The Princeton union., 1911-11-16
.mASC0TS TABOO
ON bATTLESA|PS
Heavy Gun Firing Proved Fatal
to Pets and Caused Change,
ONLY A few ARE LEFT NOW.

The Louisiana Has a Goat and tho
Vermont a Boston Terrier and a Cat,
WhiIo the Ohio Has a Big Black
Bear.
Mascots in the United States navy
are on the decline. Of the 1O2 war
ships that participated in the grand re-
view at New York not half of them
possessed mascots. There was time
when many United States battleships
resembled Noah's ark. There was not
one mascot to ship, but seemingly
mascot to every member of the crew.
The fo'c'sle was like the menagerie
tent Of a circus. Trained pigs, goats,
dogs Of various breeds, cats Of vari-
GUS color, bears, roosters 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 of
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
ers 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 a cat or dog.
The Connecticut, flagship of Rear
Admiral Osterhaus, is minus a 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 fleet, 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 a short time ago, and the men
have not had the heart to replace him
with another.
The Louisiana's mascot is an able
bodied goat, kept between decks in
the bos'n's locker, a workroom about
four feet square. Billy Butts is the
goats name, and Billy Butts is the
pet Of every man jack aboard the Lou
isiana. Cockswain N. T. Nightingale
is the official goat keeper
Aboard the Vermont are two mas
cots. One is a Boston terrier and the
other a cat. There is nothing extraor-
binary about either beyond the fact
that they are sincerely revered by ali
the enlisted men aboard the huge war
ship. Chief Bos'n's Mate Payne de-
clares that they are the most wonder
full animals in all the world, and he
will lay great stress on the fact that
they sleep together and never scratch.
bite, spit or growl at each other.
Aboard the Ohio is the biggest mas
cot in the feet. The beast Of good
omen is none other than a huge black
bear. with shaggy coat and cold tip
ped nose, who likes nothing better
than to playfully paw sailorman or
give a backhander that sends his hu-
man admirer scrambling in the SOUP
pers. The bear has half a dozen
names. Some call him Teddy. others
call him Sam.
The Wisconsin has for her mascot a
kangaroo. This kangaroo is said to
be the greatest mascot that the Ameri-
can navy has ever possessed. 1t will
don boxing gloves and make the ships
champion slugger look like a babe in
arms in the presence Of Jack Johnson.