Some swore by mules, some by horses, but when it came to carrying large loads for long dry miles, burros won the trophy. These two are at Loco Springs on the way to the Red Butte mining district in the Jackson Mountains.
The pack they're handling was almost as large as the animal's body. Didn't matter. They could and did carry that load for long miles and up steep inclines that'd challenge a modern four-wheel drive.
Easy keepers, they survived by grazing and nibbling on shrubs that their bigger cousins, the horses, could not. The light-faced burro in the picture is a good example. He's chewing on a mouthful of twigs!
Bad natured, they weren't above nipping each other, their owners and unwary passersby. Bad habits or not, in 1910 they were still the most efficient way to transport supplies over rough terrain.
Compiled by Barbara Powell, nevadasdesertlegends.com, nevadaphotoarchive.com.[[In-content Ad]]
