasions, IT is said
deliberately led their English drivers into
n Bocr ambush. and baked at every at
tempt TO retreat. II this Is true, it Is the
FIRST instance of disloyHlty ever recorded
against the army mule. He has his faults
but he is game. and he Is faithful.
Just before the breaking out OF the Span
ish- American war Spanish buyers shipped
Is 900 mules from American markets. our
army buyers were equally busy ut was
q popular suppositIon at the time that
Uncle Sam was holding back to get his wal
ships ready" says an old army officer. "HC
wasn't; he was buying mules myself
bought 1900 on contract during the Maine
Investigation"
shipped 10 the Philippines.
Army officials have expended more worry
In thc-transportaLion OF mules to the PM
lppines than In the carrying of troops. VI
to a year ago nobody had any idea that O
mule could stand on his sea legs during q
voyage Of forty days and trot down a
gangplank in better condition than he trot
ted up. The American mule has achieved
this. Formerly in attempting to transport
mules over long distances the beasts were
supported in their stalls by a sort of sling
like hammock, supposed TO give them al
opportunity to rest themselves. This
process killed from % to 80 per cent OF tn,
animals and the rest were in a state o
collapse at tho end of the voyage. This
plan has been abandoned and mules arr
now carried to Manila from Portland ore.
with loss of not more than per cent
At Manila they swim through the surf I
mile In landing and within week are Il
for work.
II has been discovered that between tn,
mule and the Filipino there is subtle
sympathy. II is the same with the mul'
and the Porto Rican, the Cuban or the Mex
lean Any of these people can take a null
so worn out that he will show no sign o
resentment II an American soldier tickle
his heels. pet him bit and talk to him IL
his own Jargon, jump on his back and tro
him 100 miles. Before the advent of tht
American army in the Philippines the onl!
draught animal in use Excepting the donke!
and the Chinese coolie) was the OK. Th
mule, Of course. is slow compared with
horse. but ne is chain lightning beside
team OF oxen. The Filpinos consider hin