The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-04

would not be tempted. The horses are
given no more than they are supposed
10 need, for they haven't the temper
ance OF their working brothers.
With no limit 70 the food before them
they might eat to the laundering point
and then not eat again for two weeks.
Many horses are injured forever by
laundering. A mule eats much less
than a horse of equal strength and
wastes nothing
Before crossing a strange bridge the
average mule VIII look it over as if es-
timating its strength. and then walk
over cautiously. Nor can he be forced
into stream without careful recon
ncissanee. If he decides that he can't
swim it he refuses TO bulge until main
force is used. He is using discretion
and IS cursed for his -mulishneSs."
g . .
The mule is always useful citizen.
After a neglected youth he begins to
work, and that's his life story. He will
do as much work at 80 as he did the
hrst year he wore harness. Then some
morning he may be found in his stall
dead. he is seldom an Invalid. Work
to the last day and no doctor bill is his
law. The pension sytem under which
! days in a clover fleld is unknown 10
I the mule. The only saying OF any pop
ularity 10 contain good word for the
mule is: Did you ever see a dead
mule?" No one except the mule deal
ers can say he has, and the traders
won't admit it. That little question
speaks elOquently for the maligned an
lmats life tenacity. a pair of mules
are supposed to outlive two pairs of
draught horses. and the big concerns
! that use them are beginning to realize
| 1t. One Kansas City packing company
using hundreds Of wagons here and al
/ its branch houses is gradually replac-
/ ing the horse with the mule. In the
I southern cotton fields the mule is used
/ nearly exclusively, and not because the
| southerner has less love for horse
| but because the mule alone can stand
/ the work. They are bought in Kansas
1 City by dealers from the cotton section
/ and sold to negro tenants. From Their
| on the mule rustles largely for himself
! The small negro farmer gives him M
! corn, little food and many beatings
! The ten-bale cotton field is the one ex
! perience that makes the animal die
! young. Three TO five years of clubbing
| and nearly absolute self-support end
| the life of hardship and injustice. 4
| horse generally lasts a year in tht
same surroundings.
The BOer war served to make TIT
mule of higher market value than thf
everyday draught horse, but, at the
same time. brought a new charge
against his intelligence. Some English
general laid the loss of a battery to the
! fact that the mules. when hit, RAJ
straight TO the BOer lines, carrying th'
guns with them. Had the English
| troops not been surprised said one o
the men at the market, chose animals
would never have carried the cannon
away. AS usual, the British wer'
! marching with their eyes shut, anC
| when the mules were hit they RAJ
straight ahead. With the battery II
action the animals would have beer
! unlocked and behind the guns. II
that case the runaway would have beer
toward home I'll admit horses, aftel
/ having become wounded, would no
have run away with the guns The
would have fallen and kicked one an
| other to death. That English othce
should have blamed himself and M
scouts for the loss Of his battery stu
we can't expect mules TO supplant tn
horses in war-they don't look well Il
poetry"