Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01
A BILLY GOAT,
And the Joy He Caused a Man on His Wed
ding Day.

ding Day.
A REPORTER FOR THE STAR MET A
"A gentleman whose business causes him to
travel great deal day or SO ago and found
him talking about goats.
Il tell you" he said. "the goat is splendid
animal / never owned one myself and / do
not expect to, but have very kindly feeling
toward goats, and will tell you why. 1 am
city-bred man and never go into the country
for longer than q day or two at time don't
like it. You have to put up with too many in
conveniences. There is no place to go in the
evenings You don't see company enough. In
short, it's stupid and / like the city better
However, that's not the reason why l like goats
but it has something to do with it. When
you are travelling through the rural dis
tricts you don't see goat but as
soon as you begin to approach city you see
billies and nannies in plenty. Well. it hap
pened to me once on my return from New
York to Washington that l took the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad and that We broke down.
was going to be married at noon the next day
and tell you felt frightened when tumbled
out of the coach late in the afternoon and found
that We were wrecked and couldn't get back
ward or forward. The conductor and the
brakemen hustled and latter four or five hours
We got Off again on another train. Along to-
ward morning again we came to a stand. This
time we weren't wrecked. but some train ahead
of US was. delay of five or six hours again
would put me in pretty fix. There was the
bride, who would be waiting at the altar, and
the best man vainly watching each incoming
train, and high and dry somewhere between
Wilmington and Philadelphia.
Il found the conductor and told him that
had to get on to Washington; that the com
pany would have to give me a special train, if
necessary; that the government of the United
States would go to pieces if wasn't in Wash
ington before ii O'Clock. To make long story
short, managed to catch a slow accommoda-
ton train not due in Washington till ILLS
a. m, already three-quarters of an hour late
and usually an hour behind time when it got to
Washington. However it was the best could
do.
''You may talk about the longest night of
your life, but honestly believe no man ever
saw longer night than the one 1 spent on
those cars When morning came We seemed to
be creeping along. We were now an hour and
half behind time. Then did what l ought
to have done before. l went to the engineer of
the locomotive and took him into my conf
dence. He was good fellow, and lie said he d
try to get through on time but that he had
doubts whether he could do so on account of
all the stops he had to make.
"'Well, said l, You get me in Washington
at II: rs and this $50 bill is yours
No. sir, says he. .you can send me a piece
OF your wedding cake-that will be good pay
ment."
II went back to my seat and waited. The
old train went as she had never gone before.
but those COMPOUNDED way stations had to be
stopped at and it was really hard to get up any
steam between them, they were SO close to one
another.
There used to be in those DAYS a particular
billy goat that had a range Of his own about
two miles beyond the capital He was great
big fellow, with a noble long beard, and when
ever l saw him l used to be glad, for then I
knew was getting near home. His pasture
was on high embankment near the railroad
track.
''As the hour approached II l kept nv ewes
peeled for the goat. The engineer was doing
| his best, for know he passed one or two little
stations at a tremendous speed and the passen-
| gers who were waiting to get out there began
| to complain. However, didn't care for that.
| 1t was just 11:12 o'clock when we rounded a
curve in the road and forgot where was in
my excitement and screamed out in delight.
| The goat. the goatr
Yes, there was old Billy standing on the
| bluff, wiggling his stump of q tail, munching a
piece Of brown paper and looking as saucy as
goat ever looked, and goats can look yery
saucy when they try.
I'VE got in on time. My best man seized me
and rushed me to carriage, and dressed ana
got to the church just three minutes behind
time. But never see a billy goat without as
sociattng him in my mind with home and the
lucky escape had on my wedding day."
| And the engineer-did he get his caker'
asked the reporter.
You can bet he did. He got more cake than
any one else at the wedding and think he de-
served the $50 bill, only he was too in dependent
to take it."