OUR MULE'S BIG SHARE
IN THE TRANSVAAL WAR.
Their Importance in the Makeup of a British .
Mountain Batttry.
Eveiy time onoof the British mono
fain batteries goes into action in the
Honth African war attention is direct
ed to a humble warrior from the
United States, the mule, that is doing
far more important work than he gets
credit for, and without which the
English wonld llud it exceedingly dif
ficult to make the contemplated
changes on the map.
The Marquis of Iiansdowne, Secre
tary of Htnte for War, says thnt the
Government has bought 15, 000 mules,
to carry troops and supplies from the
coast to the scene of war. Of these
8000 or 0000 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 Clint lesion. The
remainder came from Italy and from
Spain, aud thus we see the Spanish
a. ml American mule laboring side by
'side against n coiumou foe.
On general principles we may sup
pose that it was the Spanish varioty
of mule which was directly responsi
ble for the great calamity at Nichol
son's Nek, causing the capture of 1 COO
British troops and the death of sev
eral gallant officers. The thing never
wonld have happened if the mules had
not stampeded and run away with the
ammunition. In a private letter an
infantry officer wrote from Ladysmith
some days previous to this disaster
been received, and he predioted that
they wonld stampede the first time
they got into i.ction.
Up to date the British War Office
Las bought and paid for mules worth
AMERICAN MULES FOR TUB TRANHVAAl.
(Loading mules at New Orleans on the At
lnntlo transport Pnili (or shipment to
Cape Colony and the Trunsvaul.)
bout $1,500,000 Tho latest mule
quotation is $100 a beast. The mar
ket is firm aud no difficulty whatovor
has been found by the Government in
.getting all tbe 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 trainod. This word "trained"
suggests a possible mule curriculum,
but it means merely those who have
CAHRYIS-lG Tilt GUll WllEtLS
. fgsS
ti?3
if JSE ;-C'6SSP f& a
i -4 siw,'ri"ia ii
rrft BUttCH OP TrJfc GUrJ Wlf Of Trlt SUrJ -Jrlft CHASC
HOW MOUNTAIN BATTERT QUN8 AltE CARRIED,'
been in harness and done a bit of
knocking about already. '"
These new mulea are to be used
-only for transportation purposes
that is, for hauling the long "Cape
wagons" ten or twelve mnlea to each
and none of them Is destined to
carry packs, tbe former funotion of
the mule in war. None of tbe new
.reoruiU will be pressed into service
as members of mounted hntterios,
either, fur tticre are two mulo com
panies that have been accustomed for
years to ant a fleah-and-blond gun
carriages at (lie Capo. These hiHt ani
mals sorvod their apprenticeship at
the Government barracks at Newport
and hare become used to the suicll of
powder, and are entirely blase about
having small ominous ou their backs.
The composition of a mountain bat
tery and the accoutrements of a mule
ou a march tuny prove of intercut.
There are nix guns in a mountain
bnttcry called screw Runs. They fire
a projectile weighing about fight
pounds and of various descriptions,
viz., ring shell, shrapnel, star and
ease shot. The charge ia one pound
and ten ounces of powder.
Batteries are composed of British
gunners and are commanded by a Ma
jor of the lloynl Artillery. They are
divided into three sections, railed
right, centre and left, each commanded
by 'a subaltern, and containing two
divisions commanded by a sergeant.
A sub-division is a gun with all its at
tendant men, mules and equipment.
A medical officer of tho Imperial
Medical Service is attached to each
battery.
Tbe gnnner establishment consists
of one sergeant major, one quarter
master sergeant, six gun sergeants,
six corporals and eighty-eight gun
ners, with two trumpeters. In tbe
driver establishment there are three
driver se.'geants, six driver corporals,
one hundred and thirty-eight drivers
(with twolve extra men enlisted for
service), one farrier and one shoeing
smith. There are five ponies for of
ficers and trumpeters aud one hundred
and thirty-eight gnn mules that is,
twenty-three for each sub-division
five to carry the gun and five to re
lieve them; one pioneor in right sub
divisions and one artificer's mnle in
tbe left section; six ammunition mules
with one relief; one wheel and axle
mule, and the remaining four spare,
or barebacks, as they are callod. They
are generally young mules and are to
replace the sick or killed, and they
have no harness of their own. The
first line consists of tho pioneoi'B, first
gun line and first aud second ammuni
tion mules; the remainder are the re
lief lino.
