Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-13
MISSOURI MULE IS IGNORED.
Won Spurs at Home and Abroad--Fea
 tured at Worlds Fair.

tured at Worlds Fair.
 St Louis, Aug 13.-The Missouri mule, the mule that has helped to make Missouri famous, will be featured at the Louisiana Purchase exposition.
 The edict has gone forth. The pow CTS that be have proclaimed it. The long suffering, silent, hard working, plodding, inotfenSive, abused and slan- dered beast is to be given place of honor in the great live stock display at the worlds fair at St Louis.
 The mules prowess on the battle field, as shown In the late Boer war, on the fertile and peaceful Mississippi valley, on the plains of the west, in the marshes of the south and wherever mountains are, is to receive due recog- milton.
 N. w. Gentry of the Missouri state commission consulted with F. D. O. burn, chief of the live stock department of the worlds fair. MT Coburn agreed entirely with Mir Gentry that the mule had fairly earned his spurs and it was decided that from the $25O,00O set apart for live stock liberal cash prizes, and many of them, should be hung up to be competed for by the representa- tive specimens of one of Missouri's famed products.
 No need to make special effort to get fine horses shown at the worlds fair," said MT Gentry, nor to get fine cattle, sheep or swine. Just announce the premium list and they will swarm in. Their breeders will get a reputa- tion by winning the prizes that will be of far greater value than the premiums themselves. For stock out of an ami mai that won first prize at a show of the magnitude of this one in connec- tion with the Louisiana Purchase expo- sition in 1904 will bring fancy prices.
 Here is where the mule is handi- capped. He is a hybrid. He cannot reproduce himself, and no matter how fine the mule he cannot perpetuate the breed. Each individual mule stands on his own merits.
 "At the Chicago exposition there were only four mules shown and Wal lace Estill, of Estill, Mo, carried away the two big prizes. At the 1904 expo sition mules will be numbered by the hundreds. Colonel J. W. Jones of Go ciumbia, Mo, secretary of the American Breeders Association of Jacks and Jennets, will work in conjunction with the live stock department of the expo sition. Missouri in all it's length and breadth will be canvassed and the f1n- est collection of mules the world has ever seen will be the result.
 Ever since the civil war St Louis has. been a leading mule market. The south needs many mules for farm work and comparatively few are raised in that section. When the southern farm CT wanted mules he naturally turned to the great market for his region, St Louis. The mules value became bet l ter appreciated and as it did the de- mand became greater. Mule buyers went into the state to supply the de- mand and the prices rose correspond | ingly. The mule raising industry be- came one of profit.
 Europe acknowledges the suprema- l cy of the Missouri mule, and when England was endeayoring to subdue the Boers in South Africa she sent pur- chasing agents to America to buy mules. the only animals that could stand the climate and do the tremend- l ous carrying tasks demanded. The 1 agents did not stop at the Atlantic sea- board, but promptly crossed half of the American continent to Missouri. They made their wants known and the Mis- souri mule raisers did the rest. British | gold was transferred to the pockets of Missouri farmers and the Missouri mule did all that was required of him l in far-off Africa.
 'The mule helped to build the beau tiful exposition, and 1t is only right that he should come in for recognition l and be allowed to compete for honors.'