Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-01-12
THIS MULE A WONDER
DEscENDs SPIRAL STAIRWAY IN
TO COAL MINE.
HoIsted Out for an Airing, He Decides
to Go Back and Succeeds In
Accomplishing the Strange
Trip.

Des Moines, Iowa.-This Is a mule
story. The story Of an inquisitive
mule. Let's dub him Garcia, for he
didn't turn back after he started on
this space-filling trip. He went
straight to his destination. He couldn't
turn back. You soon will discover
why.
Garcia is not one of those Garguan-
tan beasts that jerks traction engines
about like they were paper things, the
like of which Councilman MacVicar
employs in the department of streets.
He is little tramp, tougher than a
mustang. lean and solemn looking,
under-sized, but with a full grown ap-
petite. Garcia drudges eight hours
every day during the week on the Sec
ond level in the Hollingsworth mine
south Of Des Moines. He drags cars
piled high with coal to the hoist, takes
long breath and then backs with
the empty car for another load.
Saturday Garcia was given vaca-
tion. He was hoisted up into daylight
to stretch his sturdy legs on the dead
grass In the pasture, so he would be
happier mule when he was put to
work Monday morning.
Monday morning came, and the
mules went back to the job with the
union men-all but Garcia He did
not answer to roll call. The stable
boss could not figure out how Garcia
had been spirited away from the
mine, and never a single tuft Of wool
hanging on barb to show that he
had jumped the fence.
Monday afternoon one Of the shot
firers went down the escape shaft, and
at the bottom-153 feet from the top
of the dirt he stepped on something
soft that grunted. 1t was Garcia-he
was led out the manway and inspect
ed. Not shinbreak. He was trifle
drawn from being absent from meals.
A night of munching hay put him on
his pins and in the morning he was
hauling his car as of old.
Every mine has an escape shaft.
This Is used by the men in time Of
danger, or when something is bucking
about the hoisting apparatus. It Is
also an air shaft Down the escape
shaft runs narrow stairway. A spiral
stairway like the one you labor up to
get to the topmost point Of the State
house, only the spirals are acute an
giles in the mine ladder. The ladder
In question is only about two feet
wide. for at every drop Of twelve feet
there is small landing, where a man
can halt and get his breath, and then
the stairway goes on at new angle.
Here Is how the men at the Hollings-
worth mine figured out Garcia's pres
ence at the bottom. First, there is the
old story about mule getting to love
the smell Of mine after he has been
In 1t while, and never being at home
"on top" when he is taken out In
fact. they say mine mules beg to 60
back in.
Well, this Garcia got to the en-
trance OF the escape shaft somehow,
and being curious, like all of his rela.
tives, he started down. Once started
down, there was no alternative. he
had to go ahead. There was no room
to turn around. 1t takes a regular
trick mule. even to go up a normal
stairway backwards. So Garcia kept
ahead, turning the corners and saving
his hide, landing at the bottom. right
side up with care. This is true
mule story.