Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-07-04

Il
Register, is Hammond all over.
We stated, q long time ago, that there
would be trouble some moonlight night among
the cats that congregate on the long shed IN
the rear of our dwelling. We gave notice
that we had wasted more wood on them than
we were able to spare-that we had used up
all the brick bats that we could lay our hands
on--that VIC had thrown away something less
than tun Of coal-and had smashed a win
dow on the opposite block. All this proving
of no avail, we said we had got double
barrelled gun, and percussion caps, md pow
der and the shot; and some morning after a
moonlight night, somebody's cai wouldn't
come home to breasfast, or if it did it would
be troubled with the dumps. We gave fair
notice Of our grievances, and what we inten
ded to do about them.
Well, the moon came up on Monday night,
with her great, round face, and went walking
up the sky with queenly step, throwing her
light like mantle of brightness, over all the
Garth! We love the calm Of moonlight
night, in the still Spring time, and the cats of
our part Of the town love it too; for they
come from every quarter-from the sheds
around the N .tonal Garden from the ktch-
ems and from the stablcs-creeping sscalthily
and sofily along the tops of the fences, and
along the sheds, and clambering up the
boards that lean up against the out-buildngs
they set themselves down, more or less of
them, in their oldtrysting place--right orpo-
site our ch amber window. To all this we
had, in the abstract, no objection. If a cat
choose to take quiet walk by moonlight
if he choose to go on. for his pleasure or his
profit, it isno particular business of ours,
and We haven't a word to say. Cats have
rights, and we have no disposition to inter-
fere with them. But they must keep the
peace. They must get up no disorderly meet
ings, no unlawful assemblies. If they choose
to hold convention they can do i'for all US
but they must 60 about it decently and in
order.
They musttak matters over calmly; there
must be no rioting, no fighting. They must
refrain from the use of profane language
they mustn't swear. There's law against all
this, and We warned them long ago that we
| would stand no such nonsense. We said
we'd let drive among them witha double bar
relied gun loaded with powder and duck shot,
and we mean it. But these cats didn't be-
licve word we said. They didn't believe
we had powder or shot. They didn't believe
we had any gun, or knew how to use it if we
had. And one great Maltese with eyes like
tea plates and tail like Bologna sausage!)
| grined and sputtered, and spit in derisinn
and defiance at our threats. every we'll %
said we, every well, Mr.. Tom Cat. Try it
on, Mr.. Tom Cat, and see who'll get tho
worst of it.''
We said the moon came mp Monday night
with her great round face; and all the little
stars hid themselves as if ashamed Of their
twinkle in tho splendor of her superior
brightness. We retired after the baby had
been put asleep in his crib, and the rumble
of carriages and carts had ceased in the
streets, and the scream of the ten O'Clock
train had died away into silence, with quiet
conscience, and in the confidence that we
should find that repose to which one who
has w1ongod no man during the day is justly
entitled. 1t may have been eleven O'Clock
| possibly midnight. when we were awakened
| from pleasant slulnLer hy babel of un-
earthly sounds in the rear of our chamber
! We knew what those. sounds meant-thev
| had cost us fuel enoush 60 have lasted us Il,
| week. We raised the window: ana there as
OF old, night opposite us, on th' north end of
that loig shed, was an aSsemblage of all the
cats in that part of the town. We won't
| be precise rs to the number, but it is our
| honest belief that there were less than three
hundred OF IN; and if one among them
all was silent, we didn't succeed in discov-
| which it was. There was that same old
Maltese with his great saucer eyes and sau-
| sage tail; and over against him sat q mon
strous brindle; and off at his right was an
old spotted ratter; and on his left vas one.
black as VOLTS mouth, all but his eyes,
which glared with sulphurous and lurd
hrJ cnH Iott nl al
| space of thirty feet square, were dozens
more, of oil sizes and colors-and such
growing, and splitting, and shrieking, and
swearing, never before broke, with hideous
discord, the silence Of midnight!
We Loaded our double barrelled gun by
candle light, W. put plenty of powder and a
handful of shot into each barrel. We ad-
justed the caps carefully, and stepped
out of the window upon the narrow
roof upon which it opens. We were
then just eight rods from the cat con-
vention, and We addressed ourself to the
chairman, (the old Maltese) in distinct and
audible voice, and cried ssScatp' He didn't
recognize our right to the floor, but went
right on with the business of the meeting.
"Scato' cried we more emphatically than
before. but were answered by an extra shrek
from the chairmaB, and iercer scream from
the wholc' assembly. s'Sc.t once!'' cried
we again, rs we brought our gun to a
present. ''Scat twice!' and we aimed straight
at the chairman, and covering half dozen
others in range. !s.scat three times!, and
we let drive. Bang went the right hand bar
rel and bang. wentthc left hand barrel. Such
scampcrirg such running away over the caves
OF the oat buildings, over the tops of the
wood sheds, were never seen before. The
echoes of the firing died away when the whole
assernDlage was broken up and dispersed.
homps.o said We next morning, to the
boy who does chores for us, ssthere seems to
be q cat asleep out on that shcd-go up and
scare it away Thomas cambered upon
the shed and went up to where that cat lay,
and lifting it up by the tail, hallowed back
to Us. ssThis cat can't be walked ND, it can't
be scared away-it's dead.'' After exam n
ing il moment. ssSomebody has been a
shooting of it by thnnder!'' said he as be
tossed il dowa in the yard. ssYou don't saw
So" aald we. That cat was The old Maltese.
the chairman OF that convention-but he WON'T
preside over another very soon We don't
know where he boarded or who claimed title
to him. What we do know is this that
It cost quarter to hayehim buried or thrown
into the river; and if anybody owned him all
we ask is, that he should pay us back our
quarter, ana the difference between his value
and that of the powder and shot We expepd-
ed on him, we'll throw in the vexation Of be.
ing broke of our rest, end the wickedness
Of using certain expietiyes--under the ex-
CT efnent OF the o-esrionA-whieh are not to
be found IN any of the religious works of the
day. q
MasusAcTualsc cIAarAcsE.-A complaint
has, been entered on the complaint book Of
Mayor Wood, of New Yook against cham.
payne manufacturer. According 70 the SUM-
day Courier: sa4xr5, 8
somebody hada iuepair of patent leath-
ers ruined BY walking past his door, and the
indiyidaa being of,an investigating turn Of
mind, set about DISCERNING the, cause. It
seems that hat 49, uses large quantities OF Wit
rioi ami marble dust to iinpart ereryescence
properties to his mixture, md that he emp
t,es It into the streets rster i has full
alsea ils purpose The complainsnt stepped
n M .n s. mss as y lay before 's door.
and Of ran ,.xt,,s.J Il