The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-04
IN DEFENSE OF THE MULE.
Everyday EvIuences Of Surprising
the Horse in Horse Sense.
(Kansas city star.)


Patience. calmness. attending TO his
own business, frugality and faithful
ness. have earned for the mule the rep
utation of stupidity. He has become
marked as the Ounce and blockhead
among animals. So long has the mule
rested under the charge of mental dull
ness that his long ears have become
mark of lack of intelligence. Unjust
comparison with his near relative has
made horse sense a term Of compG-
ment to men. And it seems that all the
time the mule has been suffering unde-
served reproach. for the man who
knows the beast of sharp angles and
exaggerated curves values him above
the horse in practical intelligence, and
believes that patience, lack of nerves
and faculty Of attending 10 business
have been misunderstood for absence
Of sense.
Animal trainers don't take to mules
and the horse shows know them not,
for they are always beasts Of burden
and do their playing among themselves
after working hours. They may not
/ have the knack of doing parlor tricks,
/ but they have their share OF useful,
/ everyday wisdom. Every one knows
/ that horses can hardly be forced out
/ of a burning stable. Terror-strlcken.
they tremble with every nerve bred
| into them and wait for the flames.
/ Seven or eight years ago Sparks Bros
/ horse and mule barn burned near the
/ stock yards. Robert Booth of Sparks
/ Bros. says some of the horses were
/ dragged out, after much work. only to
tear themselves loose and run back
! into the burning barn. Wherever there
was an avenue of escape for the mules
they came out. without help or urg-
/ ing. Two OF the long-eared animals
showed hotel experience, jumping
| through windows four feet above the
| ground.
Which showed the horse sense?' s.
Mr.. Booth asked. THE mule can be re
lied on to keep his head under circum-
| stances in which a horse Of any grade
/ would practically commit suicide from
excitement"
The mule shows his sense even when
he grows wicked. Let pair of horses
I runaway and there is q good bill for
/ repairs or for a new wagon awaiting
the owner. He is even thankful If not
called upon TO pay for other vehicles
wrecked in collisions with his own, and
is happy TO find that his horses have
escaped with a few cuts. When mules
run away, the mule men say, they keep
the road and simply run till they gel
tired. The man in the wagon who
knows viii sit quietly and let them dc
the driving. They avoid telegraph
J poles and drug store show windows Ike
the pest, and can turn corners in bette
curves and with more safety TO wha'
they're dragging than the man who i:
riding so fast. Calm minds are no
usually quick. and by the time the pal
are growing tired of their sprint the!
decide that the runaway is over. No
body hurt. no blacksmith's bills. They
used horse sense" 4 horse seldom for
gets runaway; the mule, apparently
! never remembers il.
n mule win wait six years to get
good, square kick at a man" Tha
the mule men say. is another founds
; tloniess tradition OF the unlearneC
They declare most solemnly that Their
Is less danger Of sudden death from
5 mule than from a horse As for kick
ing IN harness, a practice not uncOm
{ mon among horses even OF the bes
: breeding, the mule does not know I'll
FEELING Of hoOfs against dashboar,
: True, even the friends Of the Iona
!. cared do not waste much time in curry
? ing the hind legs, but that, they sa,
[ is because the mule needs eompars
lively little Of the comb and brush Ri
=, coat Is shorter, coarser and not so III
4 as that Of the horse, and he is by ns
). ture cleaner. Mules like 10 wallow, bl
: not in mud. as DO the horses
= In the sale barns at the stock yarc
5 the hangers Of the mules IS nile
; with food and the animals eat whs
/ they want and quit. The hay an
2 grain might be mountain high and th5