Ray Lum (1891-1977) was an American original, a one-of-a-kind figure. In this book he speaks his mind in a colorful folk dialect and tells of the world in which he presides. 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. 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.