The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-21

intelligence considerably above the
average, also received public attention
recently. He is the pet of all on board
the Terror, and it said that the equip
ment department of the ship carries
a peculiarly toothsome class of spun
yarn for his own consumption. When
the monitor first went into action, Billy
became panic-stricken and refused to
be comfOrted until he had been car
ried clear down into the double bot
TOMS Billy is borne on the ships
books as a regularly enlisted member
of the crew, and his name has often
figured on the punishment list of the
executive officer When the victorious
feet finally returns tC American waters
and a great parade is held on shore,
Billy will dOubtlessly lead his part of
the procession with the air of a vet
Gran.
When James G. Blaine was resting
at his villa in Bar Harbor, a few
months before his fatal illness. lie paid
a brief visit one day to the flagship of
the North Atlantic squadron. then in
port. The officers of the ship Wed in
showing their distinguished visitor the
various objects of interest The guns
We're described and worked, the mys-
teries of the coming tower revealed,
and all parts of the vessel thrown
open for his inspection; but the only
thing which really held the statesman's
attention was the spectacle of
griZzled old boatswain's mate fondIing
pet kitten. The antics of the little
animal and the tenderness with which
the grim petty officer handled it
brought smile to Blaine's careworn
face. and ignited again in his eyes the
kindly light familiar in his happier
days.
This affection for pets is no modern
iTo-1nNrafin,,
armored turret and breech-loading
rife. Everybody who has read the old
English sea stories will remember how
fond the sailors used to be of pets on
board ship. The tale Of "Shakings."
the midShipman'S dog Of the old Lean
der, in whose memory all the officers
dogs on board. and, the ships pigs as
well. were put into mourning by the
midShiDman by means of strips of
black cloth, which the lads tied around
the animals fOrelegs. is one Of the most
humorous in literature. Nelson's Off
GERS, IN the fleet off ToulOn, had their
dogs, with whom, we are told they
used TO take runs aShore at Madalena
and elsewhere; and the story of Col
haywood pet, Bounce" and his airs
as MY lord, the admiraFs dog" over
the other dogs OF the fleet. is historic
Naval sailors do not discriminate in
their selection of pets. 1t appears that
any old thing with four legs is good
enough for the average blue-iacket
But when he does smuggle an animal
en- board, whether it be a dog, q cat,
a goat, bear, or a pig, that animal is
bound to experience such q course of
training that it i ever after shine
among its kind. 1t is really marvellous
the amount OF intelligence a gunner's
mate or a ships cook can find in such
an ordinarily stupid fowl as a duck or
a goose. Old Jim Lawson. a quarter
gunner on the Sabine, appeared on
board one morning with a heavy list |
to starboard in consequence of a bout /
with the rum shops of Rio Janeiro, and !
when he was oyerhauled by the cor /
poral of the guard, a-bulky object was |
found in the full of his shirt front 1t |
proved, to the great establishment of |
the onlookers, to be small, half-grown |
crane
Jim was permitted to retain his queer
Pet. after much pleading. and within a |
month he had the crane taught to
march and countermarch like a regu-
lar marine When the ships crew
lined up at the guns for quarters,
Bobs. the crane would take his sta
ton on the breech of the forward /
pivot, and perch gravely there until
the ceremony was over. .Bobs' came
to an untimely end in a pampero. or
fierce squall off the coast of Uruguay.
being blown overheard during lurch
OF the ship.
One of the most famous of naval pets
was pete" the trained ape of the Els
sex Pete was picked UP in Monrovia
by a petty officer while the ship was
cruising off the west coast in 80. He
V as purchased for a second hand ma
riae blouse and a pair of furnished
epaulets. and when he made his first
appearance on board, he made things
by biting the master-at-
arms and tearing a yard of cloth from
the paynaster's capacious trousers 1t
was only through the most earnest
pleading that the captain, A H Mac
Cormick was induced TO allow the ape +
TO, remain on board. Before the cruise
was many months older the COM
nander freely confessed that Pete had
erept into his heart by his quaint ways
and almost human intelligence
Pete stood three feet ten inches in his
and it was not long before
4 costume was selected for him. The
irst uniform he wore was patterned ]
after that of a marine. The overcoat
bore the three stripes and the diamond
If first sergeant. and before Pete
sad worn it twenty-four hours that |
lon-c commissioned officer was at the
mast with q complaint It's a holy
;hcw, the monk do be making of me.
;or," he objected. The whole ships
.nmpany is saying. Attention. Petel {