The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17
GONE IS The TANNERY MULB
IT'S HEE-BAW M iRD Va WORE
~ DIM LIZ HkhLOCk aISLES.
Once . Feature sf the Landscape Back
Of I.Arka~ack- Loved ~ IiVinE
Creature and Hated But Ont, Rear
knew Its Rights and .ot Them.

knew it, Rights ami Got Them.
MATAMoRAs. Pa. July IL -Cur hsm-
lock woods arr all gone. reGrctfuily r'-
marked Warren h RidRwav, "y-Shcrih.
ex-Trea s,Irer, eX-Reglst"r. cN Rocorder.
sN-Clsrk Of Pike county. and with them
necessarily went the scores Of tInneTics
that once sent from the Delaware Valley
and parts adjacent nearly all the solo
beathsr that this country demanded.
With the hcmlock woods passed away
something elrue that gives IN" md vldually
"A pang Of regret That was the t,nnery
mube
The tannery mule was tho motive
power that haulsd IN the tanhark from
the woods to the tanneries. He had a
! hse-hRw that made rare music IN tho
woods. and particularly the tannery mule
that yanked the bark wagon along through
the back Of IAckawack woods knew his
/ rights. and knowing dared maintain.
A trip was trip with him. whethsr
| il was ten miles or three. and that trip
ended when the load % bark was dehvered
at the tannery. Distance was no object
To him. but one trip was his days stunt
on q bark wagon, and that was all thorn
was % IT,
He would turn to and run the bark
wanted; he'd take the market wagon N
town after a load OF supplies, IL coaxed a
little he would svon furrow out corn. but
IL there was nothing doing in any Of thoss
lines II was rest for his until to-morrow's
back trip.
The back Of Lackawack tannory muIo
loved no living thing. either four logged
OF two Legged. Neither did he ssoIn 70
hate any living thing. four legged or two
legged, except bear Ho hated bear.
and this feeling was reciprocatsd u tho
limit by the bear.
Once, I recall. a team OF mules was on
its way in from somewhere down around
the High Knob with load Of barA. In the
depths Of the woods a big and ugly she
bear. uRlier than ordinary because u
was the time OF year when she bears vera
taking their new cubs on their first outing.
stepped out from the thick bushes into the
bark road n few yards ahead OF tho mules.
snorting and snarhng and showing her
teeth. and making II as plain As words
that she was there for fight.
Tho instant they saw that hated crittsr
the mules began to plunge and kick.
The mule driver had no gun. and he wasn't
bear killer, anyhow, but he happened
60 have gumption enough 10 SEQ that the
proper thing for him TO do was TO unhitch
the muIes and let them do the rest Tho
| instant they were free from the wagon
they buck led right in for the fight.
-Althoug h the mules were two 10 one.
the bear was an old and wary campaigner.
and somehow they couldn't got their work
in on her "a eifectuauy a. she landed hers
on them For a while II looked to the driver
| from his perch on a big stump AZ IN" Sd"
| Of the road as " tannery mule would %
on the bears bill Of fare that day unless
something turned up TO Civ" "A ar mt
aspect TO that fight, and just ~ d" was
making up what mind ne had thht "" h;.i
better try to change that aspect by the
aid Of a club one OF the tanncry mules
changed Il himself.
The bear had backed away and raised
herself on her hind legs. and WAS plan
ming a grand and decisive rush Oh that
| mule The rush came II WIS grand
and decisive. but not IN the way 'he Lear
had Intended. She had underr-ted the
| genius Of the tannery mule.
The mule had hacked away IN ms turn.
and as the bear started on her rush IN"
mule started 20 meet her. Mh"n lh"y
| were within about six feet OF what W"uli
! have been the clash. accorcing {" the
bears calculation. the mule rose IN IN" AR
I like "A rubber hall and shot over the beer
| head A he went over he soc ,-d hoin
| heels in the hack 81 that head. The h"ar
tumbled 10 the ground 80 do me mule
That was the end Of the fight. The
mules soon q,Iieted down. and IN" driver
hooked EN- 10 the bark rigging again.
They weren't hun much. not Tor annoy
mules II they had been tann"ry horses.
though that colls, 'tion u Rouges and rlus
and slashes would have untitled efn Tor
service ever after
Vow note further the strong char
acter 81 the tanHery mule we once had
hack 81 Lackawack As the mule driver
was irving to figure out how he was going
10 hoist the carcass ~ the hlg lear onto
the wagon 20 be taken along IN. Dooset
Decker happened 10 come along and the
two Of them managed 10 get ih" dead
bear on board
The mules showed no sign that thev
were noticing what was going on; by
| when the driver took his place and toll
the mules TO geed ar they never budget
out Of their tracks. nor the driver Couldn't
make en-.
Funny. said he Them mules nee"r
-Doo-.t Decker. not being mule
driver had an idea or two In his heal.
and he said To the driver.
-Them's tanrery mules. ! s'Pose Won
The driver said Of course he knew that
much
Well said Dooset. they hain't halkei
at all You don't s'po-e that tannery
mules il goin' back on theirselv~e 10y
haulin' the carcass Of n hear do youy
| The driver allowed that mayb" there
| mil ht be something in thar and they
| dumped the dead bear on 81 IN" rigging.
| That was satisfactory TO the mules and
| they didn't even wait for III" wort Ia go
| on hut started up promptly with the load
| 81 bark and went on their way 70 II moth
I ing out of the usual run Of things had
happened. -,
our forests low and the bark p@el"r'~ sput
! has skinned 'em clean. No longer they
! foster the blzZ and hum Of industry or
! hair
/ more among their swaving houghS.
/ Their outrageous shade will shelter never
/ again IN. shv deer ~ IL fee l.. aud IN
| their dim liz aisle- the hee-haw ~ the
tAnnery mule il heard no NOR" forever.
J DON'T UEtR RFD Just VOW.
u May Not Wake You 10. hut % VIII Mako
You q Lot Hotter.
/ - c,oI,r