Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1907-01-08
A Short History of
l1au DOmesticated Geese.

hsaa DOmesticated Geese.
.;--4lL-l--2gb.1B
II history, literature and art all
IN pay homage to the goose and
-this goes back to every anci-
ent times. The earliest poetical al
qusion to the goose which we re-
tnember to have seen is IN Homer,
where Penelope says Il have twenty
geese at home that eat wheat out Of
water, and ] am delighted to look at
them" This was written probably
about 1900 years before the begin
ning Of the Christian era.
As..thc geese were evidently do
rhesticated, and as they are mention
I'd in 9 casual manner it is prob
able that this fowl had been do
mesticated long before this time.
Among the Greeks and Romans it
seems to have been the only dornes-
tic waterfowl known and from nu-
merous illusions to it they evidently
held it in as great esteem as we do
after-a lapse of more than 5000 years.
Virgil calls it the silver goose,'
in connection with the saving Of
Rome, this incident occurred S88
years before Christ. 1t is worth
while to quote from ancient history
the acdodRt 81 Ibis. expldit bf the
sacred geese Kept IN J honor df the
goddess Juno. The historian says:
Thus they were employed at
Veil, whilst, in the meantime, the
citadel and capitol in Rome, were in
the greatest danger. The Gauls
preceiving the track of a human foot
where the messenger. from Veil had
passed OR from their own observa-
ton had remarked the easy ascent at
the rock of Garments; on.a moon
light night, therefore, having first
sent forward a person unarmed to
make trial of the way, handing their
arms to those before them, when
any difficulty occurred, supporting
and supported in turns and drawing
each other up according as the
ground required they climbed to the
summit in such silence that they not
only escaped the notice of the guards
but did not even alarm the dogs,
animals particularly, watchful with
regard to any noise at night.
"They were not unperceived, how
ever, by some geese, which being
sacred to Juno. the people had spar
ed, even in the present great scar
Iitylof food; a circumstance to which
they owned their preservation, for
kthe cackling. of these. creatures, and
clapping Of their wings Marcus Man
Illus was reused from his sleep a
man of distinguished character. in
war had been consul the third
year before, and snatching up his
arms, at the same time calling the
rest to do the same, he hastened to
the spot, where while some ran
about in confusion, he by a stroke
with the boss of his shield, tumbled
down a Gaul who already had gain
ed a footing on the summit and this
mans weight, as he fell, throwing
down those who were next, he slew
several others, who in their conster-
nation, threw away their arms and
caught hold of the rocks to which
they clung. By this time many of
the garrison had assem- bled at the
place, who by throwing javelins and
stones, beat down the enemy, so that
the whole band, unable to keep
either their hold or their footing
we're hurled down the precipice in
pomiscuous ruin"
Lucretius referring to this event
attributes the vigilance of the geese
to their sense of smell, saying, '..The
white goose the preseryer of the
citadel of the descendants of Romu-
Ius, perceives at a great distance the
odor of the human race. " .A
| . Pliny, the historian. who perished
during the destruction Of. Pompeii.
A. D. 70, referring to the same event
SAYS ,'dThe goose is carefully
watchful; witness the defense of the
capitol, when the silence Of the dogs
would have betrayed everything. 1t
is possible also that they have some
J;eoo,.rpoant of wisdom Thus one