The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-09


mascot intuition or a mere combination
of band, shouting and cheering that
touched the howl-producing strain in
the dogs nervous system can't be de-
cided, but the racing people like to be-
lieve that it was howl for Herrnis,
and not for mere physiological rea-
sons.
An April-FOOI Day Colt.
Two years ago last April Fools Day
the men and boys were seated at
breakfast in the dining room at the
Haggin stable. All Sing, the Chinese
cook, was busy ladling out oatmeal
and preparing smiles that would stay
on all day. when he suddenly raised
his sharp little eyes and exclaimed:
Where is Bailey boy?" and for the
first time the men and boys noticed
that the most diminutive boy about the
stable was missing from his place.
However, before anyone had time to
go in search of the missing one he ap-
peared in the doorway painting and
very flushed.
Il say. fellers,' he managed to Jerk
up from some place in the region of
his diaphragm, 81 say, there's a colt
down in the little ponys stable-hon-
est"
Now until the addition of this last
word not one at the table had doubted
Bailey, but that word was just enough
to start the fuse of incredulity, where
upon the boys, recoIlecting that it was
the 1st of April, retorted
, Jaw, gwan, Bailey; you can't fool
us, even if it is April Fools Day."
Then, Bailey became indignant, and
so vigorously did he protest against
all possibility of a joke that one of the
boys offered himself as a victim and
! accompanied Bailey to the stable
There, sure enough. was little colt
beside the Shetland pony that belongs
to Mrs. Joyner.
Bailey was delighted, and to him was
given the honor of naming the new ar
rival. Here Bailey's superstition came
to the front.
"I'll tell you, fellers," swinging his
drab cap on his head hind end to,
well name her No. 10, cause she was
born on April Fool. You see, it's bad
luck to be born on that day. but this
bad number will set it right--see?"
So the colt was named No. IS, and
two weeks later became Waterboy's
| mascot. 1t all happened this way:
Waterboy was being ridden out of
the stable on his way to "early gall
lops." AS he passed the Enclosure
where the little colt was kept the thor
oughbred whinnied and No. 10 did her
best to respond; then this colt, as yet
very long of leg and short of body,
trotted along by the fence and con-
versed in horse language with Water
boy.
It is interesting to note how very
much attached animals become to each
other. For instance. every morning
when Waterboy goes to exercise the
colt goes too: if she doesn't the big
horse seems lonesome and actually be-
comes sulIxy. At the races No. 13 is
always to be found in the field. and
she has not missed a race since she
was able to make the distance between
the stable and the track.
The Billy Goat With Irish Lad.
Irish Lads mascot, in the nomenela-
ture of a gentleman of color at the
track, is ''jes' a nat'ral animile." 1t
| is a goat. The reason Billy (for what
animal in the shape Of a goat could
be known by other than this cognomen
that has been Numerically passed
| from generation to generation of goats)
is termed a national mascot" is for
\ the simple reason that he is a goat.
1t is well-recognized fact that a goat
will quiet a nervous equine. Irish Lad
| is an exceedingly nervous horse, and
when the point of Mysteries is reached
and a sedative is necessary Billy is
brought into the pine-top carpeted stall
and within a short time has by dis
tracing the horses mind from it's own
state Of nervous succeeded in quieting
the animal.
This particular Billy that belongs to
Irish Lad is a little brown goat
| brought from the West Indies by some
animal-loving sailor. Billy has a fine
bunch of whiskers. and his horns are
! of proportions great enough to inspire
| terror in the mind of Boots. his self
appointed guardian. Boots, a little
black boy, is hardly more curious than
Billy The pair seem we'll mated, and
by mutual agreement are constant
| companions when Billy is 'off duty
dat goat he near kill me one day"
exclaimed Boots, rubbing his woolly
| pate. HE jes' dun run right over
me; he didn't care how much bigger
J than he / was. He was out in the
! grass an / was stan'in' here by the
! pump; he sudden looks up and see
de stall doc open, and he jest make
a line fer de doc and run right over
me and den-den he horned me, so"
and the woolly head made two or
three butting motions. But" added
Boots in a pathetic little voice, ''he
/ good mascot all same"
Has Ambition to sOOthe.
Billy sleeps in the stall with this
famous racehorse. At meal time Bill
! ly is always on hand, not to eat, but
simply to sit by and take notice. He
seems to understand that his whole
mission in life is to play the soothing
role for Irish Lad. Whenever this
horse is in nervous condition Billy
seems to know It, and makes great
rumpus outside the stall until the door
is opened for him.
This Parrot Not "A ''PoIIy."
T.. T.. Slmathers has a horse and a
| parrot. The horse is big Mac" Nc
| Chesney's mascot is not more nor less
than a bird Of brilliant plumage; but,
saving grace, he is not Polly" nelth-
/ err does he insist that he wants a
cracker" just after having eaten. Nor
does he call necessarily for Ethel. In
fact save a habit OF slight profanity.
the bird is a model, and this particular
mold must have been broken when Dick
was Matched.
"McChesneyi McChesneyl--oh. Nc
Chesneyl" is the first cry heard in the
morning about the stable. The bird
sleeps on a beam high. up In the stall
and makes a fuss when shut up In
cage
McChesney and this bird are great
friends and the big horse does not seem
90 object 20 the birds making a perch
of his baok-in fact, many an hour
does DICK spend ensconced IN the mid