The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-07-13
WRITES ABOUT ANGELO
Letter from Noted Newspaper Cor
respondent Telling of the SpIen-
did Resources Here.

respondent teIInR VI tHe opIeu-
did Resources Here.
MIR. w. T.. Curtis, STAFF Correspond
ent for the Chicago Record-Herald re-
Gently paid San Angelo n visit. The
following letter was published in the
Record-lIerald recently and gives Mr..
Curtis Impressions and observations
of San Angelo and the country he
saw. Mr.. Curtis is one Of the most
noted correspondents in the United
States. Editor.
San Angelo, Tex, July 2.-On
the ranch of Charles B. Metcalfe,
about mile and a half from San
Angelo, is what the owner de-
clares to be the only mule school
in the world. 1t is II popular i'm
preston that mules are so stupid,
stubborn and CONTRARY" that
they cannot be trained like other
animals. but Mr.. Metcalfe has
demonstrated that they are Just
as intelligent as horses, and by
kindly treatment and tactful in
structlon can be made to do any
trick that can be taught n horse.
TO prove his argument he takes
his friends to see drove of six
teen mules from to years old,
which have been trained within
the last year on his ranch to do
almost everything but talk.
They are ordinary mules. They
have never been in Il circus and
were never exhibited for money.
They go through military evolu-
tlons at the word of command
like II well drilled squad of SOL
diers and introduce little comic
business, with n sham battle be-
tween the Russians aid Japanese.
Nearly all of them have their
little individual stunts which
they perform as they are called
up one after the other. They
have n dance and waltz around
the corral one of them pretends
to be sick and another comes up
to doctor him, examines his
tongue and gives him medicine;
they lie down and go to sleep and
are wakened by the ringing of n
bell; they have school with a
teacher who hears the scholars re-
cite their lessons and spanks
them for being naughty; "Dotty
Dimple" says her prayers and the
rest of them do their share in the
entertainment, all of which takes
place in the open field There
are nc tents or benches or scenery
which, of course, adds to the m
tereGt of the show.
The star performers are coal
black animal named Theodore
and II pure white one named
Booker. Mr.. Metcalfe says that
"Theodore is the smartest mule
in the world, smarter than most
men ] know. He is more ener-
getic and strenuous than Booker,
but he is not so polite; they are
great chums and pull together
PERFECTLY. Ihey nave never had
u difference.
During the performance Theo-
dore makes n speech from the top
OF dry goods box that is rolled
out onto tho grass and if you al
low yourself to come under the
influence of Mr. Metcalfe you can
perceive resemblance in the
animals gestures and other ora
torical peculiarities of the Presi-
dent of the United States. Book
er is an orator also, but is not so
eloquent as Theodore.
Tho closing number ON the pro-
gramme and the most popular is
a lunch party ut which Theodore
and Booker are the only guests.
The table IAN old box is set by
mule of spotless white called
Dixie, and she serves rs waitress
during the meal. Theodore and
Booker eat together in the most
friendly and even the most ail'ec-
tionate manner and rub each