The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-10-25
JACK TAR'S PETS.
Little Animals Which Captured Fighting
Sailors Fancy.

Sailors rancy.
where's Jim?"
"On the spard deck, 1 suppose. Hey,
Jim, JIM"
A sleek black cat leaped from the ton
of one of the ten Founders on the United
States corvette kearsarge and scampered
below in answer to the call of grizzled
old sailor.
Jim" is the ships pet. Every man.
OF war has its pet, and for two years a
big black cat has filed the place in the
affections of the sailors on the Kearsarge.
Jim went to South America with the
ship.
That Cal" said Captain Horace Ell.
mer before the ship left the dock, will
do more to keep the men contented than
anything l can do. The mere fact that
Jim, as the men call him, is given per.
mission to have the run of the ship de-
| lights the men. They have trained him.
and during leisure moments they watch
HIS autlcs Will pleasure.
The pet on the cruiser Yorktown is n
moukey. He is a risky youngester and
an expert climber. He can get to the
top of the mainmast in less than twenty
seconds if he is feeling first rate. The
monkey has been trained to play tricks
on the crew. He has a funny way of
tickling the ear of sleeping sailor with
the end of his tail. If anyone loses a
plug of tobacco it can generally BIZ found
hidden in the rigging. When the hiding
| place is discovered the monkey breaks
out into a chatter that shows how he ap-
preciates the fun.
A very fat rattlesnake about four feet
long and as lazy as an alligator used to
be the pet on the United States survey
steamer Blake. The snake was called
| Wrig, and it spent most OF it's time in
the engine room. When Jacob Harsen
was assistant engineer the snake used to
watch his movements with great interest,
and frequently it would follow Harsen as
~ nav >N 'hohA ooS paw vi tuO sup W
the other. Wrig got caught in the
machinery some time ago and was bruis
ed so badly that he died. The body was
dropped overheard with mock ceremony.
Billy, the goat, was the pet of the Ga
lena for nearly two years. During that
period he never left the ship. When the
ship was in port the sailors would take
turns getting grass and clover for the
goat, and Aey always got gocdly sup.
| ply ahead when 1t was known that the
ship would soon sail Some time ago.
through the strategy of certain mem bers
of the crew who had been detailed to the
Baltimore, Billy was struggled away
from the Galena and to the Baltimore.
| A pair of white rats have the run of
the Monongahela. They have been
aboard ship for nearly year. For some
| reason the smaller of the two rats has
stood in wholesome fear of Lieut.. Com.
mander Gibson. Whenever the officer
appeared the rat would crouch ip a dark
corner in terror. Both OF the rats were
on very friendly terms with Lieut.. Dix
Bolles. 4
"YoI Ought to see the rats run race
on the main deck" said an old sailor
"We get them in trim for race by offer
ing them small piece of cheese, and then
taking larger piece forward. Two OF
the boys hold the rats, and at the word
GO they get under way and 90 scampering
down. The first rat to reach the cheese
gets it,"
A game cock was the pet of the boys
on the Charleston until recently. 1t was
trained to crow every time the ships
bell struck, and it did it most Justify.
The Enterprise has black cat aboard.
1t is the best fighter of any cat in the
service, so the trainer says.
There is parrot on the Chicago that
can rattle off the vernacular of the sailor
| man without akng break. He shouts
GO b low ~ whenever the sky is overcast
and the sea heavy. Snatches from Pima,
fore" have been picked up by the bird,
| and he can sing three lines of the Cum.
berland's .'-Nep York Korninq
Journal