The times., 1899-05-08
GOATS ON sHIPBoARD.
Ate Everything In Sight During n
Journey to Havana.
(From the Times OF Cuban


The notice of the dissolution of the firm
of Hall, Pryor & Davis, published in The
Times of Cuba yesterday, recalls to mind
the sad experience OF Mr.. Pryor. the pion-
eer cattle trader, who was the first to ar
rive in Havana Harbor with a shipload of
cattle Immediately after the raising of the
blockade.
Mr.. Pryor came from Texas, and, finding
ready market for his cattle he wired
his agents at Galveston of his success.
Now, il seems that upon the outskirts of
Galveston, where there had been an accu-
mutation of old stovepipes and tomato
cans for many years, there thrived great
numbers of goats. happy thought struck
the Galveston agents. The people in Ha-
vana were starving. cattle were expensive,
and here We're goats by the hundreds that
could be obtained for a mere song. Why
not ship them to the starving people OF
Havana?
Immediately a message was sent over
the cable to Mr.. Pryor asking him if he
could sell goats as well as cattle. The
cattieman, elated by his success and feel
ing sure that goats would fill a longfelt
want in this devastated isle. Immediately
replied to his agents instFucting them to
ship load at once. iis'a o.
The Galveston agents procured ship
and began gathering up all the goats
about Galveston. The captain OF the ship
said he liked goats pretty well. had en-
ty of room aboard his ship, and the agents
could begin driving the goats on board
whenever they chose.
The goats were herded and chased down
one of the city streets, frisking their tails
and gamboling about in great glee,
Reaching the ship they climbed on board
like old sailors. Some went into the rig
ging some down into the hold, while 9TH
ers climbed on top of the wheelhouse or
out upon the bowsprit The capacity of
that ship for goats seemed inexhaustible
until about 1000 goats had been accommo-
dated.
1t was not till the captain put to sea
that his troubles began. The goats We're
hungry, and after eating up all the hay
which had been shipped for their benefit
and finding neither tomato cans nor stove
! pipes upon which to regale themselves they
began chewing up the rigging. The cap
tain threw up empty beer bottles at them
| till his supply of beer was exhausted and
then he cursed the goats and the men who
| sent them into the deepest depths of the
sea. But his troubles had only just be-
gun.
| The goats got familiar with the sailors,
climbed into their hunks, chewed up their
| quilts, got away with their tobacco and
| occasionally swallowed a sou'wester or a
boot. The sailors finally got mad and be-
| gan throwing the goats overheard when
ever they got chance until finally a big
| billy climbed into a sleeping sailors bunk
and looked down upon him reproachfully.
| The sailor woke up with a start, and aft
erward told his mates that after that look
| he would never throw another goat over
| board.
| Arriving in Havana Harbor, Mr.. Pryor
greeted the captain, and at once began to
make arrangements to have his goats land
ed, but, alas! 1t was found that the custom
| house authorities demanded $3.50 duty on
each goat. Mr.. Pryor made untiring ef-
forts to get his goats admitted into the
| island upon more liberal terms. but all his
work in this direction proved of little
avail.
In the meantime the ship lay idly in the
harbor, the goats continuing to chew UT
the rigging and sails. But they got the
yellow fever. and about 400 of them died
At last Mr.. Pryor. finding the Spanish
officials inexorable. ordered the ship and
the goats back to New Orleans. About this
time another American trader, by the
name of Blum, arrived with a cargo of on
ions, and, finding the duties worth more
than the onions, he ordered the cargo takeI
outside of the harbor and dumped over
board. The onions foated and formed
great mass resembling a floating island.
Then the ship with the goats left tht
harbor and a happy thought struck the
captain. If those goats didn't get any
| thing to eat there would be no rigging lef
on that ship at the end of the voyage 81
the captain hove to, and goat in tht
crosstrees spying the onions, the fragran
smell of which all the other goats wer,
shifting, tumbled down on the deck, climb
ed upon the rail and jumped upon the float
ing island. Other goats followed. and sooI
the island was disappearing down the raw
enous maws of sixteen hundred goats.
1t was not long before the island had en-
tirely disappeared. Then the goats clam
bered back aboard ship again, and tn,
voyage was continued to New Orleans
Thanking God that he had once more
reached Christian country, where no OBJ
solete laws prevailed, the captain steeret
straight into the great Mississippi. HI
was boarded by the officers at the quaran
tine station, and to his great disappoint
ment and disgust notified that he could no
proceed any further, as his goats were in
fected with yellow fever. III
This was the last straw. that broke tn
captains patience, ,and, calling up hi
crew, he armed them with Delaying pin
and marling- spikes and began to maui tn
goats up and down the deck till they wer
glad to jump overheard and take refug
on an island. According to last reports tn
goats were still frisking about on the isl
and, which has since been named Goat Isl
and. but 1t is understood that petition
before Congress to rename the island Pryo
Island.
4 a Heiglta 10.