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1795 - The first jackasses arrived in the United States, a gift from the king of Spain to Pres. George Washington. These animals became the ancestors of all the mules that powered the westward expansion for the century.

http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/i ... m/pid/284/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://texasescapes.com/ClayCoppedge/Mule.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The British had preferred draft horses, which are large, strong, and eat a lot. The Spanish preferred mules, which are smaller, in general, but much hardier than horses.

- Jim

1881 - Wyatt Earp, his two brothers, and Doc Holliday were involved in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.

I ran across this interesting site by a current member of the Clanton family: http://www.clantongang.com/oldwest/gunfight.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can't say how accurate this is. The Clantons certainly weren't choirboys. However, it is pretty well understood that many of the law-enforcement "heroes" of the Old West lived on the ragged edge of the law.

- Jim