Mule Trader

Mule Trader: Ray Lum's Tales of Horses, Mules and Men by William R. Ferris Foreword by Eudora Welty

Ray Lum (1891-1977) was an American original, a one-of-a-kind figure who seems to have stepped full-blooded from the pages of Mark Twain. In this fascinating book he speaks his mind in a colorful folk dialect and tells of the special world in which he presides. He is a riveting talker whose common-sense lessons made him a savvy bargainer and a shrewd businessman.

Mules were his main interest. His home and his auction barn were in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but in trading he fanned out over twenty states and even into Mexico. A West Texas newspaper reported his fame this way: He is "known all over cow country for his honest fair dealing and gentlemanly attitude. . . . A letter addressed to him anywhere in Texas probably would be delivered."

Over several years William Ferris tape recorded many long conversations with Lum. In them Lum gives the ins and outs of livestock auctioneering, cheery memories of rustic Deep South culture, and a philosophy of life that is grounded in good horse sense. Even among the most spellbinding talkers Lum is a standout both for what he has to say and for the way he says it. Preserved in this book, Ferris's lucky, protracted encounters with him are the best of good fortune for everybody.

William R. Ferris is the former director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. He is currently the senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Among his many awards are the Charles Frankel Prize of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Eudora Welty, (1909-2001), was one of the twentieth-century's most critically- acclaimed authors. Her literary canon encompasses works of fiction and nonfiction, including essays, book reviews, and a best-selling memoir. She is regarded as a master of the short story.