The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-10-18
SCIENTIFIC THEORIES UPSET
Texas College Mare Mule Foals a Colt

IeNaS College Mare Mule FOalS a Colt
College Station, Texas,-The impos-
sible has happened! The foaling of
a colt by mule, SO long considered
contrary to nature that it was used
by Charles Darwin, originator of the
theory of evolution, as the basis of
some of his reasoning concerning the
origin of species, is an accomplished
fact 1t took place on the grounds of
Texas A. and M. college here Wednes-
day morning, September 26. The fact
is certified to by officials of that in
stitution.
When in August, 1921. the college
heard of mare mule belonging to L.
7. Branham, Mt, Alba, Tex, which
was said to have dropped a colt, it
sent w l.. Stangel, professor in the
animal husbandry department, to look
into the matter. Professor Stangel
found the mare mule and the colt
which was alleged to be hers on the
farm of Mr.. Branham at Mt. Alba
Mr., Branham and some of his neigh
bors had prepared written oath GER
tifying to the facts of the colts
strange birth. But Professor Stangel
explained that the college could not
ioin in that statement until it had
tried the matter out itself The re-
suit was that the mare was brought
to the college campus. There she was
bred to a show stallion known as Pat
Murphy and in September foaled
colt.
Sired by Show Horse
And here is where another remark
able part of the tale comes in: Pat
was an aged stallion-1s years to be
exact-and the mule dam is believed
to be %. The mule is just mule,
but Pat was sired by one of the sons
of Chester Dare, famous saddle
horse, and is a we'll known show horse.
The college will try to buy the
mule and breed her next time to a
jack for purposes of scientific expert
ment. The present foal, a male, looks
identically like an ordinary horse colt,
The first foal. said to have been sired
by jack, looked like mule colt.
The fact of the birth of this foal
from mule is we'll authenticated
Professor Stangel had the breeding
done, Prof E, j. Kyle, dean of agri-
culture, was in general charge, DIR. E.
P. Humbert. geneticist, watched the
experiment, and DIR. Mark Francis
and R. P, Marsteller. noted veterni-
arians of the college. were on hand
shortly after the colt had been foaled
and are convinced of its parentage
The strange colt will be raised and
used for scientific experiments.
Hope He Hasn't Mule Temper
1t is hoped that the three-fourths
horse and one-fourth ass which has
been produced by the mule may have
retained all the good characteristics
of its dam and lost many of the bad
asinine traits in favor of more endow-
ments from his sire, the horse, and
that he has the quality of fertility
which will enable him to transmute
his meritorious points to future gen
erations, '' '7'"''' I+"
While the characteristics of the
horse predominate in the appearance
of the queer hybred, yet he does pos
sess some of the appearance of his
mother He has the long pointed SEN
tinel-like ears of his maternal kin.
Believe 1t First Case
1t is believed by the A. and M.
scientists that this is the first abso-
lutely authentic case of fertile mule
that has come to the attention of
veterinarians. The combination of
one-fourth ass and three fourths horse
has been claimed at various times
from all parts of the country, but in
vestigations by veterinarians has al
ways loosed doubt that prevented
general acceptance.
Professor Stangel does not know
the ancestry of the mother but as far
as his scientific information will en-
able him to determine she is "mule''
or the product of mare from Jack.
She possesses every charac teristic ac.
cedited by time and study to the
mule.
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