The Opelousas courier., 1902-07-19
LIFE OF THE MINE MULE
"oEsR TRAITS OF THE BURDEN
BEARER OF THE UNDERWORLD.

dls Marvellous Intelligence and sE,,,,-
I Avoiding Danger-All He wants - -
OAear Track-He Has q Certain Brava.
do About Kim Too.
Il mine mule, the sturdy burden
pearer OF the underworld, has enough
OF the abn9rnal about his makeup
70 induce curiosity, If not admiration
Ill tne average persons mind. In the
sunless black, the unwearied night,
MS Erebus Of the beasts reigns su-
premes His sinewy shoulders, lust
pehlnd the long, Tapping ears, tug
uown and up the tunnelled caverns
ahd there seems something Of the mys-
'lc ana the magician about him as he
STANDS lmmovable In the deep darkness
OF a pasasgeWay or e~ut-througii Tie
plt mule, as his years grow, assumes
q nne indifference to trivial matters.
his Life has been SO full Of half-ayerted
tragedies that he has neither the time
nor Meditation to bother about the
sRal things. His dropping ears would
not move an inch if the cage fell FIVE
ASSI away lIOu Qlm.
But he does not leave his stubborn
ness nor his brains behind him. He
can knock enough front teeth out of
a drivers head to spoil his chances
with any girl in the county deep down
In b dusk of E ;heading just as easily
as ne would on a country road at high
noon. His accuracy i'll gauging dis
tances would make an excellent me-
ehan1e OF him were he not d mule.
He has a certain bravo about him, too,
which runs into a cunning deviltry
as he grows older. If the lights go
out he is sure to u away with a trip
down a grade, and if 1t does pile un in
a wreck the mule is almost certain to
be the only thing which escapes un-
harmed.
Many OF the mines in the Connells-
vile coke region Of Pennsylvania are
shafts, running from 200 to 700 feet
deep. To get the mule on the cage
Is not a pleasant duty. AS soon as he
smells the warm air from the pit,
sometimes accompanied by ~streakings
OF steam on account OF the difference
OF temperature between the air from
the mine and that outside, the brute
plunges and attempts to escape. He is
usually put upon the cage by sheer
force. Sometimes he is %blindfolded be-
fore being dropped to the bottom. The
trembling animal is taken from the
bottom Of the shaft to the stables.
These are located at a little distance
from the shaft bottom, and in the Con-
nellsyille region are lighted with cleo
ricity, are cool and very much superior
to many upper world stables.
The mine mule is obliged to keep
his head under very trying circum-
stances, and he is in a short time q
much wiser animal than his brothers
above ground, whose every movement
Is guided by rein and voice. There
Is no harness worthy of the name in a
mine, and never any rein. The mule
Is hitched to a singletree, which is at
the end Of a long chain or rope. There
are NO holding-back straps. The mine
mules business is to pull when he
Is On an up grade, and to keep out Of
the way on a down grade. His won.
derful sagacify is shown in his accu.
rate gauge Of the speed Of the wagons
behind him. He maintains just gait
enough to keep his rope well stretched
and never allows it to become en-
tangled under his heels, nor does he
get his heels caught under the wagon
Just a bit sto1id one would think the
mule until a mine wagon gets away
Then he shows his brains. On he gal
lops, ~sure-footed as a. channels: ovel
the crossties, over the bitches an6
waterways, e the steam pipes he
pounds, with a roar like an avalanche
behind him. A clear track is all hi
asks.
The agility Of the mine mule was
well demonstrated once In the mine
Of Leisenring No. 3 in the Connellsville
region. A gang Of workmen were put
ting in an air line, and had their work
ing truck on one Of the main headings
Suddenly the laboring men heard a low
rumbling up the heading. All the trips
were being switched off on to another
track while the men were at work
but this one seemed to be coming
nearer. 1t grew louder and louder
! One OF the men put his ear to the track
and realized In a second that the triI
was coming down the blockaded head
ing. The men ran for their aiyes, leav
ing the truck on the track. As they
went they saw there was no light OF
the runaway trip, showing that 1t wa
without a driver. Only a dim safety
on the edge Of the heavy truck showed
where it stood. Like thunder the run
away wagons rumbled nearer. ant
with a crash struck the obstruction
The laboring gang came from tnel
places Of safety expecting to see TN
mule crushed to pieces. Instead fhef
lights flashed on him quietly STANDING
upon their side OF the truck! He had
in n comprehensive glance, takel
In the situation by the pickering Ugh
on the corner Of the truck, and MAJ
jumped clear ove the o~bstacle-to say
himself! His trip was piled BENIN
him in a crushed heap of debris.
al mule. which had been in the pi
but a short time, once came up tn
main heading at Mammoth slope. a
had gotten away in the mine an
started for fresh air and green pas
lures. He had to keep ahead OF %
trip being hauled up by the holstln
angines, and keep his feet free from %
entangling ropes of the haulage way