Besides those, tiiere are scveuty
two bnggnge mules always with the
battery (made up to one hundred and
thirty-eight for service), with an es
tablishment of three minor officers
and twenty-six muleteers, and, in ad
dition to all, the usual followers of a
corps, with carpenters, smiths and
saddlers thrown in.
The pioneor mulo generally leads
the battery over difficult ground, ac
companied by any spnro gunners
there may be, who clear ouy obstacles
which would impede the progress of
the battery. His load is about 320
pounds. The wheel follows him,
Tl!& GUH CARRIAGE.
carrying also the elevating gear be
I tween the wheels on top of ihe saddle.
I The load ia about 280 ponnds. Then
tbe axle, with ease shot box and
! small store box; the load is abont 813
I pounds. Following him the three top
' loads, oarriage, breeoh and chase, each
I load being about 200 pounds. Being
, top loads they necessitate tight girth
ing. Behind them com the first tad
I
seoond ammunition moles, carrying
sixteen rounds each, and an average
load of about 370 pounds. These loads
Mlll.FS AS AMMUNITION CAItMRnft.
are given in round numbers, and in
elude every strap.
Tho mules to carry these loads are
necessnrily flue animals, and cost
about 8100 each. They are of various
breeds, country bred chiefly, but
Italian, 1'ersian, Afghan and Cape
mules are found in nearly every bat
tery. They should be about thirteen
hands high, or a little over, and thoir
girth must always bo good; this is far
more important than height for a bat
tery mule. The big mules are often
not so usoful, nud always cause more
work for the gunners to load, espec
ially on a hillside.
The mnle has many advantages
over the horse in the present cam
paign in South Africa especially, be
cause he has the reputation of being
able to hang on to a precipitous path
way by bis ears where a horse could
not be made to venture with any
amovnt of urging. Except in moun
tain climbing, he carries ordinarily
about about 100 pounds, although, if
well fed, he somotimes can take BOO
pounds. He not only is inuoU freer
from disease than the horse, but bis
skin is so much thicker that the pes
tiferous tropical bug cannot make life
so much of a burden for him. Be
sides, be isn't half so fussy as a horse
about what be eats or drinks. His
usual rations in South Africa are ten
pounds of grain or twenty pounds of
oat hay, with half an ounoo of rock
salt; that, however, is when times
are good, aud if he has to work along
on short rations be is as cheerful and
contonted about it as possiblo. 1'nt
blinkers on him, and have a white
mare to lend tho procession, and he
will go anywhere.
I'urcel Trick ItevlTert.
The old trick of calling for a pack
ege just dolivorod has made its auuual
appearance in the residence districts
of New York City. A well-known firm
has been informed thnt after one of
its wagons had delivered a parcel at
the house of a patron yesterday, a man
came hurriedly up to the door and
asked the maid to hand him book the
package, ns a mistake had been made.
The nuiu wbb very persistent, and said
that the parcel intended for her mis
tress had been dolivered elsewhere,
and would be promptly callod for
when this one was returned. The
maid, however, replied that she would
not give up the package without an
order. Tho man promised to bring
an order, but of oourse was not heard
from again,
Witu tho hundreds of delivery
wagons running all over the city, it is
difficult 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 Tliaia to Hastily Retreat.
Au extraordinary aooident occurred
to a trolley car at Sing Sing, N. Y.,
recently, which recalls Robert Louis
Stevenson's "Dynamiter," in which
man carrying box of dynamite ia
jostled by a woman so as to cause the
explosive to full, though it does not
explode. In the present instance
ton of dynamite was on a wagon when
it was struck by a trolley car. A wheol
was taken off the wagon aud the
vehiole 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 ho bad not been paralyzed
with fear. The motorman was also so
Irightened for a moment that he could
not back away from the wreok. One
of the passengers yelled, "Dyna
mite!" and they all beat a preoipitate
retreat, and there was little euriosity
evinoea wnen new wagon waa oo
tained and the dynamite was trans
(erred.
