Fainting Goats

Surely the craziest creation of Mother Nature in Tennessee is the nervous billygoat. Clap your hands at one of these goats, say "Boo!" or maybe just appear around the corner of a barn catching them unawares, and they fall in a faint, stiffen their legs, roll their eyes, and look like they are dying.

Heard the other day about them. Heard Robert v. James, one mile north of Jefferson City, had a flock of them. Drove up to see. Mr. James was not at home. But his father, R.T. James, said he'd show me.

The goats, billis, nannies and kids, were picking grass in a lot. Looked just like any other bunch of goats. We walked into the lot. When we were up close the goats quit picking and started walking away. Mr. James told me to clap my hands. I did.

One of the kid goats dropped like it had been shot! Its legs pointed straight at the sky, and were as rigid as poker sticks. The oldest billy, and the only other goat of the group close to us, dropped his hindquarters to the ground, but didn't pass out completely. He dragged his stiffened hind part for a few yards, then recovered, and walked laboriously away.

You could have poked me over! It certainly was something I wouldn't have believed without seeing first.

Back in Knoxville, I told of what I had seen. Only two of all I told believed it, George Carmack, editor of the News-Sentinel, and Frank Weaver, the Gay Street restaurant man. All others hee-hawed loud and long. Their horse laughs sort of got my dnader up. So I took Warner Ogden, one of our staff men who makes pictures, and went back to the goats for more proof. And, Waner got the proof. Look at the pictures!

These fainting goats were brought to Jefferson City 12 years ago from Middle Tennessee by the late W.C. Taylor, then a Jefferson County undertaker. Mr. James bought them. He's kept the breed strain pure since.

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