Mules in the Mines an Dynamiteat No.9by Jack

Den034071 · Post by **Den034071** » Sun. Feb. 22, 2015 3:52 pm

Here is a story from a old miner .Some of the mules working in the mines did not see daylite for years .When there was a strike they were brought out to daylight an they had to have there eyes blindfolded.Mules loved apples some chewed tobacco an would not start to work unless they received aPlug of tobacco .One one of the guys put out 6 sticks of dynamite it was made of a peanut shell base .When they turned around a mule had eaten it .Must have tasted good .Wellthey treated that mule like a queen for the rest of the day .The men ran an gave the mule a wide berth an kept away from her .Gingerly the mule driver would hook her up to a car to do his hauling but he kept behind the mine car .This happened many years ago in the Panther Valley .The home of the old L C N .Nothing could have happened because you need a blasting cap to fire the dynamite .Another story is mules can count the mine cars being hooked up to there harness .2 cars are normal for a trip .The mule would hear the chains banging .Clan means one car clang meane 2 .Means 2 .If a driver tried 3 the mule stood still .But do it Quietly an the mule would do 3 .Dumb mule I don't think so . Enjoy

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Sun. Feb. 22, 2015 4:35 pm

Indeed Jack. Thanx for another lil bit of mining history!

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Sun. Feb. 22, 2015 5:19 pm

Jack

Here is a picture of the mule barn down 300' level at the Scott Colliery in Kulpmont right outside of Shamokin.

Its hard to see to begin with and I took it out of the frame to get a little clearer image. This picture was dated in the back 1913. I don't have any idea who the photographer was, I picked it up at a yard sale.

Paulie

Post by **coaledsweat** » Sun. Feb. 22, 2015 5:47 pm

When I had horses, we gave them tobacco to worm them. Not sure if it worked but they loved it.

beagledogxxx · Post by **beagledogxxx** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 7:22 am

Rural Valley, Pa

beagledogxxx · Post by **beagledogxxx** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 7:26 am

My great grandfather and a few of his cousins in Rural Valley, Pa. He walked from Mossgrove, Pa...about 15 miles, every Sunday and stayed in a shanty all week. They worked a half day on Saturday and then walked back home...just to do it all over again after Sunday dinner.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 7:30 am

Welcome to the FORUM BD == Thanx for some more REAL mining history

stovepipemike · Post by **stovepipemike** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 8:13 am

Another mule story as told to me by Stan who was a hired farm boy in 1935. The farmer for whom he worked wound up in the hospital following bone break complications after a cranky cow kicked him at milking time. They hired a man to complete the plowing using the farmers mule. Farmers wife tried to explain about the mule but the hired man said that he knew "what there was to know about dumb animals" and went to the barn to begin work. He harnessed up but mule would not move. He tried in vain, eventually hitting the mule on the ear and neck with a stick. The mule slowly side stepped and squeezed him in the corner of the stall, making it hard to breathe or holler. The farm boy's job was to take water to the field for the mule and operator. Nobody in the field, so he went to the barn to find out why. The man that knew "what there was to know about dumb animals" was passed out and still being squeezed. Stan [hired boy] quickly opened the box where the feed and plug tobacco was kept and gave a big chunk of tobacco to mule. Stan was able, with a gentle tug to march the mule out and get to the hired man. Hired man came around and nobody unfamiliar with that mule ever tried to play "boots and saddles" to him again without first making a tobacco offering after this story was retold to the new help. True story. Gotta love those mules!!! Mike

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 8:44 am

Indeed SM. Thanx for the story. Sheep farm up the road uses nothing but jacks for all plowing, planting, harvesting, etc. Nice critters:)

Den034071 · Post by **Den034071** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 9:53 am

Up our way supposedly a mule driver carried a fork to prevent the mule from squeezing a driver against the rib of the mine .Here is another tidbit some drivers spoke Slovak Lithanian or native language .Well if said driver missed work say hangover or sick the mule Would Not Work for an English Driver .Quitting time came 5 o clock an the mule would not work or would head back to the stable .There is so much history in tk the coal regions .If only to Go Back for a day . jack

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 5:31 pm

If some-one lit a stogie, and stuck it in the mules mouth, would the mule smoke it? (Just curious)

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 6:25 pm

Nope, they'd eat it, & watch out when they got to the HOT end

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 8:07 pm

You mean something like this Fred? "Yeee Hawww!"

.JPG | 7.1KB | bucking mule.jpg

PJT · Post by **PJT** » Mon. Mar. 16, 2015 9:26 pm

Ive read that mules are very much smarter than horses and eat about 1/3 of what a horse does. More sure footed than horses. Also that a horse will let you work it to death but Mr Mule will stop short of that.

Mules in the Mines an Dynamiteat No.9by Jack

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