Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-11

Tr,ANTA Ca March 25--Over a hundred thou
4 sand mules are now sold every year. max
"A ing this the second mule market in the United
States st Louis is the only city that does bigger
business hardy longeared monarchs Of labor
Mu1a trading mas been capitalized and Incorporated
and organized to fine point in Atlanta: and yet 1t
remains-mule trading. 1t is still matter of barter
and hagge and blum; farms and automobiles and All
sorts of other things swapped and the man that
thinks quickest usually comes out ahead
For the mule is product that you can't stand
ardize He comes all Sizes coors and dispositions,
and is affected with all sorts Of diosyncracies pecu-
liarities and He can't be sold by specnca-
ton as big sells everything else With hun
dreds of mules to be marketed II Is no
longer possible to barter each ndivd-
ual mule so they are sold in buncnes of dozen to
thirty and that is where the rapid thinking comes II"
The man that brought the mules from the country
the commission dealer who is selling Them and the
buver who may be an officer from London Russian
count or a Chatham county farmer, are gathered In
the great barn which covers Ave acres. ounch OF
nine mules turned into little pen where the men
watch them, while negro makes them race up anu
down to show off their points
sWhatu YOU take for the bunch?' demands the
"a hundred and ten" is the answer The mules are
sold at an average price per matter how many
different values represented in the ounch.
sent out that little brown mare and the Dig mule
with the broke ear Now whatu you take Tor EN- 81
"a HUNDRED and twenty-five" comes the answer IKE
a shot Continually the buyer makes ne" ooioiia
lions by adding substracting various ah'ihais anu
each time the seller must revalue them In a nssn.
mi. fancrg NAV go on for half hour. until one or
+ba other thinks he advantage and closes the
deoI Naturally the man with the greatest ability 10
tndga mules and think fast will make the most money
this game -, ,, e.
"You guarantee those mules sound!" demands the
buyer when the deal is closed
"Tf thew amt sound 1 hope 1 never get nome
alive pronounces from the country solemny'
That settles IT,
During the last ten or fifteen years. the mule has
achieved a new importance in the world Here IN AT
lanas stock yard twenty mules sold to one horse
ord the mules bring surprisingly large prices, while
horses are almost incredibly cheap The fact OF Le
matter is that gasoline engine has superseded 1ne
horse for speed and pleasure but II can't superseoe
the mule for hard work When II comes 70 pio'wins
new land and blowing it deep, the mule Is the one
logical candidate and he always gets the Joo ne can
tond an amazing amount OF hard work. is subject TO
very little disease lives a great old age, and seems
+o he the natural working partner OF the southern
darkey So the mule mutiplies and increases IN Value
throughout the south - -.
Now europe is after American mules, too. They
roova artillery over rough country with the same
1o5dirr determination that deep plow through
Glow soil full of roots The allies have ONCE In
Atlanta and buyers are at the STOCK yarps almost
doiIx, rhev have purchased $4,000 mules from one
arm having nearly two hundred dollars apiece Tor
them good sound mule, at least thousand pounds
IN weight is what the military like The price
get any sort of mule want in the Atlanta market
bowever from $40 runt 1,5oO-pound giant In per-
feet condition.
The mule trading in Atlanta takes place almost
holv hatween October and March. During the season
lost year about $4,000 mules changed hands Tney
are Skipped all parts of the south In lots OF