The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-07
QUEENS ARMY PETS.
EVERY REGIMENT HAS ITS OWN
SPECIAL FAVORTTE.


Are All Well Taken Care Of and
Their Privileges Are Numerous.
From the London Telegraph.
The most distinguished corps in the British
army, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who on
Thursday were enjoying an ovation at St
Asaph and were the recipients Of a congrat
uIatcry address from the high sheriff Of the
county. has sustained a very melancholy
bereavement.
The valiant CambriAns had the mis-
fortune to lose their goat Billy. presented to
to the regiment by her majesty the Queen.
While on the march Billy was placed on
a " sgon, and from this he fell, the wheels
of the vehicle passing over the body Of the
poor animal. which was killed outright.
Billy's demise, it is stated, is much deplored
in the regiment, and the lord mayor Of
London, himself Welshman, has prompt
ly offered to repair the sad loss by the gift
or another goat, the engaging quadruped
deceased having been one OF long success
sion of "Billies" whose tameness and grace
fulness have won golden opinions for them
from all ranks in the Royal Welsh Fusifiers.
| Nor is this the only regiment in the serv
ice which enjoys the advantage Of having a
| four-footed pet 20 trot by the side OF the
drum major. At least one regiment
of the household brigade should rejoice In
white goat whose horns and hoofs on
gala occasions are sprucely gilt.
| One of these favored animals, indeed, was
| remarkable for his punctualiJy in attend
ing church on Sundays, and for his eKem-
plary conduct during morning service, but
those were good qualities that he shared
with the dogs of the highland shepherds,
| which are habitual adherents Of the Sabbath
congregation at kirk.
These exemplary animals, again, have
rivals in Italy and Spain, where it is COM
mon tosee the dogs Of the picturesquely clad
shepherds sitting plactdly in church by the
side of their kneeling masters, and, in q
spirit OF self-sscrifice worthy of ell commen-
| dation subduinR an evident inclination to
howl when the organ peals its loudest.
At the head of another British regiment
there has long marched an antelope, suggest
| i've, possibly, of the service of the corps in
India but, all things considered. the goat
and the dog possess practically monopoly
of favor as regimental pets.
For many generations favorite animals
| have been quite as common also 10 the
| French army.
Horace Vernet has painted q pathetic pict-
ure of the dog Of the regiment licking the
| hand of wounded soldier, while there Is
an equally popular song describing the ca
reer of a regimental dog that was born at
Cairo and Graded in an empty bombshell,
| and which marched 70 the roll of the drum
from Mount ST. Bernard to MarenEo, from
Marengo to Austeriitz aud from Austerlits
TO Madrid, TO be ultimately killed by a spent
| shot at Corunna.
The French regimental dog Is not infre-
| quently large poodle fact which dis
| poses OF the calumny that these exception
ally graceful and intelligent members Of
| the canine race are not oonstitutionally
| courageous.
Still, it must be admitted that the ridicu-
| lous manner IN which poodles are ordinarily
shaved Is productive to the irreverent Of
| slightly ludicrous effect, and it is manifestly
in the highest degree inexpedient that a
regiment on the march should excite the
hilarity Of civilian spectators.
That this particular kind OF dog has not
| lost his hold on the military affections in
England as well as in France is pleasantly
| evident from the number of black poodles
| which are kept by the officers of the
| guards, although Ii would be obviously in
decorous for such an animal, with the pre-
posterous frilis and bosses of woolly hair on
his legs and tell, to
MARCH AT THE HEAD OF THE CORPS.
1t would not seem that many quadrupeds,
save goats and dogs, are eligible as regis
| mental pets; and we're the goat q little more
intelligent he might, perhaps, prove a very
\ formidable rival to his canine friend, since
| the goat is one of the hardest of animals.
scarcely ever becomes footsore, and on a
| march will pick up hts subsistence from
| shrubs and herbs growing in the rockiest
| places, which would afford no kind Of nutri-
ment to the dog,
1t cannot be said of the goat that he is as
silly as the sheep, but although the creature
| is willing affectionate and docile-as may be
seen by the behavior OF the pretty little
| animals which draw the children's chaises
at the watering places-it can scarcely be
said that Nanny or Billy is an animal which
can be made q companion.
At the most it will nibole food out Of the
hand of a friend, but 1t can be taught very
few tricks; and it will be hopeless to expect
from it the personal devotedness aud fidel-
ity of the dog.
One regiment in the British army did,
some thirty years ago, endeavor to domes-
ticate as a pet an animal of o very difference
nature.
When the Scots Gusrds-then Scots
Fusilier Guards-were at Montreal, in Can.
ada, whittier they had been sent during the
| political scare consequent on the seizure of
the British mail steamer Trent, by the
American Capt. Wilkes. the regiment be-
came possessed of young bear.
Naturally, in accordance with the proverb
the juvenile Bruin had all his troubles &c
come; but the duress of his early education
was softened by the kindness of the CHEEKY
guardsmen who took him in hand.
He could be taught to trudge about the
barrack yard arm in arm with q discreet
''non-com," and under these circumstances
he behaved demurely enough: but when il
was private who was his companion thai
rolling gait common TO bears on their hind
legs. and which ordinarily gives them the
aspect Of mariners some lat disguised il
liquor, occasionally.
IRRITATED TOMMY ATKINS
to the extent Of provoking him TO admins
ter box on the ear to the unsteady "Ursa
Minor"
The worst of 1t was that the animal, being
very we'll fed, grew with uncomfortable
rapidity.
1t was not to be expected that he should
march on his hind legs at the head of the
regiment, and if he haG been .muzzled and
led by chain close to the big drum, the
French Canadians would probably have
called on the bear TO dance, which would
have been sadly derogatory to the dignity OF
regiment SO historically renowned.
The ultimate destination of the Scots
Fusilier Guards bear was probably a me-
nagerie, where it is to be hoped abundant
biscuits and buns consoled him for his
divorce from military society.
When We turn TO the social life of the
sister service it will be found that there is
I