WHITE HOUSE TOO SMALL
ENLARGEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE
MANSION CONTEMPLATED,
The necessity of ImnrAvemefitf.OhJeo
Juctlone tn an Kntlrely New Strtio.
tote Makeehlfta to Heinle the
rueelo (tells Hare.
The news that Congress is to take
np seriously the subject of enlarging
the White House in Washington
comes not ft day too soon, says the
New York Tost. The need of some
snob relief has long been plain, but
no President since Harrison bas
moved in the matter. President
Cleveland prefurred to set np a home
at a considerable distance from his
office, so as to be sure of refuge whore
politicians and curiosity-seekers wonld
have no excuse for intruding on his
privacy. President MoKiuley, though
iniug the White House for domestic)
as well as public purposes, finds it
spacious enough for bis small family,
and has never encouraged proposals
to enlarge it for bis own comfort.
But the question hns censed to (,
one of mere personal convenience.
The great increase of executive busi
ness has made nonessary a correspond
ing increase in the President's cleri
cal force, aud this, in its turn, means
more furniture, more heavy books
and flies, and mnny moro persons
continually coming and going. The
old timbers .were evideuly not laid
with a view to such a strain, and
bonds and breaks bavo occurred from
time to time, till certain parts of the
interior of tho building are relics ol
ingenious patchwork. The main
staircase gave way in President Ar
thur's time, and bad to be tied into
place with chains, which tradition
says are still doing duty, bidden in a
partition. A beam under one of the
doorways through which hundreds of
persons sometimes pass in a day
cracked several years ago and bad to
be reinforced with metal plates and
bolts. An enterprising mechanio,
who attached the cold-air box to the
present beating apparatus, finding
one of the masonry arches in the cel
lar iu his way, out through it to save
a deflection, thus making it necessary
to pnt in a less satisfactory support
after his trick had been discovered.
It is an open secret in Washington
thnt the floors of the parlors and
state corridors always have to be sus
tained by rows of temporary wooden
piers when the Presideut holds his
receptions, so great have the crowds
become. These are a few of many
facts whioh have aome to pnblio no
tice, showing that some form of relief
is not only desirable, but essential to
the safety of human life and limb.
Congress has had repeated warnings,
but bas always preferred to spend
the Government's, money ou other
things, aud treat the White House to
a little more patohing. If it had hus
banded the fortunes whioh it has
wasted upon inferior works of art and
makeshift repairs, and devoted all
this to the enlargement of the Presi
deet's official home, tbeoountry would
have approved its oourse as in tb
line of trne economy.
The thing whioh undoubtedly bas
retarded any permanent improvement
is the fact that whenever the snbjeot
has been agitated some Philistine in
anthority has begun to make plant
for a radical change, involving the
demolition of the present structure
and the substitution of something
more "modern." This would be van
dalism indeed. Tho priceless histor
ic memories whioh cluster around the
old pile forbid it. The best artistic
judgment in the country would revolt
at it, for the White House is arobiteo
turally a rare speoiraen of the work
done by nn earlier generation, when
the ropublionn idea was associated in
men's minds with classio art as well
as olassio politics. It would be inde
fensible on eoouomical grounds, be
cause, however much the interior ol
the house may have suffered from
strains whioh it was not meant to bear,
the outsido walls and supporting par
titions are worthy of a baronial cas
tle, and a monument to the oonsoienoc
as well as the skill of their builders.
In short, no plan for a change ought
to be tolerated whioh does not have
for its central idea not only the pres
ervation of the old building, but the
maintenance of its artistio integrity.
