The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-19
n||N MULE
/ WAR TRIUMPH
+ Wv the Pride Of the Fire.
Swept Fields Of France
and Flanders.
u EQUAL TO SIX HORSES
psodwct 81 Stock Farms Of Southern
0nlted States 10 Magnificent crea-
tvrs." says British erieadier-
oleep Beside Roaring Guns.


tvrs," Says British erieadier-
aieep Beside Roaring Guns.
With ne British Armies In France.
1.-TWO years and half of the grim
~ war In history have wrought the
finmph Of at least one American insti-
eDtioo-the army mule. He has been
weighed anew In the scales Of battle,
eeoved on the ire-swept fields of
vnAcs and Flanders, and not found
Wanting. In warm winter coat and
VIII long. inquisitive ears Topping
baek and forth in the breeze, he
lnArches up among the roaring guns
With . steady nonchalance that lends
evidence and faith to the fighting
soen who depend 90 much upon him.
From Missouri. Georgia. Tennessee,
mississippi. Texas and other stock
farms in the South he has journeyed
10 the war and come into his own. The
much maligned. supposedly stubborn,
sbal1y and generally pestiferous mule
las won . place In the heart Of the
British army from which he can never
- dislodged. He was quite an asset
n the South African campaign, but
~ u Z real aristocrat Of the trans
poet service.
"A most magnificent creature" re-
Dlied British brigadier when asked
Tor an opinion Of the lowly American
mule. "And he has a much better
! eAaracter than generally Is given to
lin. He IL something Of q camel in
hat respect. Most people cry down
and berate the poor old camel, but
once you get to know him he Is much
10 be admired. It Is just the same
with the mule. He has some ways with
him which the British Tommy didn't
quite appreciate at first. but now that
they are better acquainted and have
formed a sort of entente cordiale the
Two have utmost respect for each 9TH
= and Garry on at the front with COM
p'ete understanding and effectiveness"
One Mule Equals Six Horses.
The mule had his supreme test on
this front in the battles of the Somme.
There were days and nights OF unceas-
ing labor, short ratiOns and little or
10 attention. The strain was constant
pnd terrific. In exact ratio to the
tnmher employed. six horses sue
sumhed where a single mule gave way.
The horse, OF course Is an animal
It finer fiber and is far more sensitive
II he stumbles into shell hole filled
with water, he will strive and struggle
to get out until he actually dies of a
broken heart. Not SO the mule. He
has no imagination and not much of an
outlook on life He calmly and philo-
s0Phrally lies In the shell hole until
s0Ineone comes along and digs him
out
The mule, some suggestions to the
contrary Notwithstanding. is vulnera-
bic at times to shot and shell. Many
OF them have been killed in action
clong With horses and others have
died of Wounds Put modern veter-
mary skill is working wonders for the
annlalS Of war and one must be badly
hnrt indeed to be abandoned. The
thick skin of the mule saves him from
man! Of the troubles that heset the
h"rS.'. Il wards Off mud blisters and
the ions that come from the wet
anu damp and long exposure.
They're Generally Civil, Too.
Nisitin" veterinary hospital where
mere We're hundreds of horses under
medical repair. it was striking to mo-
uce hut a solitary mule among them.
someone suggested this was strange,
"e;use the army had found the mule
soeh fine animal he had been i'm
Ported by the tens of thousands.
That's precisely it, said the doc
Vof IN Charge; its because he is such
me animal that you see SO little of
him here"
because he is generally civil and
""etimes goes to sleep just abaft a
owing ninc-inch gun it must not be
opposed the American mule has lost
~ MS old craft and mulish cunning
a. one Of the hospitals there is sui
t"ur Up or bath. like the cattle dips
western ranches. Most of the horses
RM plunge in over their heads and
Vim through. getting the full benefit
ue dislnfection. But Mr.. Mule is
.s'"er too suspicious to take such
a"ees lie is drawn in with great
Suctance and holds his head high
1--we The yellow liquid. One old fel-
went through six times one day
not once did he get his head wet