Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-12
ARMY MULE IS WEIGHED.
AND NOT FOUND WANTING
Two Years and Half Of Grim War
Brings Triumph for, at Least One
American Institution.
SHOWS STEADY NoNCHALANCE
His Attitude During Battle Lends
Confidence aud Faith to Fighting
Men Who Depend Upon Him.
tristocrat OF Transport Service.

WITH THE BRITISH AEAIIrS IN
1 FRANCE. February 1.-two years ano
a half of the srimmrst war III history
HAY" wrought the triumph Of at least
one American nStitutinn-th" army
mule IL. has been weighed anew III
the scales OF battle. proved Oh tn. fire
swept fields Of Franc" and Flanders. aud
not found wanting. In warm winter
coat and with long. inouiSItivc ears
Hopping back and forth in tn" breeze
II" marches mp among til" roaring guns
with a steady nonchaiancc that lends
confidence and faith to tho lighting men
+ who depend -" much upon him.
From Missouri. Georgia. Tennessee.
mississippi. Texas anu other stock
+ EARNS in The South. hc has iourneNcd
/ 10 III" war and come into his own. Tho
much maiFn"d. supposedly stubborn.
/ balkr and generally pnstifcroriS mule.
has won place in the heart of the
British army, from. which h" can never
he dishdEcd. He WAS quite AN assr,
N the South African campaign. but now
is a real aristocrat Of tn" transport
service.
~ mos, magnificent creature" 70.
Piled a British hriEadier when ask ed
for an opinion OF tho Iowlr American
mule. And h" has much better char
act"r than generally is given 10 him.
iIc is something like camel iu that
respect Most people cry down aud
Z
YOU &c, 10 know him he is much 20
he admired. I, is Just tho sam" With
the mule. ITe has some ways with him
which tn" Fritish Tommy didn't quite
appreciate AT first but now tina, they
arc better acquainted and have formon
utmost respect for each other and ear
ry on AT tho front with complete I'm
Outstanding aud effectiveness"
HAS SUPREME TEST
~ RAT'TtES OF SoM,IE
The mule had his suprcm" test on
this front in the battle cf tho Scunlc.
Their" were days and nights OF iuc"aS-
ing labor. shor, rations ana i3,tio or
no attention. The strain was constant
and terrific. In eNac; ratio 10 tho MIN
her employed. six horses succumpcd.
where n single mule gave way.
Tho horse. OF course, il an animal ~
tines f1hor and * far more sensitive.
IL he stumblcs into = shell hoi" filled
with water he viii strive and s,vug-
sic 10 GO, out until he actually dies ~
broken heart. Not SO with tho mule
lie has no imagination and not much
or an outlook on life. He calmly and
philosophically lies in tho shell hole
until some one comes along and digs
him out.
The mule. some suppostious I" the
contrary Notwithstanding, Is vuluer-
able at times 10 sho, and shell Many
along "ith III. horses. and others hnvn
died OF wounds. But modern Netcrin-
AIRY skill is working wonders for The
animals OF war, and ono must he badly
hurt indeed 10 be abandoned. The thick
skin OF the mule saves him from many
~ the troubles that bcset tho horse.
1t wards of! mud blisters and the AZ
fectionS that come from the act and
damp and long exposure.
AZ 20 working values. the horse be-
tya
ordinarily accomplish as much as one
and one-third mules, Some horses do
the work OF mule and a half Eut
they canno, stick IL go long
Visiting veterinary hospital whore
there were hundreds ~ horses under
medical repair. IL was striking to no.
tice but a solitary mule among them.
Some one suggested this was strange.
because the army had found the mule
such fine animal he had been i'm
ported by the tens of thousa rd-.
That's precisely It," said the doctor
IN charge: "ir's because he is such
fine animal that you so little OF
him here.
Because he is generally civil and
sometimes goes To sleep just abaft
bowling nine-imch gun, i, mus, not
be supposed the American mule cas-
lost all his old Graf; and muiish cum
ming. At one of the hospitals there Is
a sulphur dip. or bath like the eat
tie dips on Western ranches. Most OF
the horses will plunge IN over their
heads and swim through. getting the
full benefit %! the diSinfection. Eut Mr.
Mule is rather too suspicious 10 take
such CHARGES He IS drawn in with
great reluctance aud holds his head
high above the yellow liquid. One
old fellow went through sin times one
day, but not once did he get his head
wet until the sponses we're rcsorted TO-