The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-28
Soldiers, Especially, Are Fond
of Queer Pets.
SOME OF THEIR FRANKS
Decorated Dogs, Famous Goats and
Undetermined Deer - Serious Re-
lapse OF n Once Gentle Ifgress-
Sad Fnte of n Glorious GOose-The
Military Aptitude of She Bear.

was "Old Abe" the eagle of the Eighth
Wisconsin regiment who went through
the war with credit, and lived for many
years after. a ward of the State. at
Madison. the capital. The Paris Figaro
says the love of animate is a national
passion among all The subjects of Queen
Victoria. without distinction of age or
rank. 1t is manifested to such an extent
among the soldiers of the British reSi-
ments that. if The higher authorities dis
played less vigilance. all the barracks
of Great Britain, Ireland, and India
would soon be turned into menageries.
II may be difficult to understand why
the soldiers of the United Kingdom take
so much pleasure in training animals.
Very likely men submitted to rude dis
cipline and obliged TO lead life that
knows no home feel the need of having
companions and pets from the domestic
fireside. To this perhaps must be added
considerations of another and purely
military kind. A young recruit feels o
desire 20 teach an animal, but for an old
soldier who has worn the uniform for
long time there is no greater pleasure
than the training OF dog, goat or
beaE. The adoption by the regiment of
an animal carefully trained and form
ing as it were part of the troops pre-
sens a feature in the collective life
of soldiers serving under the same OH
GERS and under the same c0lors.
According to a universal legend among
sailors, every ship has soul. This fic-
tion becomes a reality when we speak OF
the soul of a regiment. That soul has its
heroic qualities as well as its little weak
ness II lives not alone in the glorious
recollection OF battles the names Of
which are written upon the fiag-it is al
so manifested in all sorts Of pets. Ev-
cry English regiment that respects itself
must associate its destiny with some do
mestie or trained animal which in time
of peace and in time of war shares its
fatigues its hardships and its exploits.
IL the military annals Of Great Britain
there are legions of heroic dogs. Jack
was under the walls of Se1astopol with
the Scots guard. At lnkerman he fought
like a lion, and was wounded in the right
fore foot. When he returned TO England
ne received the Victoria Cross and the
Crime2n medal
In 1873, Bob. The famous dog of the
Seventh Battalion of the Royal Berk-
shire Regiment went through the war
OF Afghanistan and covered himself with
glory al the battle Of Maiwand. lie was
badly wounded in the back but with
great medical care he was at last cured.
When he returned to the metropolis ne
trotted at the head of his battalion IN
der The eyes of the Queen who herself
tied to his neck the medal commemorate
ing the campaign.
Tiny. who belonged to the engineers.
was wounded at the battle of Tel-el-Ke-
Dir; he received the Egyptian medal and
the star of The Khedive, but it is hardly
necessary to add that the. sovereign of
the land of Pharaohs had nothing to do
with his decoration.
But these brilliant services did rot pre-
vent the dogs from losing the high favor
which they enjoyed formerly in the Brit
ish army Now they are out of fashion,
and the fancy of Queen Victoria has con-
tributed somewhat to replace them by
goats. The queen offered magnificent
goat TO the Argyll and Sutherland High
landers and a white goat to each of the
three battaiions of the Welsh regiment
Each of these three Welsh goats was
named Taffy, and each wore. the number
OF his battalion. Agile. sober and easily
Ted, these animals are able 10 endue all
the fatigues Of campaign. and the es-
pr1t de corps is not wanting in them
During the recent manueVers Taffy III
knew the difference between a regular
and volunteer, as the English call their
national guard. Angered at the appear
ance of those secOnd-rate soldiers. the
goat never missed a chance to make them
feel their inferiority 10 the regulars. lie
amused himself by butting them and
chasing them round. Unfortunately TAT
fy was utterly wanting in that most in
dispensable Of military virtues, discipline
one day the colonel. in full uniform. was
talking with his officers and was about
10 mount his horse when the goat. with
out amy respect for the principles of mill
tary hierarchy, charged him and stretch
ed him at full length on the ground This
outrage Of course merited an exemplary
punishment. but the colonel could not
very We'll make a complaint against a
white goat, and especially one that wore
upon his forehead a silver plate upon
which was engraved the following in
scriptiOn: 'Taffy, gift to the Third Bat
talon Of the Welsh Regiment Dy her
Majesty the Queen, 1894"
Deer are also difficult to discipline
Mick. the name given 10 the deer of the
Royal Scotch Fusileers during their stay
On Ireland. was guilty on several occa-
si0us Of breaches of Discipline He was
rude with officers and soldiers. loved TO
chase children, and fought furious bat
ties with dogs. Mackenzie III. given by
the Queen to the Seaforth Highlanders.
was not fond of fun. lie was melan-
choly and somewhat savage animal and
very difficult to approach. Only one man
IN the regiment could do anything with
him, and that was the drum major
But the Idea seemed strange to enroll
under the British colors an animal that
distinguishes itself by its ability to run
away whenever il is in danger. The Sew
enteenth Lancers were better inspired
when they did justice to the military apti-
tude of the bear. When the regiment
was in India Prince Adolph OF Teck. who
was then a lieutenant in the army, killed
q female bear in the Himalaya Noun
tains and captured her cub. He made
present of the cub to the regiment, and
the animal soon became a great pet. It
was she cub. and the boys called her
Lizzie She was Stolen by a band of
Hindu jugglers, and some time after
ward. when the jugglers exhibited their
trained bears in one Of the villages near
Lucknow the soldiers recognized their
pet among the accomplished performers.
OF course they recaptured Lizzie. who
was once more enrolled under the colors
of the Queen, and delighted the soldiers
with her new requirements. She lived
upon bread and milk but was very fond
of beer and took regularly pint of beer
every day In the canteen. Lizzie was
model Of gentleness and docility.
When II became known in the army
that the Seventeenth Laneers had a bear
the Nineteenth Hussars determined to
have another And what a beari They
got a big black Russian bear that would
make only a mouthful of the inoffensive
little bear of whom the Lancers were so
proud Unfortunately the big, redoubt-
able animal did not reserve for the ne
mics of England the warlike qualities
with which he was animated. On the
contrary as a subject of the Car, the
bear served under the British colors