Another consideration which is un
derstood to have influenced Congress
to set aside aome of the earliei
schemes suggested, was a fear lest the
ultimate expenditure might far exceed
the estimates. But of late years the
country has learned that there is one
agency to whioh it can look with con
fidence for tbe completion of public
buildings within the appropriations
as well as within the time specined
The Washington national monument,
after lagging for forty years, was at
last taken in hand by the army en
gineers, and finished with creditable
speed, yet with no saorifloe of strength
or of perfection in detail. The State,
War and Navy Department bnilding,
badly designed and threatening to
oonsnme a lifetime iu construction,
was transferred to the engineers in
like manner, and with likeanocess. The
Library of Congress, the most gor
geous pnblio building in the world, is
specimen of engineer work, the
keys of whioh were turned over to
the custodian before the date fixed.
and with a small balanee of money to
restore to the treasury.
There need be no more of a "job"
in the enlargement of tbe White
Hoase than iu these other eases, if
the same precantions are taken. Es
timates mads by Superintendent of
I'ublio Buddings and Grounds, Colo
nel Bingbatn of the Engineer Corps,
ate said to plaoe the necessary cost of
a thoronfhly good pieoe of work ul
not to ekoosdoue million, or, allowing
for actual and probable changes iu
the prices of bnilding materials, $1,
100,000, A reduction of one per cent
la tho next river and harbor bil;
wonld furnish tneneoetserv sum.
RECORD BRIDCf BUILDING.
A Wooden Strttetnre Replaced by Steal
la One Hoar and Thirty-two Mlnntee.
A record-breaking feat in railroad
bridge bnilding was performed on the
Book Island line near Lincoln, Neb.,
the other day. It oonsisted of taking
out a big wooden bridge and replac
ing it with a steel one in an hour and
thirty-two minutes, and without
blocking traffic. The steel bridge
was seventy-eight feet In length Vnd
weighed eighty tons. It was shipped
from the factory in seetlons to Hoke
by, a station three miles from the
place where it was put in. Here it
was riveted together.
The old structure rested on con
crete abutments put in after a disas
trous wreok five years ago. The
bolts and spikes of the old strnotnre
were removed after the new one bad
been suspended above. The new
bridge was brought to the scene on
flat enrs, from whioh it was lifted by
a double drnm friction engine on a
pole driver onto galley frames erected
over the track, these frames being
sway braced longitudinally and on
cross sections. To the galley frames
two pairs of double blocks were fas
tened to each other and these were
assisted in lifting the weight by a
pair of donble blocks and one pair of
single blocks, eighteen linos of inch
cable being used on each corner.
Fastenings on the fratnos and iron
work were made by the use of dev
ices and yokes. When all was ready,
the windlasses were started. A loco
motive was coupled to the snnb car
to prevent the weight from pulling it
over, and the bridge was lowered
easily and properly.
Some idea of tho celerity may be
gained by the time schedule. The
train left Kokeby at 7.45 in the morn
ing. Thirty-eight minutes later it
was at the scene. At 8.57 tho iron
work had been lifted clear of the oars
and the lattei run out; at 0.15 the old
bridge had been torn ont; at 0.93
the new bridge was in and at 0.57 the
track was pronounced "O. K." and
the flagman called in.
This is said by the railroad men to
be one of the greatest lifts ever msde
with ropes. Thirty men, two loco
motives and a bridge car with wind
lasses were used.
Mnnev Squandered On Blsne,
"Strange how much money is spent
in a big oity for useless signs," said a
New Orleaus sign painter. "On al
most every street one finds big an
nouncements masked by awnings, hid
den under oorpices, and in all sorts of
queer plaoes that the eye would never
be apt to reaoh. I can point yon out
a handsome piece of black and gold
lettering not a blook from here that is
exeouted on the glass of the fourth
story window. It must have cost con
siderable money, yet the characters
are so minute that I will venture the
assertion that nobody can read it with
out an opera glass. Another sign
that I discovered quite by accident
the other day ia painted aoross the
front of a bnilding near tbe roof. Di
reotly beneath is a covered gallery,
and the only place from which tbe in
scription can possibly be seen is a bil
of sidewalk about a dozen feet long
diagonally aoross the street. The
ohanoes of a passer-by looking up in
just the right direotion are possibly
one in 10,000. The prize freak sign
of the oity, however, adorns a certain
roof, and is visible from only the up
per stories of one or two adjacent
buildings. Nearly all the useless
signs in town might have been located
much more advantageonsly if the peo
ple who ordered them had allowed the
painter to use his judgment. We cat
oulate the ohanoes of observation down
to a nicety, and know exaotly how
large a letter ought to be visible at t
given distance. As mnoh skill is re
quired for that sort of thing as for tin
actual painting." New Orleoni
Times-Demoorat.
