OUR MULE'S BIG SHARE I IN THE TRANSVAAL WAR. 1 _ Their Importance in the Makeup of a British Mountain Battery. 5^ iijisfsasesi Every time one of the British moua tain batteries goes into action in the South African war attention is direct ed to a humble warrior from the United States, the mule, that is uoing far more important work than ho gets credit for, and without which the English would lind it exceedingly dif ficult to make the contemplated changes on the map. The Marquis of Lansdowne, Secre tary of State for War, says that the Government has bought 15,000 mules, to carry troops and supplies from the coast to the scene of war. Of these 8000 or 9000 were bought in the United States and several thousand of them are already in active service. The rest are already on the way from New Orleans and Chaileston. The remainder came from Italy and from Spain, and thus we see the Spanish and American mule laboring side by side against a common foe. On general principles we may sup pose that it was the Spanish variety of mule which was direotly responsi ble for the great calamity at Nichol son's Nek, causing the capture of 1500 British troops aud the death of sev eral gallant officers. The th ; ng nevor would have happened if mules had not stampeded and run away with the ammunition. In a private letter an infantry officer wrote from Ladysmith some days previous to thi3 disaster that a lot of unbroken mules bad just been received, and ho predicted that they would stampede the first time they got into 112 ction. Up to date the British War Office has bought aud paid for mules worth AMERICAN MULES FOR THE TRANSVAAL. (Loading mules at New Orleans on tbe At lantic transport Pruh for shipment to Oape Colony and the Transvaal.) about §1,500,000. The latest mule quotation is §IOO a beast. Tho mar ket is firm and no difficulty whatever has been found by the Government in getting all the mule help they want. In buying the American mules the British officers have been careful, as far as possible, to get those that have been trained. This word "trained" suggests a possible mule curriculum, but it means merely those who have . Ttlf GUll wrfttLS " BRHKM OF QUM ' ' ' HALF- op the GUH - TH^VHASe IIOW MOUNTAIN BATTERS GUNS A.IIE CARRIED. iieen in harness and done a bit of knocking about already. These new mules are to be used only for transportation purposes— that iis, for hauling the long "Capo wagons" ten or twelve mules to each —and none of them is destined to carry packs, the former funotion of the mule in war. None of the new recruits will be Dressed into service as members of mounted butteries, either, for there are two mule com panies that have been accustomed for years to act as flesh-and-blood gun carriages at the Cape. These last ani mals served their apprenticeship at the Government barracks at Newport and have become used to the smell of powder, and are entirely blase about haviug small cannons on their backs. The composition of a mountain bat tery and the accoutrements of a mule on a march may prove of interest. There are six guns in a mountaiu battery called screw guns. They fire a projectile weighing about eight pounds and of various descriptions, viz., ring shell, shrapnel, star and case shot. The charge is one pound and ten ounces of powder. Batteries are composed of British gunners and are commanded by a Ma jor of the lioyal Artillery. They are divided into three sections, called right, centre and left, each commanded by a subaltern, and containing two divisious commanded by a sergeant. A sub-division is a gun with all its at tendant men, mules and equipment. A medical officer of the Imperial Medical Service is attached to each battery. The gunner establishment consists of one sergeant major, ono quarter master scrgeaut, six. gun sergeants, six corporals and eighty-eight, gun ners, with two trumpeters. In the driver establishment there are three driver sergeants, six driver corporals, one hundred and thirty-eight drivers (with twelve extra men enlisted for service), one farrier and ono shoeing smith. There are five ponies for of ficers and trumpeters and one hundred and thirty-eight gun mules—tbat is, twenty-three for each sub-division — five to carry the gun and five to re lieve them; one pioneer in right sub divisions and one artificer's mule in the left section; six ammunition mules with one relief; one wheel and axle mule, aud the remaining four spare, or bareback?, as they are called. They are generally young mules and are to replace the sick or killed, aud they have no harness of their own. Tbe first line consists of the