Evening star., 1912-10-06


presented many more times this season
The boats are strung along and lashed
to snubbing posts on the bankside in
picturesque disorder. They are in single
column, for on the towpath is big
sign which cautions. that 1t is against
the rule to tie up abreast of each other
in the whitewater y whitewater" is
section of the canal of greater than
normal width, and such is that part of
the water directly west of the Aqueduct
bridge.
Children loll and romp on the canoped
afterdecks Wives and daughters busy
with their household work may be seen
through the little cabin windows, at some
of which muslin curtains f1utter. Boat
men in groups squat around on the long
decks or in patches of shade on the
bankside Little tots cross and recross
the narrow plank or running board tnat
connects boat with land. and II seems
to occur to nobody that they may toppie
into the water. Scores OF mules picheteu
on the towpath are grinding corn, ana
sometimes oats in their high feed boxes,
calmly munching hay or browsing in the
sun or swishing with their tails at MES,
which when the weather is warm, are
many on this part of the toWpath.
Il
IF Won go over on the toWpatn ana
enter canal society you VIII pfopaoiy DC
surprised at the docility OF the mules
the number and good health OF the chii-
dran the contentedness of the men, the
domesticity of the women, the senerai
cleanliness and orderliness or the mouse
keeping. the number of household pe,s
fo6 L
carried on the barSeS anu 'ho
of the boat people:
The man who skins along the Canal
road and merely glimpses these people -
ant to get the impression tnal they ale
moor and that to them life is one tense
Struggle The old people of the canal.
nke most other people look back to nap
niar and more prosperous days, put the
days of memory with nearly all niahhliu
are the golden days ~.
The captain of barge NO. % was cip-
ming the name of mule to make hn
nnofer and more comfortable. mo, he
said this mule don't kick or bite Not
one of the four mules that Tow TINS poal
xould harm a child. They are all family
pets. They know an 'ne people oli .lie :.
boat and we give them apples and sugar
and the green corn shucks and carrot
when it is handy. Mule sense is just as
good as horse sense. treat them right
and they'll appreciate 1t; treat EN- IKE
hrutes and they'll fight you. Mules are
naturally as good-natured as horses, but
they get spoiled in the handling.
"These mules have a few setfasts from
old gals, but 1t is hard to prevent that.
Towing a canal boat is hard work for
mule because he has to be up in the col
lar all the time. There are no down
grades for him. Just as soon as ne stops
pulling, the boat stops. The only rests
he gets during his march on the toWpath
are when the boat is being locked through
from one level to another. But they are
ali we'll fed groomed and always well
shod. ~,
mo, the mules do not belong to the
canal boatmen. but there is some private
stock among us. The mules mostly be-
long to the towing company, but that
company hires some. You know the tow
ing company furnishes the mules, their
feed and shoeing, the harness and the
towiines. The boat captain puts in his
labor, boards himself and family. hires
his helper or helpers and furnishes the
board
.'The boatman gets 40 cents a ton on