Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-27

Middle Western Animal will
Have to Look After its
Own Laurels.

CaMn Lewis, Tacoma, .WashssSSsApril
ts27.-E1he Missouri mule is s~onlyaStatra=s
EEditiork at C,f,rp Lewis andsth ,nffndle
westeerlsanimal will have tdFaS0Jkksssafter
its laGrels as an army Transportation
factor when the California mulesa as
signed. to the Wild West division get,
Into ACTION with the boys here over
in France.
Thirty five hundred mules have,
been brought to camp from California
since Camp Lewis was established
and they are just the same sort OF.
obstinate "critter" n would expect
in a Missouri beast with fully as much
power behind the heels, as many a,
soldier with q. so~reaalaa or shouidaf
will aestify.e ssss#A1kSa, a.
.;ssYhat rs when !the. mule Is first
brought to camp and has not had the.
benefit of the refining influence 81.
Icowboys fromthe plains who FORM the
greater part of the 1856 men Of the
enlisted personnel of the ,remount de-
pot, under Captain j. W. Jackson.
Unshod, unframed and with a nasty
way OF lifting their heels the mules
are broken in and learn to- become a
most essential part of the s~transporta-
ton system Of the army But it takes
~ ~ ~ w III lluIcS up " DGE.
lection of usefulness. After being
broken in and, shod. the mules are
trained to carY a pack in the school
for pack rains and hon learn to fol-
low the bell" horse:
Wherever the bell horses goes, the
whole Ga. mules in. the train follow:
There isxne necessity for guiding them
with reihs or halter: The mule. learns
i the sound of rs own pack train lead
CT and almost any day, in some part
OF the camp. the obstinate beasts of
burden may be seen carrying their
cargoes. following rs closely as the
trail. permits. the bell horse, while
students of the pack train school ride
along side learning their lessons.
What is known as an Apareto pack
is used to tie the cargoes to the backs
OF h mules. 1t is sort of saddle like
arrangement with space in the under
side of the saddle for packing in piec-
es of wood and hay until the saddle
fits the mules hack like a tailor made
suit. A sore on a mules back is a sure
sign of a poor packer and when the
pack is properly made. the animal
can carry n sort of load. y.
Pieces of, machinery, wagon wheels
and, pieces of equipment of. every
n shape. size and weight are ,usedain the
81 training of the mules and of the
packers. Every mule is numbered and
a corresponding number on the pack
makes it certain that the mule will
get the equipment which has been fit.
ted to his back.
The bell horse is monarch. OF the
entire train. The animal shows tina;
he feels his Importance by prancins
around the corral with. the mules
driving them or leading them where
he wishes. The mules, on the othei
hand, recognize his authority and are
quick to obey like the royal subject.
of an absolute monarchy ~
On the battlefield the. mules ar,
l. used to pack shells to the front,xcarr.
water to, the men in the t~renchesrant
bring up supplies. aMenr from variou
organizations in the division are as
signed to the packing train schoo
n where they are taught how to bacl
and handle the trains. -
Instructors in the packing trail
school are packers of extended ex
;, perience in the mountains and desert
of the west. where everything has t
4 be carried to places far from the rail
v road by mule trains. The Aparei
g pack las been found the most salts
factory and it's use in the entire arm,
t is. to be copied from the mule train
Of the Wild West division.