pioneers, first gun line and first and second ammuni tion mules; the remainder are the re lief line. Besides these, there are seventy two baggage mules always with the battery (made up to one hundred and thirty-eight for service), with an es tablishment of three minor officers aud twenty-six muleteers, and, in ad dition to all, the usual followers of a corps, with carpenters, smiths and saddlers thrown in. Tho pioneer mule generally leads the battery over difficult ground, ac companied by rut spare gunners there may be, who clear any obstacles which would impede the progress of the battery. His load is about 320 pounds. The wheel follows hiui, carrying also the elevating gear be tween tho wheels on top of ilio saddle. The load is about 280 pounds. Then tbe axle, with a case shot box and small store box; the load is about 313 pounds. Following him the three top loads, carriage, breech and chase,each load being about 290 pounds. Being top loads they necessitate tight girth ing. Behind thorn come the first and second ammunition" mules, carrying sixteen rounds each, and an average load of about 370 pounds. These loadi MUI.ES AS AMMUNITION CARRIERS. are giveu in round numbers, and in clude every strap. The mules to carry these loads are necessarily fine auimals, aud cost about $l5O each. They are of various breeds, country bred chiefly, but Italiau, Persian, Afghan and Cape mules are found in nearly every bat tery. They should bo about thirteen hands high, or a little over, and their girth must always be good; this is far more important tbau height for a bat tery mule. Tlie big mules are often not so useful, and always cause more work for the gunners to load, espec ially ou a hillside. The mule lias mauy advantages over the horse in the present cam paign iu South Africa especially, be cause he has tho reputation of being able to hang onto a precipitous path way by his ears where a horse could not be made to venture with any amovut of urging. Except in moun tain climbing, ho carries ordinarily about about 1(>0 pounds, although, if well fed, ho sometimes can take 300 pounds. Ho not only is much freer from disease than the horse, but his skin is so much thicker that tho pes tiferous tropical bug canuot make life so much cf u burden for him. Be sides, he isn't half so fussy as a horse about what he eats or drinks. His usual rations iu South Africa are ten pounds of grain or twenty pounds of oat hay, with half an ounce of rock salt; that, however, is when times are good, and if he has to work along on short rations he is RS cheerful and contented about it as possible. Put blinkers on him, and have a white marc to lead the procession/ aud he will go auywhere. l*arcel Trick Kerived. The old trick of calling for a pack ago just delivered has made its annual appearance in the residence districts of New York City. A well-known firm has been informed that after one of its wagons had delivered a parcel at tho house of apatron yesterday, a man came hurriedly up to the door and asked the maid to hand him back the package, as a mistake had been made. Tho man was very persistent, and said that the parcel intended for her mis tress ii»d been delivered elsewhere, and would be promptly called for when this one was returned. The maid, however, replied that she would not give up the package without an order. The man promised to bring an order, but of course was not heard from agaiu. With the hundreds of delivery wagons runuiug all over the city, it is diflicult to trap these swindlers. The best way to avoid trouble is to caution servants not to deliver any articles or packages on verbal orders.—New York Mail and Express. Caused Tliein to Hastily Ketreat. An extraordiuary'accident occurred to a trolley car at Siug Sing, N. Y., recently, which recalls ltobert Louis Steveuson's "Dynamiter," in which a man carrying a box of dynamite is jostled by a woman so as to cause tho explosive to fall, though it does not explode. In the present instance a ton of dynamite was on a wagon when it was struck by a trolley car. A wheel was taken off the wcgou aud the vehicle was turned over. The driver of the wagon fell back in a half faint, and be knew it would be useless to run, even if he bad not been paralyzed with fear. The motorman was also so frightened for a moment that he could not back away from the wreck. One of the passengers yelled, "Dyna mite!" and they all beat a precipitate retrent, and there was little curiosity evinced when a new wagon was ob tained and the dynamite was trans ferred. JUDAS THE BETRAYER. j The Decoy Nteer of the Chicago Stock Yard* and Hit