The evening times., 1896-11-06
Billy" a Virginia Kid, and
His Franks.
HOW HE ACTS WHEN TIPsY
The Crew Discovered Him Twelve
Months Ago, and Took Him on a
Voyage to Nicaragua-His Ex-
perience With Sea Sickness-His
Tastes, Antipathies and Friends.

| SHOuiueT, INDICATING u siBdi, mdck goat
which was chasing the second mate around
| q discarded cannon and about the docks in
the navy yard and playing leap frog with
Fish" the big tomcat, whose home Is also
| on the boat.
Last Sunday afternoon the United States
| dispatch boat Dolphin steamed up the Po-
| tonac and landed at the navy yard.
Foremost among hercrew wosB Billy and one
| ofthefirst to step ashore us coon asthe gang
! plank was stretched
Billy has been called gCat. That is just
| little incorrect; for he Is not, but he Will
be one when he grows older. He is but little
| more than kid, though lie has much of the
| combativeness OF an older animal. Just
now he is passing through that adolescent
period of his life when he is neither kid nor
| goat, though possessing nearly all the at
| tributes of both. He has not get acquired
| that hlrsute appendage for which his tribe
| is noted; hisis yet a beardless youth; neither
| have his horns attained sufficient length to
| do any material damage, though they are
| now beginning TO grow.
BILLY Is FROM NORFOLK.
BILLY began his mundane existence
| down in Norfolk, near where the peanuts
grow, about fifteen months ago. 1t is not
| recorded there were any particular features
| or interesting incidents attending his M
| ity. None who locked upon him saw any
| e~ceciaI poIits auour 'isHiy' trat mari ea
| him as any different from any other kid
| He was not seventh SOP, or born under
| lucky star, or anything OF that kind, and
no one pruphesicd even a bright future for
MIN. People thought he would just grow to
| be comm on eyerda ygoat, and that wasall
But "hlIy' has IIseII and achieved great
| success life. He is yet young and already
globe tTOtter, and knows a heap, as
vouched for by every one of the 125 sailors
on board the Dolphin. How "-.IiI='' came
fly
| accident than anything else. though it must
be admitted that his pleasant manners have
added much to his popularity.
It was ghis way rpEt 'f;EIy came to he
the mascot on the Dolphin.
just atoIt a year ago tie ship lay in port
al Norfolk awaiting orders The sailors
had been discussing the situation. II would
never do to go 10 sea again without a suit
able mascot. true there was Fish, the
old cat, but that somnolent feline had out
lived his usefulness. and was little good
either to himself or any one else. He was
getting old, fat and correSpOndingiy lazy.
He had forgotten all his tricks, and 1t was
the euniversalopinon thata new mascot was
an absolute necessity.
One balmy autumn afternoon several
sailor boys We're saunterinE slowly down
Main street. when they e>pied a small
pickaninny seated in little dry goods box,
10 which had been attached two old cart
wheels, which wobbled from side TO side
FOLLOWING RorE REINs.
This conveyance was being hauled by an
old goat, harnessed to the vehicle by a
mess of old-straps and strings, and pair
of rope reins, which the driver held III his
hands. Closely behind followed a small
threemonths-old kid. That was ''Rilly,'"
only he did know who he was tnen; for he
had no name.
Say, son, whatll you take for the kid?''
st.r,s p . m
Well, boss, 'speCks he ought ter be
wo'th bout a dolIah. Deed, he's a right
smart good 'un,'' replied the urChin.
well, drive down TO the dock and Wen
see," said tn mate.
The lad Eeed OF and halted at the gang
plank OF the Dolphin The bargain was
at once cOusgmmated, and each sailor
clipped in one red penny, and the transfer
was nI5de. The kid was taken aboard
where he bleated for few moments,
but pan OF milk soon soothed the orphan
Then he was takeninto the cabin and intro
dncen to the captain, who at toncechristcncl
him Billy
Next day the Dolphin put to sea on long
voyage. and in few hours 'Bily" was the
''slckesL' goat i'll seventeen States. From
side 10 side OF tie deck he staggered, and
added his contribution To the ocean Just after
the manner OF man.
Then he lay down as if he didn't care
cayenne pepper Peck's Bad Boy could mus
ter would not have aroused him But he
soon got over that, and began to make
friends With his new masters, and found
that life was worth living, after all.
1t was when his career was just budding
that he came near losing his life. BILLY"
among all the Joys of his new life had not
altogether forgotten his old nanny, and
out upon the stiffness of the night when
the sailors sought repoSe and none hut the
watch were on guard. 'Billy's'' bleatings
could be heard much To the annoyance ofthe
sleepers.
THOUGHT HIM 4 JONAH
A plot was formed TO cast Billy out into
the eeep Blue sea, aItcr tne manner IN
which Jonah was thrown overheard.
When the angry seamen went To lay
hands on billy, he sought refuge with the
ShiD's painter, who was his friend and was
standing on the bridge Like Horatius, the
wielder of the brush held back the would-be
slayers and BiIly's life was saved. He has
forgiven them all now, but he still remen-
bers the prcserver of his life and he and
the painter are the warnest of friends.
Billy Is general favorite now, and il is |
an unsettled question as TO who is the more |
important parsonage on the ship, Capt. |
Clover or Billy. For some Unaccountable |
reason he has taken great dislike to the |
colored firemen on board and never misses |
an opportunity TO deal them telling blows; |
for Billy is a royal bumper, one of the |
natural instincts of wellfed goat. There |
is no mlstaking the fact, too, that he selects |
shrewdly the time and place Of his attacks. |
Billy is very particular as to what his |
diet shall be. AT times he demands raisins, I
aud at such periods the best that the vine |
yards OF California produce are none too |
good for the mascot, and all that he can |
eat in the bargain.
Again, all the gold in the Treasury re- |
serve couid not induce him to touch raisin, |
On such occasions he usually wants slices |
OF raw potatoes, and the cook never fails TO
acquiesce in his wishes.
CHOICE IN HIS DIET
Between these two extremes his appetite
oscillates, but as a steady, all-round dish, |
which is always included upon his menu,
nothing suits him better than corn-Indian
any style. Side dishes are cab
bdge and other nick-nacks. The sailors are
allowed u bottle of beer twice each day,
and Billy" always comes in for his share,
which is as much rs the rest OF the crew
At first the drink made him tipsy, and
the sailors delighted TO get Billy Jagged"
10 watch his funny pranks and see him
stdgger. Now it has no effect upon him.
Like all of his kind, Billy has an undying
passion for straw hats, napkins and other
brio brac, and the manner in which he can
dispose of a newspaper would make him
Valuable addition to the circulating depart
ment of any well-regulated journal.
Last summer Billy went with the ship
down to Guatemala, but the tropical eli
mate did not agree with him and he be came
much emaciaied, and his life despaired of.
He has "regained his flesh now and has
grown great deal, so that his ply sical
gives him the appearance Of IA