Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-08
A CRUISERS PET ROOSTER.
The Only Living Thing on the Chicago which
NAV Violate the Regulations.

The Only Living Thing on the Chicago which
NAV Violate the Regulations.
Irom the Now York Tribune.
II has been said Of . maiden Of advanced and
admitted ago with that fondness for making
pets Of canary birds and maltese cats so COM
mon-at least 90 attributed to be-among that
otherwise lonely GLASS Of the human family that
she changed her mind as TO the advantages
Of single blessedness and got married. II 10
also said that . short time afterward an old
not necessarily In years, 1but in consistency and
friendshfp-friend made;her . call and noticed
the absence OF the pet canary. the pet parrot
and the pet cat. This was so unexpected a
change that the member OF the Society OF Old
Maids felt moved to ask where they were, and
got this reply: "Oh, I find that dear husband
possesses all OF their qualities and have disposed
Of them"
One might suppose that because so many Of
the American war vessels have pet dog, pet
cat, pet goat or pet something else that IL
IL to remind the officers or the sailormen of the
wife at home, for the navy regulations forbid
the federation of q woman on a vessel of war.
But many mariners will declare that a woman
Is nuisance on board a ship, while a pet
bird or some four-footed animal is in
dispensable.in fact, is looked upon as a mascot,
a harbnger OF good luck Many of these
pets have been mentioned in print at times,
but there is one that has been overlooked by
newspaper men who have had the privilege
of visiting the cruiser Chicago. He lie a
rooster, an ordinary. common BARNARD fowl
apparently, with nothing in his first appear
ance TO suggest that he is of more value than
the Acknowledgment fowl brought to
Washington market every day by the Long
Island or New Jersey truck farmer
But woe to the man or woman who would at
tempt to harm this omniverous bird-omuiver-
Gus because he will eat any thing that can posi-
bly, be digested. In fact. he has been known to
make his breakfast on "scowse," and has taken
luncheon on plum duff. p" salt horse" and
"hardtack." This pet bird WAS purchased
with a lot of other fowls at Barbados about
eight months ago, when fresh meat was a luxury,
and with the expectation that in time he would
grace the ward room table some day at sea.
He struts about the deck in n way and manner
which would seem to imply that he wanted
everybody to observe that he is what he ID
called in Latin, and which is used a slang
term among sports, ''gnllus." When in port
he spends his whole day on shore picking M
the little atoms of grain OF sand lying in the
cracks about the bukhead: and at night. in
stead of going off, as the sailors do. to drink
and be merry. he returns on board and goes
to roost under the forecastle. Nothing more il
seen of him until daybreak, except at every
half hour, when the watch cries out from his
station, "Alls well, the gallinaceous member
OF the crew sounds forth lusty crow.
lie showed himself to be such a vigorous and
gamey bird at first that the crew begged of the
ward room officers that his life shonld be spared
until he should reach the age of retirement.and
the officers assented. lie jumps from his perch
at the same time as the boatswains mate tIrns
out from his hammock at daybreak, and when
the boatswain's pipe sounds the gay cock-of-
the-wGlk follows with the chorus. And when
Eight bells is struck he sits down at the mess
cloth and takes his rations with the sailors.
The brightly polished ventilators are his
bane. and they often are cause Of serious
annoyance to his natural pride. Sometimes he
finds himself standing in front of one of them
and seeing his own image reflected he imagines
1t to be another rooster come to associate with
him. but he will have none of il. When this
rejection appears he forgets the restrictions of
the articles of war and the careful training
on a man-o-war during peace times. and
the old Adam taxes possession of him. In an
instant his head is lowered. his neck feathers
stand on end and then he makes desperate
leap and lunge with his spur to find that his
antagonist is piece of bright hard metal
Then he walks away with Disguised air, as
much as TO say: Fooled agan. and by my owr
shadow, and the fellow still lives"