THE ARMY PACK TRAIN SERVICE. 



427 



emergencies. The horse wears the bell 

 and shares with the packmaster the honor 

 of the leadership of the train. One of the 

 packers must be a blacksmith and one a 

 cook. Usually all of the men are qualified 

 for the duties of both professions. 



Although part of the army the men are 

 civilians and not required to enlist. They 

 are paid $50 a month. It requires 6 

 months' training to make a fairly good 

 packer of a green hand, and several years 

 to make him an expert. Only ablebodied 

 men are hired. None weighing under 170 

 pounds are taken, and every applicant must 

 be able to lift 200 pounds to the level of 

 his chin. 



No uniform is required. Most of the 

 men wear a modification of a cowboy's 

 costume. On a campaign they are armed 



for bedding for the men. On the folded 

 blanket is placed the pack saddle, shaped 

 like a saw buck, and technically called an 

 " apperajo." The corunna, blanket and 

 pack saddle constitute the " rigging." On 

 the rigging are fastened the loads done up 

 in two " manteaus," or 6 foot squares of 

 heavy duck cloth. They are lashed with a 

 Y% inch rope, 28 to 36 feet long, called the 

 " layer." A sling rope, of the same size and 

 length, ties the loads across the top of the 

 rigging. The loads and rigging are secured 

 to the animal by a lash rope h of an inch 

 in diameter and 52 feet long. The lash 

 rope has a broad leather cinch at one end, 

 which is passed under the belly of the ani- 

 mal. A " diamond hitch " across the top 

 of the load is the method of tying. A 

 leather blind called " tappojo " is put over 





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A GROUP OF PACKERS. 





with Cavalry carbines, revolvers and hunt- 

 ing knives. In camp, and at the Camp 

 Carlin depot, the men feed and groom the 

 mules, train green animals to the use of 

 packs, and every alternate day take the train 

 out for a practice march of from 20 to 30 

 miles. For drilling purposes and practice 

 the animals carry loads of 300 pounds. In 

 active service 275 pounds is the maximum 

 load. This is made up of tenting, bedding, 

 cooking utensils, rations and ammunition. 

 One mule can carry 100 field rations. Or- 

 dinarily one half of the train carries rations, 

 the balance carrying tenting, ammunition 

 and miscellaneous supplies. 



A pack mule's equipment is somewhat 

 complicated. On the animal's back is first 

 placed the " corunna," or crown, consist- 

 ing of a quilted pad lined with canvas, as 

 a sweat cloth, and numbered so that it may 

 always be used on the same animal. On 

 top of the corunna is placed a good heavy 

 blanket 6 feet wide by 7 feet 6 inches long. 

 This is folded to 6 thicknesses and serves 



the animal's eyes while the rigging and load 

 are being put on, and the first lesson taught 

 a pack mule is to have him stand stock still 

 while the tappojo is over his eyes. 



The bell horse is the nabob of the train. 

 He carries no load nor rider. A soft toned, 

 tinkling bell, hung to a strap around his 

 neck, announces every move he makes and 

 the pack mules follow him when he walks 

 or crowd around him when he stands. On 

 the march the bell horse is never ridden but 

 is led by one of the packers. When the 

 mules are grazing the bell horse is hobbled, 

 except when apprehensive of attack, when a 

 man holds him by his halter. Bridles are 

 never used on the animals. A " tie up " is 

 made with the bell horse at the right of the 

 line, mule number one tied to the bell 

 horse's halter and each of the other mules 

 tied to the rigging of his predecessor in the 

 line. A tie up can be made by an expert 

 train in 2 minutes. 



With a nucleus of 20 well trained mule? 

 enough green mules to make up a full train 



