The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-29
ROOSEVELT GIVES Us A PET,
JOSIAH, PRESIDENTS BADGER.
GOES TO THE BRONX.

Wne 1Attl0 Ghfto present That PreSldent
Didn't Refuse-Badger's Last Name
Lost I'm the Roar of Special Train
-Raccoon DOS Moved 10 Make Room.
Not the least interesting of the many in
teresting things which left Oyster Bay
yesterday in the baggage car Of the Presi-
dents special train was Josiah, the badger.
The departure from Sycamore Hill meant
very much to Josiah. For him the trip
was no new moving from one White House
TO the other, as 1t was for Alan, the Skye
terrier, which Mr.. Roosevelt calls the per
fectly ridiculous dog, or for the other pets
attached to the Presidents family. For
Josiah the departure was in very fact the
leaving Of happy home-the severance
OF all formal ties with the Federal Govern
ment.
The President had given him to the
Geological Gardens in this city. and one Of
Director Hornaday's attendants was at the
Long Island Railroad station to get him
when the train pulled in. That was at $50
O'Clock in the morning. and he didn't get to
the TOO until 8 o'clock in the afternoon
The most Of the time between he spent in
John Sussons saloon, at Third avenue and
18Sd street. This circumstance doesn't
denote any moral perversion on his part.
He couldn't help being in the saloon. and
while there, according to the bartender,
he behaved himself as decorously as any
sef-respecting badger with the best OF
training would be expected to behave.
The attendant left Josiah in Susson's
saloon after taking the box in which he
was confined up to ls3d street in an elevated
train. The box was too heavy to carry
over to the gardens and he deposited it in
Susson's place while he went for carriage.
The news that the Presidents badger was
in the saloon spread up and down Third
avenue and along the side streets like
wildfire. Sussons was soon packed.
Josiah brazenly poked his nose up between
the Stats and made noise that sounded
like .Del-ha-ny" (Delhany is the name OF
the Presidents smIessenger(, which, &c. Of course.
refrain of beer beer, beer!"
When Josiah finally arrived at the Zoo
piece OF meat was g ven to him, and then
he curled up and went to sleep He will
be taken out of his box this morning and
put in cage near the puma yard, opposite
The white raccoon dog will have to give up
his cage to Josiah. that the new arrival
from Sycamore Hill may have most con-
spicuous spot. The Margay cat will have
to take back seat for the sake OF the raccoon
dog and as for the European badger, which
Is, by the way, the only other badger in
the gardens, it won't be one, two, three
even in badger game. A special plate
bearing Josiahs name and other interest
ing information about him will be put up
on his cage.
Josiah had been a pet in the Roosevelt
family for about six months. He was
given to the President by little girl at
welt stopped there on his tour through the
West At that time the badger was only
a few weeks old. The President had just
finished delivering speech from the rear
platform of his car when the little. girl
raised the badger up TO him in a basket.
Call it J. H. she cried. as the train
started to pull out.
"Who is j. R3" the President shouted
back
He's my brother Josiah" and the
noise of the train drowned out the rest Of
the name. So that's how the badger came
to be called simply Josiah.
after the President returned from the
West, and was then brought on to
Oyster Bay. All the Roosevelt children
grew to be very fond of Josiah, and the
President himself had lots of fun with him
lily lllt luS tIy Vi tile AMI
NAL sounds wonderfully like the name
-Delhany." and the circumstance has fur
nished any amount Of amusement at Saga
more Hill and in Washington, much to the
discontinue Of Delhany. the Presidents
private messenger. The badger grew fast
during the summer and had begun to
show signs Of being ugly, and the Presi-
dent hesitated about letting his children
play with it any longer He hasn't told
them, though, that the title of ownership
has been transferred Internationally to
the Zoo" Josiah had the dsagreeable
habit also Of making life unpleasant for the
Presidents dogs, and it isn't at all doubt
full that they will rejoice along with the
gardener. who had the job OF keel ping Josiah
from dig pinr out Of his ca pe af his transfer.