Worlc. One of the sights of the great cattle yards of Chicago is an old white ox named Judas. An ox may rise to eminence by his cunning and wisdom as well as a man, and .Tudas has risen. Ho came to the yards a good many years ago, while he was yet a frisky steer and he was immediately pur chased by one of the great packing houses and driven from the train which brought him from his lowa home to a distant yard. The life of most animals at the cattle yards is very short—a week at the very most. A few days after the arrival of Judas the herd of cattle which occupied the pen with him was selscted for killing. The way to the packing bouse led down a long alley way with high fences on each side, then up a narrow chute and into tho building. For some reason tlie cattle seem to know what is coming, for they always object to being driven up the chute. Judas was no exception. He plunged madly-about among tho herd ajpd the cattlemen had more trouble with him than with any other JUDAS IN ACTION. animal. At last, however, he seemed to realize that sooner or later he must go, and be made a virtue of a neces sity, trotted quietly up the chute and tho other cattle followed rapidly after him. Thus he ran until he had just reached the door of the packing house. Then, quick as a wink, ho turned aud galloped down a sido passage and escaped, while the other cattle went onward into the building. Judas bad been so very clever that the good-natured cattlemen let him go for that day, for genius is to be ap preciated in a steer as well as in a man. Tho next day, however, they drove him up again with another herd. This time he made not the slightest objection, but trotted for ward quietly, aud the other steers, having a confident leader, behaved admirably. But just as Judas reached the door of the building he dodged again, so suddenly that the men couldn't turn him, and escaped, as be had done beforo, while the herd be hind him went careering into the kill ing room. Since then Judas has been a regular employe of the cattle yards. Every day he leads up a herd of cattle and every day he dodges just at the door of the buildiug. He has saved tho cattlemen no end of trouble and delay with riotous herds since he began his service. He lias grown fat and sleek on the good living of tho yards, and so highly are his sorvices regarded that the cattlemen provido him with a white blanket on cold days to keep him comfortable. And thus he is liviug to a green old age, but he bears the disrespect ful name of Judas—the betrayer. Hoerfi* Monument of Independence. The sturdy Dutchmen of tho Trans vaal have erected in tho environs of Johannesburg this pillar of stoue and dedicated it as the fetich of their free life. If the British army succeeds in reaching Johannesburg the first thiug they will do will bo to demolish this monument, for the effect on the super stitious Boers will be as bad as tho loss of an important battle in the open field. PILLAR OF FREEDOM AT JOHANNESBURG" In the Transvaal a superstition ex ists that the liberties of the people are assured as long as this pillar "112 stone endures. It may be that the British will regard it as a wise act to commit an act of vandalism, just as they were forced to become barbarous in India and blow Sepoys from the guns to destroy their ca3te. Paris Prepniing For the Influx. The omnibus company of Paris, on the occasion of the Exposition, will have ninety-two lines and 1500 ve hicles, performing 2(5,000 journeys a day, and capable of transporting 1,- 082,000 passengers. Overworked There. The only place where a tramp was ever known to be overworked is in the funny papers.—St. Louis Repub lic. There are 4200 species of plants nsed for commercial purposes. Of these, 420 are used for oerfume- | CHILDREN'S COLUMN, j Mother Goose to l)at«. Sing a song of Christmas, Stockings full of toys— .lumping-jacks and ilollles For tbo girls and boys; When th«sy nil were opened The dolls began to sing. Tbo jumping-jacks were jumping— Oh, what a funny thing! I'apa in the bedroom, Sleepiug very sound: Mamma up and dressing, Hurrying around: I'osie running down the stairs Buttoning his clothes— When up jumped a jumplng-jack And snapped oil his nose. —Chicago Keeord. lie King* to the Finl>. An eccentric hermit named William Kehueller. who lives at Franklin, Mich., is said to be one of the most successful fishermen in his part of the country, and he claims to call the fish to him by siuging "Old Hundred." He goes out in his boat and takes a station in fairly deep water. Then bo sings, at the same time keeping his eyes on the water in search