The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-10-08
WESTM0RELAND.
Bitten by Spider-Fired Through
Store Door-How to Cure a Kicking
Mule

Bitten by Spider Through
Store Door-How to Cure a Kicking
Mule.
Montross, Va, October 9TH, 1901
The daughter oi MIR. A. NJ. Chandler
was bitten by black spider "Wednesday
which developed into sumething serious
causing nervousness threatening con
yulslOns. and she remained in sucu stat,
several days. The children were playing
at "A pile ui corn where some hands were
engaged in shucking Her littIe brother
p,Aylully threw the spider at her, which
tell on her hand and at once stung her,
she il very sicN at this writing and ID AZ
tended by DR. Walker.
On last Wednesday night about IL
o'clock some unknown person ehoi
through the store door Of Mr.. James +
Jenkins Jr.. at MOntrOss. The bullet
was from Ia large pistol and WAS aimed
~ the business desk IN the store. 4,
would likely have shot anyone standine
there. The bullet went through the
screen door and inside glass door. Mr..
Harvey. the clerk, han few minutes
previously closed business for the night,
aud no one wasin the store. Efforts are
being made 70 locale the party who did
The shooting
Messrs. AnAdale and Harris have or.
dered large engine and saw mill. which
Will be located near Anadale = store and
will manufacture dressed lumber Ia oil
varieties a. we'll a. rough.
We are passing through another drouth,
which il playing havoc with the yOnnR
German clover recently seeded 10y many
farmers The COW pea crop II harvested
aud those W no saved same for se~o hayr
realized about - bushels per acre.
friend Of your correspondent was
overtsken in the road some days eince m
trouble lie had IA Kicking horse. On one
side of the rood wAs horse tied 20 "A
bush aud the opposite side buggy with
no spstter board and shafts, etc mi
nus | sympathiz-d with the traveller
and prescribed arrmedy which learned
in the Confederate army, and ~ the same
may be- OF use 70 Others i give II here
" bile in camp at Stony Greek. near the
North Carolina line. in 1868. (Wluter|
there was about 5000 cavalry and ia
iAntry quRrIered near each other. This
was on Gen. Lees extreme right Rnd a
very important point, Private H., al
one OF the Virginia cavalry companies,
had been trying 10 get detail through
which would promote him from the
rAube 10 the p sitiOn of teamrter. He
finally succeeded aud received biz promo
ton. Now. while Brother n. sought
this place and succeeded in getting 10,
DO not think he was really actuated by
any fear of bullets or shells q don mean
oyster shells) because heiOught well he
was opposed to fighting, as is your
scribe. always prefer u compromise t.
fighting, especially when powder II
brOught into use. TO proceed with my
narrative. H. was awiully afraid Of kick
iDg horses or mules. The wagon master
assigned friend II to cOmmIsary wagon
40. t. which when moved WAS pulled hS
two OF the finest iron gray mules m q ~
Lees army. One of the mules had q
Ricking disease; be WAS 80 expert ht IT,
This mule was from North Carolina sDt
was named after Vance, the State Gov
ernor at that time. II. was awinllJ
afraid OF this mule and did not EMP his
promotion on that account. OHe even
ing in December while II. was FEEDING hir
! mules Vance kicked and knocked II out
some 10 feet from base. A North Caro-
linian private in 2nd North COrOlinscav
airy was passing by and witnessed the
| trouble. tie at once offered remedy
He told my friend ii that kicking in
horses aud mules was nothing but dis
ease; that every horse and mule that had
this disease could be easily and quickly
cured; that they had in them certain
number OF kicks, and il they were all got
ten out at one kicking spell the animal
would never kick, etc. Alter the North
Carolinian had finished his lecture on
kicking. the Virginia calvalryman iH.,
employed him 90 cure his mule.
The North Carolina soldier told him %
get his sx and cut a hickory sapin J
feet long, but cut and bring to him, which
he did The North Carolina horse aud
mule doctor split the butt open about
two iee1, drove wooden wedge in the
crack O. keep il open, lie then told
friend ii to bring his mule out. By this
time some 200 or more soldiers had
stopped TO See what was going on. The
mule had his tail nicely trimmed, as was
the custom, and small bunch Of hair on
the extreme end. The kicking doctor put
the mules tail in the crack or split OF the
hickory club, knocked out the wedge that
expanded or kept it open, then the hick'
ory sapin clamped the mule'stail VAnre
began To kick.
lie kept up this exercise for 30 or 40
minutes. ana before his performance was
finished am sure there WAS a Thousand
soldiers present, and after he gave hi
last kick and grunt be fell complete y ex
hausted, and the North CRrOliDa mau re
marked to my friend H., That's the last
one Ia him ana he hardly could get that
out" The mule never kicked thereafter
He was at thesurrender at AppomattoX
There are some yet living who may read
| this narrative that were present when
this occurred, and If so they will remem
her the laughter of u thousand or mort
Confederate boys.
DIR. NJ. NJ. Walker has returned from &
business trip TO Baltimore.