Bisbee daily review., 1915-02-26
THE MINE MULE IS EULOGIzED BY ONE
 WHO GIVES FACTS

Considering his usefulness, it is re- markable how slight measure of re-
 spect the mule enjoys It has been said of him that he is without pride
 of ancestry or hope of posterity," and
 possibly this may serve Go explain his lowly social estate. SO that a Missouri mule, selling in the open market for
 S2O0 or more, is the butt of ribaia
 jest and the recipient of blows wlrh
 cudgel. while the cayuse, dear 1t $50, Is regarded with respect ani even
 affection Mir C. E. Wentworth, wri.. ing n The Country Gentleman, has
 taken up the case of the mine mule, and presents statistics as to his cap.
 abilities The origin of the mule is
 inscribed to the shrewd sense of the . peasants of southwestern Europe in
 the Middle Ages. who found that all
 their best horses were requisitionc0
 by their overlords for service in their
 wars, and conceived the idea of bree l.
 Ing an animal larger and strong
 enough for agricultural purposes, but which would not be regarded as suf . ficiently dignihed for service in the . acvalry The astute peasants doubt
 less, therefore. combined to cast oblo-
 guy on the mule, the better to retain
 his possession. and to this may be
 asoribed the low repute he enjoys
 At any rate, in China. where mules . have been bred for many centuries. but feud4l conditions have never pro-
 vailed, the mule is not regarded with . such dis esteem.
 Many, if not most of the popular be- . Hefs regarding the mules, have no
 basis in fact, according to investi rg- l tions made by Mir Wentworth. The l. mule does not live and thrive on less . food than a horse Animals of eunal . weight require esual amounts of food . to keep them in condition. With hay . at S15.20 per ton and corn at $1.O3 ard l. oats s125 per hundredweight a 125S . pound mule costs 266S cents per day !. to keep on a feed of hay and oats or 1274-pound mule 23.23 cents on feed
 of hay and corn. A 1447-pound horse ]. costs 3145 cents per day to keep on hay and oats. or a 1535pound horse l.
 2721 cents per day on hay and corn. .
 For purposes of comparison, these
 shodld be computed to the basis cf.
 1000 pounds weight of animal. on | which basis the mule costs PIP cents | per dar end the horse 21.73 cents per day for a feed of hay and oats; or 1922 cents and 17.71 cents respect. | | gv-.1.r hnr ne
 tho Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station also support the inference that for animals of equal weight there l
 is no perceptible difference in cost of ] keep. r. is also said that mules live i to great age and can work day and |
 night without being worn out The | rate at which mules are bought il | the cotton growing states of the South ]. indicates that the average working | | life of the mule is about Q years. It l has been computed that the average l working life of a mule underground l is 4 years but this computation was made some time ago, and the better . care which mules now receive under ] ground has doubtless heightened their 1 life. MT. Wentworth is evidently not l.
 an admirer of the mule, for be says: | "The average mule is an animal of .
 bad conformation, though of fair size | considering it's parentage. It is com |
 paratively narrow chested, of light . barrel, high in the leg, and deficient . in courage It is an animal slow of . 1 foot, slow of wit. nervous, timid, and . distrustful It is useful in mines .
 where there is very little room for q . draft animal. but in high beds is great 1 ly inferior to the horse" To this the l reply might be made that the mule | is amply provided with caution an1 . displays no little good judgment Tn . avoiding injury to itself If it is in- 1 deed greatly inferior to the horse un- | derground, then the many companies . which have for many years employed . mules rather than horses for under . ground haulaRe have been following . mistaken policy. We consider the . mine mule worthy of his hire, and we . i offer the privilege of our columns 70 his defenders.