of lish. Gradually the fish crowd about his boat, he claims, and when enough are gathered together the wily fisherman casts a net and catches dozens at a single band. The old gentleman bas a famous voice, and his neighbors are inclined to believe his strange story. tiivliic runny n Until. Most pussies wash themselves so much that they very seldom need other people to wash them. But most of them want a bath occasionally. The best plan is to have some one to talk to and pet pussy while another does the actual washing. Make a nice lather with water of about i'H degrees and soap and stand very gentl.y in this. Wash her in this, using your baud instead of a sponge. When her fur is quite clean, rinse her in clean water of the same temperature, lifting her fioin 0110 to the other very gently, so as not to frighten her. Then wrap her in a blanket or n nice warm towel and dry her before the tire with well warmed towels, and don't let her run off on her own ac count till she is thoroughly dry, or the chances are that she will make herself as dirty in ten minutes as she was before, and your labor will be thrown away, because her fur, when damp, will catch the dirt more quickly than when dry. Yon must remember to be very gentle always. Fussy won't enjoy her tubbing, piobalily.but don't make her hate it.—Trenton (X. .T.) American. An Acorn. Noma had been sick a long while, aud she was so tired of lying in bed that all the family trie I to amuse her. Papa brought her a little musical box, ind mamma gave her picture books; I'oiu bought a new game for her, and Dotty a bunch of grapes; even baby vffered her an acorn which he picked lip under the great oak-tree. What a beautiful little thing it was. lifting neatly in its tiny saucer, aud what a dainty saucer, too, with row after row of wee brown scales folded so prettily over each other. Mamma tied a striug around the acorn, hung it over a glass of water, and told Noma that now she could see it grow. "But how can it find its way to tlie water, mamma?" asked Noma. "Watch and see," said mamma, smiling. The next day Noma thought the acorn looked a little larger, but soon after that, oh, dear! there was a dread ful crack all along its side. "ft is spoiled, mamma," sighed Noma. "It will never grow now." "Watch and see,'' said mamuia again. Noma did watcli. At last she saw something white and something green coming out of the crack. The white shoot grew down into the water and made a root, but the green shoot grew upward and made two little leaves. And so the acorn turned into a babv oak. And Noma so enjoyed watching it all that she forgot she was sick, and was almost as happv as if she had been outdoors in the sunshine. "Your little girl is much better," said the doctor to mamma. "She is well enough to play in the yard. This new medicine has helped her." And nobody knew that the little acorn had helped Iter as much as the medicine. —Youth's Oompauion. A tonir Nan, Behind Melon's bouse there stood some beautiful tall pines, and in amoug them there was an old gravel hole. No gravel was taken from it now, and the bottom of it was covered with thick soft moss and trailiug plants; but in one place there was a nice bank of saud where Helen liked to play. One cold day in November she was out in the gravel hole. She had been picking chockerberries, and had put some of them in the pocket of her dress to carry home to her mamma. She was walking by the sand batik when she caught sight of something that ma le her stop aud look more closely. "Why, I wouder what ma te that little hole in the sand?" she said. She poked the sand away with her finger and found that the hole went in and in. So then she found aI it tie stick and dug into the bank,following the hole carefully. At last she came to something dark and soft. She took it out and fouud that it was a little ball of cak leaves aud pine needles. "What can it be?" she said. She picked it open, and then she said "Oh!" and almost dropped it.sht was so surprised. Inside was a little mouse! He was larger than a common mouse and had very long hind legs. He lay quite still iu Helen's hand, and she ran to the house to show him to hat mamma. "It is a jumping-mouse," her mam ma said, "and he had rolled himself up iu that uest to sleep through the winter. See how tired and sleepy lie is!" The mouse wai stirring a little. He moved his legs very slowly, and said as plainly as a mouse could say to a litile girl: "Do please let me ulone. I'm sc sleepy. It isn't time to get up ,yet." Ho Helen tucked him up iu his nest again, and caaried him back to the sand bank, and tried