The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-02-28
AMERICAN MULE
A WAR TRIUMPH
Is Now the Pride of the Fire.
Swept Fields of France
and Flanders.
ONE EQUAL TO SIX HORSES
Product of Stock Farms Of Southern
United States Is Magnificent crea-
ture," Says British Brigadier-
Sleep Beside Roaring Guns.

With the British Armies in France.
Two years and half of the grim
NEST war in history have wrought the
triumph of at least one American insti-
tution-the army mule. He has been
weighed anew in the scales of battle,
proved on the fire-swept fields of
France and Flanders, and not found
wanting. In warm winter coat and
with long, inquisitive ears Topping
back land forth in the breeze, he
marches up among the roaring guns
with steady nonchalance that lends
confidence and faith to the fighting
men who depend so much upon him.
From Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Texas and other stock
farms in the South he has journeyed
to the war and come into his own. The
much maligned, supposedly stubborn,
balky and generally pestiferous mule
has won a place in the heart of the
British army from which he can never
be dislodged. He was quite an asset
in the South African campaign, but
now is a real aristocrat of the trans
port service.
"a most magnificent creature" re-
piled a British brigadier when asked
for an opinion of the lowly American
mule. "And he has a much better
character than generally is given to
him. He is something of a camel in
that respect. Most people cry down
and berate the poor old camel, but
once you get to know him he is much
to be admired. 1t 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
er and carry on at the front with COM
plete 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
no attention. The strain was constant
and terrific. In exact ratio to the
number employed, six horses sue
cumbed where single mule gave way.
The horse, of course, is an animal
of finer fiber and is far more sensitive.
If he stumlJles into shell hole filed
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-
sophically lies in the shell hole until
someone comes along and digs him
out.
The mule, some suppositions to the
contrary notwithstanding, is vulnera-
of them have been killed in action
along with horses, and others have
died of wounds. But modern veter-
mary skill is working wonders for the
animals of war and one must be badly
hurt indeed to be abandoned. The
thick skin of the mule saves him from
many of the troubles that beset the
horse. 1t wards off mud b1isters and
the affections that come from the wet
and damp and long exposure.
They're Generally Civil, Too.
Visiting a veterinary hospital where
there were hundreds of horses under
medical repair, it was striking to no
tice but a solitary mule among them.
Someone suggested this was strange,
because the army had found the mule
such fine animal he had been i'm
ported by the tens of thousands.
''That's precisely it," said the doc
tor in charge; ''it's because he is such
a fine animal that you see so little of
him here"
Because he is generally civil and
sometimes goes to sleep just abaft a
bowling nine-inch gun it must not be
supposed the American mule has lost
all his old craft and mulish cunning.
At one of the hospitals there is a sui
phur dip" or bath, like the cattle dips
on western ranches. Most of the horses
will plunge In over their heads and
swim through, getting the full benefit
of the disinfection. But Mr.. Mule is
rather too suspicious to take such
chances. He is drawn in with great
reluctance and holds his head high
above the yellow liquid. One old fell
low went through six times one day,
but not once did he get his head wet
until the sponges were resorted to.