The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-21

For more than a month Elias Bender
had put off the digging of his potatoes and
the husking of his corn in order that he
might finish the making of that wooden
leg for his mnle, which he was fashioning
out of a sapling of well seasoned hickory.
But it wasn't all wood for there were a
number of contraptions and springs inside
of it, and the thing could be wound up.
1t being the intention of Elias not only to
make good the leg the mule had lost when
he ran istg railroad train on a foggy
day. but also to give the beast the advan-
tage of a leg that would run of itself.
II reckon that mule will be mighty sur
prised when he gets one of them stubborn
fits to find he can't stop just whenever he
pleases. l amt going to abuse him any
more, but when 1 say go, that's what it'll
be- said Elias to his wife who was
watching him put the finishing touches to
the limb of hickory
Elias got his one-horse wagon ready the
next day to yank in some corn for husk-
ing in the barn. Swapping the new leg
on to the mule he gave the signal and at
the same time touched off the spring in
the leg. He hadn't it wound up very
strong, but he chuckled and chuckled as
the boast started off on a trot, the first
for fifteen years. The hickory leg work
ed to perfection. Elias was chief engin--
eer that day over his invention and he
wouldn't let his son Jeff touch the affair
because jeff, being kinder reckless, might
wind up the spring too tight and the mule
run away.
Everything went all right until the fifth
load. when the front parts and the one
I, it'd Lar Of f6n ff,tIl ni ha-
gan to get a little tired. The spring In
the hickory leg wasn't turned up very
tight and the beast, by putting forward
his front legs. could hold the thing back,
although he couldn't stop it going through
the motion OF taking steps. Elias patted
him little in triumphant way, for he
felt he had the key to the situation. AS
Mating didn't encourage the mule to pull,
Elias stopped the workings of the leg and
turned up the spring a little tighter. Then
the mule couldn't hold himself any longer,
for that hickory leg simply kept on
a-going until he was doubled clean to-
gether. then 1t still kept on a-shoving that
beast around the field while Jeff loaded
on the fodder. But when they started for
the barn the mule began to get smart and
held up the wooden leg, which, being off
the ground, worked like an engine with
out governor balls and kicked like pig.
Elias got an idea very soon and tied
good-siZed pumpkin 10 the Wouen leg 10
hold Ii down. The mule managed to keep
II up for minute or two when the weight
of that pumpkin became too much for him
and he had to let the leg down. There
was no other way out of 1t but for him to
march then and he put all four legs to
work again.
That was the first time Elias ever beat
that mule at his capers and he felt so
good over it he agreed with his son jeff
to put the mule in the sulky and trot him
at his best They wound the spring up
middling tight and Elias. with a string
reaching from the trigger back to himself
on the sulky seat started the mule on
the walk and then set the spring to work
ing The mule gathered himself together
and went down the road stepping 1T off
as pretty as any thoroughbred. About
half way to town Elias came up with
Bob Taylor. the son of his aristocratic
neighbors who had won the everlasting
hatred of Elias and his whole family by
calling him the skin-fint farmer"
Well, Elias pulled out to go around Bob
and of course Bob let out his fathers
best PAGER which he was driving and ha
haid to think that here he had a good
chance to make Elias eat some dust. The
pacing mare stretched herself for squirt,