The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-12-01
NASCOTS TABOO
ON BATTLESH|PS
HEAVY GUN FIRING PROVED IA.
tai TO THEIR PETS.
ONLY A FEW ARE LEFT NOW

The Louisiana Has a Goat and the
Vermont a Boston Terrier and a
Cat, While the Ohio Has a Big
Black Bear
Mascots in the United States navy
are on the decline. or the 102 war
ships that participated in the grand re
view ut New York not half OF them
possessed mascots. There was time
when many United States battleships
resembicd Noah's ark. There was not
one mascot to ship, but seemingly
"A mascot to every member OF the crew.
The fo'c'sle was like the menagere
tent Of circus. Trained pigs, goats,
dogs of various breeds, cats of vari-
Gus color bears, ROSTERS and other
specimens OF the animal kingdom de
lighted the hearts of the jolly tars.
But there has come a change.
In some cases the commanders or
the ships are opposed to mascots on
the ground that they are a nuisance.
on other ships the surgeon objects.
claiming that dogs and cats are breed
Crs and carriers OF disease. But the
chief reason for the passing Of the
sailors pets Is that the terrific concus-
sion aboard the big boats during tar
get practice IS fatal to mascots.
| But there are mascots still. Often
down between decks, in a quiet corner
seldom visited by officers, the men
| have seCreted cat or dog.
The Connecticut flagship OF Rear
| Admiral Osterhaus, is minus n mas
| cot.
On the Michigan the men have two
mascots in the shape Of Boston bull
| and an English bull. Between the two
dogs and Seaman j. G.. Faulhaber, the
| end man Of the ships minstrel troupe
! the men of the Michigan are amply
! supplied with mascots. Seaman w. j.
| Hagmayer. the champion buck and
wing dancer of the Atlantic feet, Is
also one of the cherished treasures OF
this big ship.
! Aboard the North Dakota the men
ton of the word mascot brings pain
for Zip, the white dog mascot Of the
ship, IS no more. He was lost at Nor
folk q short time ago, and the meL
have not had the heart to replace hin
with another.
The Louisiana's mascot is an able
bodied goat. kept between decks ii
the hos MS locker, a workroom about
four feet square. Billy Butts is the
goats name, and Billy Butts is thu
pet of every man jack aboard the Lou
isiana. Cockswain y. T. Nightingale
is the official goat keeper
Aboard the Vermont are two mas
cots. one is Boston terrier and the
other n cat There is nothing eXtraOr
binary about either beyond the fac
that they are sincerely revered by a.
the enlisted men aboard the huge war
ship. Chief BUs'n'S Mate Payne de
Clares that they are the most wonder
full animals in all the world, and b,
will lay great stress on the fact tina
they sleep together and never scratch
bite, spit or growl at each other.
Aboard the Ohio is the biggest mas
cot in the fleet. The beast of gooC
omen IS none other than huge blacl
bear with shaggy coat and cold tip
ped nose. who likes nothing bette
than to payfully paw a saiorman o
give a baCkhander that sends his hu
man admirer scrambl!ng in the soup
perS. The bear has half a dozel
names. Some call him Teddy, other
call him Sam.
The Wisconsin has for her mascot {
kangaroo. This kangaroo is said Il
be the greatest mascot that the Ameri
can navy has ever possessed. 1t will
don boxing gloves and make the ship
champion slugger look like a babe il
arms IN the presence of Jack Johnson