Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-03-02
The Cat Tnsurrection.

The Cat Tnsurrection.
At the time it became publicly known that
Napoleon, then on board the Bellerophon off |
Plymouth, was to be sent to St. Helena, re-
spectacle looking man caused number of
hundb.s to be distributed through Chester, in !
which he informed the public that great num-
Der Of genteei families had embarked at Ply. |
mouth, and would certainly proceed with the |
/ British regiment appointed to accompany Bona
pare TO st. Helena. He added further, that
the island being dreadfuy infested with rats,
| h majcsty's ministers had determined that it
! should be forthwith effectualy cleared of these
noxuls animals. To facilitate this important
! purpose, he had been deputed to purchase, in
! the course ofa week, as many cats and thriving
! kittens as could possibly be procured for money
! in that short space of time, aud therefore, he
| publicly offered in his handbills, l6 shllings
for every athletic full.grown tom-cat 10 shil-
/ lings for every adult female puss, and halfa
crown for every thriving, vigorous kitten, that
could swill milk, pursue a ball of thread, or fast
en- lis youug fangs in dying mouse. On the
evening OF the third day after his advertisement
had been distributed, the people ofChestor were
| asonished with an rruption Of a multitude of
old women, boys and girls, into their streets,
| every one of whom carried on their shoulders
either bag or sack, which appeared preg-
nant with some restless animal, that seemed
i laburing into birth. Every road-every lane
was thronged with this comical procession
and the wondering spectators OF the scene were
involuntarly compelled TO remember the old
RIDDLE about St, Ives
CAS- was going to ST. Ives,
met fifty old wives,
Every wife had fifty sacks,
Every sack had fifty cats,
Every cat had fifty kittens
Kittens, cats sacks and wives,
How many were going 10 st, Ives ~
Before nighttall, congregation OF nearly
5000 cats were collected in Chester. The hap
py bearers ofthcse sweet voiced creatures, pro-
ceedcd all Gas directed by the ADVERTISEMENT
towards one street with their delectabe bur
dcns. Here they became closely wedged to-
gethcr a vocal concert soon ensued. The
wcmen screamed--the cats squalled-the boys
| atiU ulfiS S0Tlehcu anu tIle Jugs vi
street howled base, so that it soon became diff
cult for the incest ear to ascertain whether ca
nine, feline, or the human tones were predomi-
nant. Some Of the cat.bearing ladies, whose
d spositions were not of the most placid nature,
finding themselves annoyed by the pressure OF
Their neighbors, soon cast down their burdens,
and began to box. battle royal ensued.
The cats sounded the war whoop with might
and main. Meanwhile the boys Of the town who
seemed nightly 10 relish the sport, were uc.
tve'y employed in opening the mouths o: the
deserted sacks, and liberating the cats from
tn, r forlorn situation.
The earaged animals bounded Immediately
on the shoulders and heads of the combatsn,s
and ran splitting, squaling, and clawiug along
the undulatlng sea of skulls, toward the wall,
Of the houses of the good people Of Chester
The citizens attracted by the noise, had opened
= their windows to gaze at the fun, Into these
I windows the cats instantaneously sprang, tax m
possession of the rooms bya novel kind or storr
or cscalade. The cats, in their sudd en- assaol
on the drawing rooms, unt. Other spartnent
ofthe Chesterltes, rushe;l with. rapidity of lgh
nlnG up the pillars, and across the ballustrade
aud galleries, for which the town is SO famou
ana SO slush dast. through the open window
III" 'he. opsn apartments. Never sine
'' Gays OF the celebrated llugh LUPUS
were the drawing rooms of Chester file
nth such crowd Of funwelcome guests Mo-
d, were heard the crash Of the broken chna-th
bowling OF afr GIFTED lap dogs--the cries oi dr
trcssed damsels, who wept their torn faces ar
l.shagrllcd charms--aud the groans of TAT o
citizens rushing and tumbling forward towaT'
the balconies, bald bare and bleeding. a
Chester was soon in arms, and dire were u
deeds of vengeance on the feline race. Ii
~ needless to recte the various combats that TOT
y" place between the cats and men. Suffice
!" that our correspondent counted 500 dead bodI
''' floating the next day on the river Dee, whe
NC they had been ANONYMOUSLY thrown by u
u two.legged victors. The rest Of the invadir
AZ host having evacuated the town, dispersed
utter confusion, carrying with themb howeve
their arms from the field of battle.
,ly A loye-sick swain, In order more fully to a
ck, certain the mind of his "lady love enclosed
he letter with the following verse:
rd- II you were dog and was hog,
4 ,f,t,' n