The Great Trek.
At the outbreak of war between
France and England in 1803, -Cape
Colony belonged to the Netherlands,
says Alleyne Ireland in the Atlantio.
In 1806 Louis Napoleon was made
King of the Netherlands, and in the
same year England attacked tbe Cape
as it was then a Frenoh possession.
The Colony capitulated on Jannury
10, 1800, The British oooupation
was made permanent by a convention,
signed in 1811, between Great Britain
and the Netherlands, by the terms ol
whioh England paid $30,000,000 foi
the cession of Cape Colony and of the
Dutch colonies of Demerara, Berbioe,
and Essequibo, whioh now form the
colony of British Guiana.
It was hoped that the Dntch and
the English in the Cape Colony would
live together in friendly intercourse,
and that eventually by intermarriage
a fusion of the two races wonld be
effected. This hope was doomed to
disappointment, for an antagonism
gradually developed between the old
and the new eolonists whioh led to
the establishment of two republics
beyond tbe bolder of tbe oolony. Tho
drst step toward the formation of
these republics was the emigration,
during 1830 and 1837, of about 8000
Dutch farmers frost tbe Cape Colony,
a movement Xwhlch is generally re
ferred to as tbe Great Trek. These
oien went out of the Coloay and es
tablished themselves iu the vast bin
tetland. Bas no Deeleo So Travel.
There is a man in Western Massa
chusetts over sixty years old who lives
in the-line of the Boston and Albany
oad; he haa been ia the service of
that company for over forty years,
tnd onuld ride free on its oars when
sver be chose to do so; yet ho has
never viiited this city. Boston Trau
oript. J. P. Bryant, the Bardwell (Ky.)
millionaire, owns the largest straw
berry patoh in the world. It eoveri
1700 acres, and has made his fortune,
MM SINE Ml CONDENSED
MELANCHOLIA CURED.
Young Woman Restored lo Health By Fasting
for Forlj-flve Dtr! In. a Phlladel.
phis Institution.
A handsome young woman, who'
spent several months in the Friends'
Asylum for the Insane at Frankford,
near Philadelphia, a wretched victim of
melancholia, lias apparently been re-
stored to excellent health, mentally and
physically, after a fast of 45 days, ac
cording to the statements of the woman
and friends, who were with her almost
constantly during that period.
At the works of the American Ax
and Tool Company, at Heaver Falls, the
other night, John Reese, an engineer,
while adjusting an electric light near the
ceiling, had Ihe bottom of one leg of his
trousers caught in a set screw of n rap
idly revolving shaft. He was whirled
around the shaft, his clothing stripped
from his body, and he was hurled to the
floor beneath. 16 feet, bleeding and un
conscious. No bones were broken, but
it is feared lie is injured internally.
The decision fn the case of the city
of Pittsburg against State Senator Wm. 1
Minn and others for Sxxi.ooo damages,
was handed down at the opening of
court by Judge White. The defendants
were acquitted. The suit was in tres
pass, atid was based on the allegation
that ex-Assistant Cijy Attorney W. II.
House bad loaned city money to Sena
tor Flinn.
James Grinncn, a young man living
at Mead Run, F.Ik. Co., nccidently shot
himself the other day while hunting in
the woods near D11 Bois. He received
the contents of a double barrelled shot
gun full in the abdomen, and though
suffering terrible agony he crawled ful
ly a quarter of a mile before help arriv
ed. He was carried to his home, where
he died two hours later.
