The Washington times., 1901-09-29
MlSCOTS OF THE SAILOR.
Animals and Birds Supposed to
Bring Luck to Ships.
A1Iisators, Monkeys, Parrots, Goats,
and Dogs Petted While at Sea-
SuperstItions Prevailing on board
vessels-A Necessary Part of Crew.

and Dogs Petted While at Sea-
Superstitions Prevailing ON board
vesseIs-A Necessary Part of Crew.
II sailors are afflicted with supersti-
tions they are also fond OF mascots Near
ly every ship which comes to this port
mas dog or cat or a goat or an alliga-
tor or rooster, or something else which
the sailors took to for protection against
the FURY of the elements and the wiles of
the evil one. 1t Is astonishing how these
mascots are careo for. In nearly every
instance they are fed from the captains
table. and whenever they are SICK every
man on board exerts himself to find some
remedy for the aiiment, and they are
never satisfied until cure is effected.
Nascots are as old as the hills with the
sailorman. He has had them ever since
he has believed In the story about rats
leaving sinking vessel. or that other
superstition about leaving port Friday
meaning certain death. II Is useless to
argue that the mere presence of a goat
viii cause deviation Of a hurricane
from Its course. or that the meow of a
tcat will cause bullet to fall before its
force is spent. 1t is all a useless and
thankless job to try to argue anything
with sailor when once he has made up
his mind to thing. and he has made up
MS MIND that mascots are very necessary
parts OF ships crew, and there IL an
end Of It.
The mascot Of the steamship Montezuma
Is an alligator. cunning fellow, about
two and one-haK feet long. He was
brought aboard when he was as small az
lizard. They got him down at Quaren-
tine. and to hts presence Is attributed all
the good luck which has followed the ship
since. The men will tell you with a grave
race that the reason they have had no
| trouble with the muleteers they carry
regularly to South Africa is due to that
alligator. They will tell you seriously
that the reason they have never had dis
ease or shfpwreck or any of those mis-
haps is because the alligator has hoo
dooed the weather man and the microbe
They believe 1t. and they steadfastedly
| refuse to wean themselves from the idea.
They look after that reptile as though
ne were Kings son. They give him q
place in the bathtub. and they spend if,.if
day chasing flies and other insects to
be sure he gets good dinner When
rations are short they will cheerfuIly
divide with their four-web- footed friend,
who has a face like a griffin on the top
OF e public building. and mouth like the
Isthmus of Panama.
derstands. When they are feeding him he
smiles over about three feet of mouth. and
shows his teeth, and they imagine he is
pleased, and give aim more They say he
crawis to the feet OF the men who give
MIN the most to eat, and therefore there
Is generous rivalry to see who will get
his favor Unless something happens to
put a stop to this practice that alligator
may die of indigestion
The mascot on the steamship Memnan
ID billy goat The appearance of that
goat would knock holiday out of the
calendar. or postpone Sunday or accom-
phsn almost any other heinous design
He has been all around the world ind
back again, and he Is still going ind
travelling all the time one of the, cabin
passengers. He goes where he pfeases-
ana when he pleases. and there Is not a
soul to say him nay The man who would
Dc SO brave as to propose any limitation
10 the license or liberty of that goat
would be uncermoniously pitched over
board without benefit of clergy. The aga
of the goat no living man will undertake.
to prophesy. He was there years and
years ago. and he is there yet The fight
OF the years seem to have passed him
oy. HIS beard has about the same num-
Der OF hairs In 1t now as 1t had ten years
~oN, eiia thc uuttiflS capacity mas been
strengthened instead of decreased
The way to make friends with the can
tain and the crew. and everybody else in
any way connected with the Memnon. is
to first make friends with that goat. and
every man who goes aboard with his
pockets full of tin cans and brown paper
and things of that kind is held In grateful
remembrance by the men on the ship
Every morning "Billy's" hide is carefully
soaked and every evening his bed Is made
with the same degree of care as IL the
owner OF the boat were going to use the
bunk There are all sorts of stories about
this goat. They say he scented a hurri-
cane once and warred the officers by run
ming around like mad and believing as il
he were mortally wounded. At first they
did not know what to make of it, but in
time they found the wind rising and saw
the clouds, and knew the goat had pre-
warning. This accidental gay
ETY. fixed for life one goat.
The mascot on the steamship Ashanti.
the British ship which went to sea the
other day. Is a common cur dog. There
IS nothing of high degree about him. He
ooks as common and unattractive as any
icg on any street in the world, but won-
terful things are on the books of the
ship to his credit They say he has saved
.wo or three lives, has kept the pantry
lear of rats and mice, guards the vessel
when she is in port. and knows the voice
If every man of the crew. He was born
in England, and they found
him aboard after they had saiIed and
,dopted him, and since then he has been
happy, and well he should be,
or he has been as carefully looked after
md tenderly treated as any dog of
Millionaire. He has a buffalo robe on
which to sleep: he Is clothed In scarlet
md fine raiment in winter to keep his
ody from the cold air and the sea, and
shen one of the wharf rats strikes him
hat boy must be fleet of foot II he gets
way without chastisement.
Some of the fruit ships have mofihaeyy
nd parrots as their guardian angels
hen Jack Is at sea he has time to teach
hem tricks. and he never overlooks
hing there is to be learned, so he can
lake show when he gets to port Some
ines, down on the Ievee there are rare
The crews of the several
hips fraternize, and they bring their
lascots along and brag on what they
an do, and there IS grand competitive
rfI with the interested owners and
pectators as judges. All these trials
how how hard the men work TO win
he approval of the other sailors, and they
emonstrate what can be done with the
west order of animals by patience and
ltelligence-New Orleans Times Demo-
rat.
WANTS HIS SALARY,