Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-17
WARRIORS AND PETS.
TAME ANIMALS THAT ARE KEPT
BY SOLDIERS AND SAILORS.

Poodle Dogs Are the Favorite Animals
of French Regiments-TheP Pet Bear OF
the Scots Guards Sailors Are Very
Fond of Cats and Dogs.
For many generations favorite animals
have been common in the French army
Horace Nernet has painted pathetic pic
ture 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 bonlbshell,
and which marched to the roll of the drum
from Mount ST Bernard to Marengo, from
Marengo to Austerlitz and from Auster-
litZ to Madrid, to be ultimately killed by
spent shot at Corunna. The French regi-
mental dog is not infrequently large poo
dle-a fact which disposes of the calumny
that these exceptionally graceful and in
telligent members of the canine race are
not constitutionally courageous Still it
must be admitted that the ridiculous man
ner 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 we'll as in France is pleasantly
evident from the number OF black poodles
which are kept by the officers of the
guards, although it would be obviously
indecorous for such an animal, with the
preposterous frills and bosses of woody
hair on his legs and tail, to march at the
head of the corps. 1t would not seem that
many quadrupeds, save goats and dogs,
are eligible as regimental pets, and were
the goat 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 be-
comes footsore, and on march viii pick
up his subsistence from shrubs and herbs
growing in the rockiest places which
would afford no kind of nutriment to the
dog.
1t cannot be said of the goat that he is
as silly Is the sheep, but although the
creature Is willing, afiectiouate and dOcile
as may NE seen by the behavior of the
pretty little animals which draw the chill
dren'S CAaises at the watering places-it
car secrecy be said that nanny or billy is
an animal which can be made a conpau-
ion. ~ the most it win nibb!e food out If
the hand e u friend. but il can be taught
very few tricks, and il will be hopeless to
expect from it the personal devotedness
and fiGeliJy II the doc.
One regiment in she British army did.
some thirty years HgG, cnaeavor to domes-
ticate ~ q pet Hu animal of a very differ
emf manure. When tue Scots guards-thcn
the Scots Fu>ileer guards-were At Mon
treal, in Canada, whittier they had been
III. d. o D
on the seizure of the British mali steamer
Trent BY Ire American Captain Wilkes,
the regiment became possessed of young
bear. Naturally, in aocoruaace with die
proverb, the Juvenile brUin had all his
troubles to come, bus the GUross of his
early education WAS sufteueI 10y the kind
ness OF the CHEEKY guarCsmen who tCoh
him in hand
Hc coCid he taught to uudge about the
barrack yard arm in arm with discreet
mon com" and under these circumstances
he behaved dCmurely enough, but when it
was q private who wpS his companion, That
rolling gait common to bears o.. q. .tr hind
legs, and which ordinarily gives them the
aspect Of mariners somewhat disguised ia
liquor, occasionally irr;ta;ea Tommy At
kins to the extent Of pTavokiu. him u adj
minister box on the ear of tine unsteady
''ursa minor
The "ur O. a. V;ss that the animal. be
in very wei fed, --~a with Uucowfor;-
able rapljitr. 1t was not u be ,.Nps.f=!
that he should march on his hind LEG at
the head Of the regiment and ii bee mad
been U.uZz' ed and lea by chain clos. To
the big drum. French Canadians
would probably uave called on the bear
to dance, which would have been sadly
derC--.-r-' ~ tie dignity Of "a regiment
so ij. g renowned. The ultimate
Gl>ti. u' the Scots Fu-.lrer guards
bear .s- rr.uauIy rucuarcric. ulle., it
Is e. b. bod. ..a abundant biscuits and buns
ca,-. lis. for lis divorce from military
society
Wbsn W. -aru to the social life OF the
sis. service 10 vii be found that there is
as great prediction for naval a. for
military pets Occasionally il happens
that uding officer Of what may be
called thp''w.lite kid glove school" objec :
to the presence Of Il dog on board. but the
harmless, nee ssary cat is usually tolera.e ed
between lccA,. Jack manages somehow
to have bis pets, and when he lands in Eng
land after long cruise be very often
makes his appearance with varied assert
meut Of monkeys, wallabys, marmots. mon
gooses and especially parrots and macayes.
Inc parrots nave Echtraiiy become most
| accomplished hnguists during the cruise,
! but their vocabulary is occasionally Us
| lively Us that acquired by the historic
! French parrot, Vert-vert, which had Sc
edited with his pious CALCULATIONS the in
mates of the nunuery where he had been
reared that another convent passionately
| implored the good sisters to lend them
| Vert-vert for u season, in order that they
might euioy his iruproying conversation
Their request was acceded to, only, un.
/ fortunately, the deYout bird was sent tc
| bis new destination by water, and on board
the canalboat by " hich he Travelled there
| was squadron of Dragons. which in the
! course of day 50 perfected his education
| that ere two hours bad passed at the con
vent where he had arrived half the nuns
! were in Mysteries OF horror, excited by thu
| shocking language OF the abandoned feath.
cred biped, which had forgotten all his
! devoii onal prisons and swore literally like
I the troopers who taught him.
We laugh at old maids for their some
! times nprbnOs too exubarant forTnacc fo,