to fix him just as she had found him. Through the cold winter, when the wind blew among the pine tree tops, and the snow lay upon the ground, Helen often thought of the little mouse asleep iu tho sand bauk, and hoped he was comfortable. Then when it came warm again, how she wished she could see him when he awoke, stretched himself, and per haps rubbed his eyes; then crept out of his bed and went jumping about with his long hind legs, hunting fot something to eat. Helen thought he must feel a little lame and stiff after such a very long uap, and she wondered if he would tell his friends about a dream he had, of being taken out of bed by a little girl aud carried to see the little girl's mamma, then put carefully back in the sand bauk again.—The Favorite. The nr*c»tiH of pi«-a-Pnt and I'eterkin. Pit-aPat opened one round blue eye, and yawned a round pink yawn. Then she opened the other eye, and yawned again. Then slie blinked vigorously with both of them, and stretched out one dainty ftfrepnw.tbeu the other. Then she arose, performed several Delsartean exercise?, ga\o liet little gray.acket a ew settling touches with her pink tongue, and adminis tered to Brother Peterkin a geutl; and gingerly cufll \Yhe eupoa Peterkiu went through precisely the satm; motions. But the paws he stretched out w. re as black as Mistress Mary's shoes; aud so were his other paws, aud his whole suit, in l'a t. Then they glauced toward the win dow. Oli, joy! What they had been longing l'oi eve- sines Mistress Mary adopted them was a chancs to get on that window sill, aud see what they could sac. But w lse Mistress Mary had per ceived their thoughts, or else she bad great wisdom concerning kittens iu gen ral. forgot to tell you that 112 it-a-Pat and l eterkin are kittens. Did you guess?) So she kept the curtains tucked up beyond their reach, aud they were too wee to climb up the wall or spriug to the sill. B t now! One curtain had been loosened by the brisk breeze, and was sweeping the carpet; while the othet fluttered ayly forth from the window. "Mip!" quoth the two little kits iu unison, and started toward the win dow (also in unison). Which reached it first I cannot saw Neither can 1 tell you which proposed swinging 0:1 the curtain outside. I only know that Mistress Mary, hieing her homeward, with a bottle of cream (to make them purr, and purr and purr!), glanced upward to hot window, and saw a little coal-blac ; kit clinging desperately to the end of the curtain, while a little Qunker-gray kit was clasping her little white a tat tightly around the little black kit's waist (if kits have waists), while li t little gray tail waved wildly and hei fuzzy little "back legs" (as Polly calls theiuj dangled forlornly in space—all l'rom a third-story window! "Meooww!" "Meooowww!" quotb they. At least, it sounded so to me. But Mistress Mary slates that Petei was saying, "Hold 011 tight to youi big brother, Patty!" while Patty gasped back, "Yes, Brother Pt ter, ] will." Mistress Mary flew up the stairs, and iu a twinkling those frightened little explorers were safe on her shoul der, where they clung, trembling and poking their cold little noses into the soft folds of her newest and most fetching necktie, while she poure 1 out a brimming earner of cream, by way of discipline. But, whether they j romisod ever to do so any 1. ore 01 whether they ever will do so any more, I cannot say, for Mistress Mary has not yet gi\en them auotlicr chance. - Christian Heyister. Sl.i- "Snaked 1 * Per Well. Some visitors to East Gloueestei last summer puid a speci 1 call upoi: the woman sai I to bo the original ol Mrs. Elizabeth Btna t Phelps Ward's famous story, "A Madonna of the Tubs." Mrs. Plielps Ward's snmmei home, be t known, is iu East Glou cester. The \ isitors found a typical New Englander with a self-evident capacity of taking care of herself. "So you are the Madonna of the Tubs?" said the visitors. "T am," said the New Englaudor. "And Mrs. Phelps Ward wrote *s beautiful story about you." "She did." "Pi 1 you ever meet Mrs. Ward?" "I have. After she'd wrote that story she came round here one day and hunted me up. She said as how she wanted to sie me for herself." "How inte>eating!" murmured th« visitors, "and what did you do?" "Do?" repeated tho Madonna of the Tubs, "what did 1 do? I sassed her well tor writin' such a story as that abi ut me. uch a pack o' lies I novel read. Why, thee wasn't one-half ol it true. An' she had (lie face to com* and see me afterward! Oh, I sassed her well, I did!"—NcwYoik Evening Bun. •
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers