The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-20

could begin driving the goats on board
whenever they chose.
The goats We're herded and chased down
one of the city streets, frisking their tails
ana samboling 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
others climbed on top of the wheel house
or out upon the bowsprit. The capacity
OF that snip for goats seemed .inexhausti-
Bile until about 2.0OO goats had been ac-
commodated
II was not ill the captain put to sea that
his troubles began. The goats were hun
cry, and after eating up all the hay which
had been shipped for their benefit and
hnding neither tomato cans nor stove
pipes upon which 10 regale themselves,
they began chewing up the rigging The
captain threw empty beer bottles at them
until his supply of beer was exhausted.
and then he cursed the goats and the men
who sent them into the deepest depths of
begun
The goats got familiar with the sailors.
climbed into their hunks. chewed up their
quits, got away with their tobacco and
occasionally swallowed a sou wester or a
boot. The sailors finally got mad, and
began throwing the goats overheard
whenever they got a chance, until finally
a Dig billy climbed into "a sleeping sailors
punk. and looked down upon him reproach-
fully The sailor woke up with a start.
ana afterward told his mates that after
that look he would never throw another
goat overheard
Arriving in Havana harbor. Mr. Pryor
greeted the captain and at once began 10
make arrangements to have his goats
landed but. alas! it was found that the
custom house authorities demanded $50
GUY on each goat. Mr.. Pryor made I'M
.irlng efforts to get his goats admitted
INTO the island upon more liberal terms
put 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 up
the rigging and sails, But they got the
yellow fever, and about four hundred Of
them died
AZ last Mr.. Pryor, finding the Spanish
onlclais ineXorable, ordered the ship and
the goats back 20 New Orleans. About
this time another American trader, by
the name of Blum, arrived with a cargo
OF onions and, finding the duties worth
more than the onions he ordered the cargo
taken outside of the harbor and dumped
overheard. The onions floated and form
ed great mass resembling a floating
island.
Then the ship with the goats left the
hdrpof ana a happy thought struck the
captain. If these goats didn't get any
thing 10 eat, there would be no rigging left
on that ship at the end or the voyage. SO
the captain hove to. and a goat in the
crosstrees spying the onions, the fragrant
smell of which all the other goats were
smiling, tumbled down on the deck, climb
ed upon the rail- and jumped upon the
floating island Other goats followed, and
soon the island was disappearing down the
ravenous 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 the
voyage was continued to New Orleans.
| Thanking God that he had once more
reached a Christian country where no OBJ
solete laws prevailed, the captain steered
straight into the great Mississippi. He
was boarded by the officers of the quaran-
tine station, and to his great dlsappolnt-
ment and disgust notified that he could
not proceed any further, as his goats were
infected with yellow fever
This was the last straw that broke the
| captains patience, and, calling up his
| crew. he armed them with Delaying pins
and marling-spikes, and began to maui the
goats up and down the deck till they were
| glad to jump overheard and take refuge
on an island. According to last reports the
| goats were still frisking about on the is
| land, which has since been named Goat
| Island, but 1T Is understood that a petit
ton is before Congress to rename the Is
| land Pryor Island.