Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-11
MRsFfLTONS TALKS
CONDUCTED BY
r9as WIZ FELTON,
My Mule, Ned

Among my numerous endeavors to
make a little money by farming was
colt raising. l have always been
exceedingly fond of horses, colts,
calves, etc. and bought two broods
of mares, one for the buggy, another
for a saddle nag.
I have not the space to tell you
about all my ups and downs at this
writing, but there came to me a
small black mule colt that gave me
many experiences, good and other
wise. He was his young mothers
first born and she did not understand
raising him. I called him ''Neddy
Boffin" after a lively character in one
of Dickens gnat novels, but Ned, the
colt, was unlike good n. BOffin; he
had his own sweet will with his mis-
tress as well as his mother. He
must have inherited some bronco
blood for he bucked at everything
We had to shut him up when the
mare went to the field. And he dis
covered more devices for getting to
her than were ever dreamed of. Nine
times out of ten he escaped. Then
would hear Ned braying with delight
as he raced across the plantation to
reach his mother. He certainly knew
how to find her. 1t was just comical
to see the little rascal mount hill
to survey the farm land. and if he
didn't get a glimpse he'd bawl like
brass gong and she, mother-like,
made answer. Then his slim, black
legs fairly twinkled as he took the
near cut to get to her. He walked
all the time in the furrow, keeping
step with his frisky young mother,
who was only four years older than
her hopeful young one-Ned, the
trick mule.
A newcomer was expected in the
family, when Ned was finally wean-
ed. We undertook to nail him up in
the log stable. He would bawl and
his mother was willing to reply. We
put her at night under planked-in
wagon shed, and the call and the
answer kept up a hubbub, to be sure!
Ned's Enclosure was ten rails high.
One night there came a phenome-
nal rainstorm. 1t was record break
er. The rain came down in torrents
1t was a bitter, cold rain-stormy
blasts. After a while Ne1 was quiet,
1 said to myself, Well. Ned has learn
ed to be quit, the storm has cooled
him down. If that baby colt comes
tonight Ned won't he there to make
trouble" took comfort in the
thought that Ned was nailed up, and
his mother under a roomy shelter.
Next morning the torrential rain
continued. Finally colored man
(horse feeder) knocked at the back
door. He told us that Ned was out
side the wagon shelter and the new
colt had arrived and Ned was keep
ing the COWS away from it. Remem-
Der that shelter had long planking
to the roof on three sides. On the
fourth was a strong, Well-braced
gate. How Ned made his escape
form his nailed-up, .planked lot was
easy to see He took running
start and went over that fence.
But how he got at that little colt
under that wagon gate and nearly
outside we never did know. 1t had
wriggled out and Ned had been kick
ing at COWS, hogs and such like f01
a long time, perhaps eve since he
got in reach of his mother. Thu
silence was accounted for, his heels
were needed not his bawling mouth.
And the colt was safe, and made
a fine mule. 1t was Ned's darling
He transferred his devotion to lit
tie Dobbin. Nobody mole~+ed the lit
tie brother, and Ned was his guar
dian, in the pasture as well as In
the COW lot
Ned was a scrub and they were
thoroughbreds, but they knew better
than to philander around when younS
Dobbin had the best picl1ingsy Ned
was a none-Such.