VVhilc Carlo P'Fhtso anil Vito Van
gelista, Italians, quarrelled in a shanty
occupied by them on the outskirts of
flutler, the other night, F'F.luso threat
ened to stab his companion, when Vnn
gclista milled a revolver and shot P'Klu
so in the right shoulder and breast the
second ball peneing. His assailant
disappeared after the shooting and has
not yet been located.
Nathaniel Trout, a track walker on
the Pennsylvania Railroad, was found
dead along the road at Leptnan Place,
near Lancaster, the other day. When
the Harrisburg express reached Lancas
ter a handkerchief and bloodstains were
founnd on the pilot, and it is supposed
it strurk and killed Trout. Both legs
and arms were broken and the body was
badlv cut.
John Hart, an employee of the gas
department, of Itutlcr. was found dead
in a gas house at Mullet just over the
Butler county line, in Allegheny county.
Alfred T. Ulatshford. foreman at
Welch's brick works and a resident of
Monaco, was found dead the other
morning near the Pittsburg and Lake
Krie railroad tracks.
At the services in St. John's church,
at Sharon, a few days ago. Rev. Seaves
M. Iloldan announced that the entire -debt
upon the church had been liquida
ted. The debt three years ago amount
ed to $X.ooo. It is expected that the
church will be consecrated by the bish
op ns soon as the necessary arrange
ments can be made.
Henry Schnell. of Clintonvillc, was
found frozen to death at Grove City a
few days ago. He had reached the edge
of town when it is supposed he had an
attack of heart weakness, with which he
was troubled, and sit down in the fence
corner when he became chilled and was
frozen to death. The dead man was 60
years of age.
Abram K. Lcfcvcr, a farmer of Green
land, near Lancaster, aged 45 years, died
the other morning from hydrophobia.
He was bitten on the hand by a cat
about four months ago but did not feel
any ill effects until Saturday, when his
arm became stiff. By Sunday he was
violently ill and it became necessary to
keep him under the influence of opiates.
Mrs. Margaret Shannon, nn aged
woman living at Cromby, near Phoenix
ville, was found dead at her home a few
days ago. Mrs. Shannon had a number
of ugly wounds on her head and much
blood was spattered about the room in
which she was found. It is believed that
she met with foul play and her husband
has been put under police surveilance. '
While skating on the Beaver creek at
Brighton, ta few days ago, Fred Hay
ward broke through the ice and was
drowned. A companion, Iphi Calvin,
narrowly escaped. Hayward's body was
recovered, lie was 27 years old, sin
gle and resided at Fallston.
Grant Powell, a brickworker, employ
ed by the Enterprising Brick Company
near Lockport, Pa., shot and probably
fatally injured his wife on Christmas
day. Powell was arrested and was com
mitted to jail. Mrs. Powell has been
taken to a Pittsburg hospital.
Matthias Luppold, employed at the
Homestead Steel Works, at Homestead, .
was hit by a Pittsburg, Virginia and
Charleston Railroad train and instantly
killed at Munhall the other morning
while going home from work. He was
54 years of age.
A complete system of sewerage for
Beaver Falls, is contemplated and coun
cil has passed on first reading an ordi
nance to borrow $55,000 for that. pur
pose subject to the vote of the citizens
at the coming spring election.
Mrs. W. S.- Arnold, wife of a wealthy
plaining mill owner, of Bedford, while
coming up Pitt street the other evening,
was knocked insensible and her pocket
book stolen from her. . Her assailant
escaped.
The dormitory at Geneva College at
Beaver Falls, was entered by thieves the
other night and $40 worth of silverware
carried away.
Lee Kobinson, a watchman, 57 years
old, whose home is in Elliott borough,
near Pittsburg, died while sitting in a
chair at Smolz'i brewery, at that place,
the other night. Heart disease is believ
ed to have caused his death.
Robert Owens, a teamster, aged 60,
while attemntin-r to cross the tracks
on the Lehigh Valley railroad at Plains
ville, the other evening, was run over by
an express train and instantly killed.
Fire at Altoona the other morning
destroyed the double frame building oc
cupied as a dwelling and store by Fred
Stains and W. C MauL The cause of
the fire was an overheated stove.