People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1896 — HAD TO RELEASE THE PETS. [ARTICLE]

HAD TO RELEASE THE PETS.

Soldiers Caller ted Specimens of Nearly AU the Animals of the Country. “There were some very amusing Bights at Vera Cruz when the French and Belgian troops were evacuating that city and leaving Mexico for their foreign home after the collapse of the attempt to place Maximilian on the throne,” said General Joe Shelby, the ex-confederate to a Kansas City reporter. “During the campaign in Mexico these troops had been pretty nearly all over the interesting portions of that wonderful country, and as they continually saw new wonders they were continually selecting novelties to carry back home with them. They had hol’ected specimens of pretty nearly everything animate and inanimate that was in the country and every company was loaded with them. They had young mountain lions, ant-eaters, armadilloes, birds of rare plumage, little animals and big ones, and curios galore, quite enough to load many wagons. “The officers never intended the specimens should be carried away by the men, but they had hesitated to order them to dispose of their collections during their march for fear there would be trouble. “But when they were ready to embark and leave Mexican shores thp brigades were marched down to the wharf. They were lined up and ordered to ground arms. Then came the second order to release all animals held captive by the men. They were all lined up under the muzzleß of the frowning cannon from the fort, and were unarmed, and there was nothing to be done but to obey the order, and the animals were released and such a collection as went skipping off was a surprise to the officers who were in command. The men had the smaller animals concealed beneath their capes and coats, perched on their shoulders and hidden in every other manner imaginable, and the whole collection resembled the march of Noah’s collection in the ark. The men grumbled at the order, which they declared was useless and unreasonable, and went away without their pets. There were loads of curiosities left lying in a promiscuous heap on the wharf after the men left. It was one of the most novel sights I ever saw.”