The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-06-14

Folks may laugh all they're minc
to-" he declared stoutly: but i've
made study of 'em-mules, | mean
not wonderland am sure there's mol
one person In a hundred knows any
thing about the real character OF 9
mule. | know. because for the past
| 20 years I've made 1t the business OF
my life to teach and study horses and
mules, and guess there are not many
men In this country that know much
more about them than | do"
There was no disputing that. for
Uncle Dan" Boyington, as he Is ia
miliarly known throughout the horse
and cattle country OF the great west,
has devoted the best part OF his life
to teaching and training animals and
Is now making 1t his special work to
show horse trainers and bronco bust
ers how they may accomplish their
aims in more thorough. a more SCI
enttf1c, and more human method. by
educating and not breaking the spirit
Of the animals.
II have always loved all animals"
continued Mr.. Boyington. but The way
! first got interested in mules was by
watching them when was head horse
man with the Barnum and Bailey cir
Gus and seeing the amount of intelli-
gence and good. hard common-sense
they brought to bear on their work.
Now you may not know 1t. but an ami
NAL has as much what you might call
system In his work. as man. Near
~ every one works differently; and
1t ~ tie man who knows this and who
,ets them use their own intelligence
and judgment that gets the most and
the best work out Of them If the con-
tractor who Is employing a gang OF
men stood over them with a whip. and
dashed and cursed them every time
they lifted hammer or struck a pick
Inherently from the way he would
have done 1t II he was doing the work
! don't believe he would get ahead
very fast with his Job: do you? The
good boss watches his men and manv
q time he learns from them how to
Improve his own methods.
IT'S just the same with animals: If
you watch those you are working with.
many time they teach you. Now
often noticed how intelligently mule
went at his work-yes, I knew you'd
smile at that. But what | mean ia
that he always seemed to go at It de-
1berately and In a quiet, determined
way. as If he had thought It all out
and knew just what he was going to
no. and exactly how he was going to
40 1t. Now that Is my own method Of
working. and got to kind of re-
specting the mules for 1t. Often IN
loading and unloading the circus
wagons I've seen mule use the great.
ISL intelligence. sometimes extricatinp
himself and his load from a difficult or
awkward position with far more com.
nonsense and judgment than were
shown by his driver.
After awhile made up nv mind
nat mule was not stupid. he was
only slow; that he was not obstinate
'e was only cautious.
One night crowd of US we're talk.
ne things over. and one Of tho fel.
ows' Missourian. made the old com.
'ar1son about somebody's heinp 90
'umb as a mule | resented IT and
'aio right out that mules we're NOT
aumD. or stupid either. All the rest
u the crowd declared they were and
nat got my dander up, and right then
md there ! put up a hundred dol,or.
mo made a bet with the Missour,ar
nat ! could take bunch of common
Vorh mules. picked up anywhere
'oung or old. broke or unbroke and ~
TX months could drive EN- anvwhora
wanted to go without lines hr,d,o
II natter. and have EN- understand
very word said to them.
'Of course the fellows all hoo+oa
! tnat; but | put up the money with
he ooss' and started right in to Mol
~ my punch Of mules. I'd been in.
eno'ng to get bunch together anv.
'ay ana | thought this was poo t,,ro
40 1t. Well. picked I'm nv it'll
lures. about 20 of them, all over tho
oun.ry' some | paid only a few dol.
ais 'or Some of EN- were little 20,
'ws' scarcely more than colts otbara
we're poor. old. battered creat,rna
:. CARED and famed with years of brn'
- service and sold of in their ola
&c ior mere song When tho shon
,.nt into winter quarters took NV
.ue punch OF mules down into rho
ou"uS, ana out In a big open mas.
IRE began what like to ca,, p
mule school. S"' my {
nau maze up my mind hafor.
as .nat mules were intelligent. hrt
ooooy was more surprised At tho n ~.
aa -. punch developed than | was N.Y.
=" I've spent my whole life ont ~
=. !. p'a'ns. working with and asso
aung with animals-a rooa a s
ore than have with men-anS az
~ oy this time thought out a L,nS
system about the way an ar,r.,
lght to be taught. "n'"a'
! believe the first thing I. na.
'eu' 70 90 IN training any ANNA, - .
"aAen its interest, then its Iovo
oen. when your pupil has :earn.1,
'S' ana best lesson-trust-you srs