THE MULE. 25 



matter of economy ; but, as a general thing, tlie experi- 

 ment proved a failure, and they gave it up and returned 

 to horses. The great reason for this failure was, that 

 the persons placed in charge of them knew nothing of 

 their disposition, and lacked that experience in handling 

 them which is so necessary to success. But it must be 

 admitted that, as a general thing, they are not well 

 adapted for road or city purposes, no matter how much 

 you may understand driving and handling them. 



The mule may be made to do good service on the 

 prairies, in supplying our army, in towing canal boats, 

 in hauling cars inside of coal mines — these are his 

 proper places, where he can jog along and take his own 

 time, patiently. Work of this kind would, however, 

 in nearly all cases, break down the spirit of the horse, 

 and render him useless in a very short time. 



I have seen it asserted that there were mules that 

 had been known to trot in harness in three minutes. 

 In all my experience, I have never seen any thing of the 

 kind, and do not believe the mule ever existed that could 

 do it. It is a remarkably good road horse that will do 

 this, and I have never yet seen a mule that could com- 

 pare for speed with a good roadster. I have driven 

 mules, single and double, night and day, from two t) 

 ten in a team, and have handled them in every way 

 that it is possible to handle them, and have in my charge 

 at this time two hundred of the best mule teams in the 

 world, and there is not a span among them that could 

 be forced over the road in four minutes. It is true of 

 the mule that he will stand more abuse, more beating, 

 more straining and constant dogging at him than any 



