Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-07-28
From the Albany Register.
A SHY ATTHE CATS.

"Suu UO hOuuic cOtnc uoOhilbut Hlbut
among the cats that congrcgate on the long
shed in the rear Of our dwelling. We
gave notice that we had waved more wood
on them than we were able TO spare, that
We had used up all the brickbats tha we
could lay our hands on-that we had
thrown away something less than ton of
coal-and smashed window on the oppo-
site block. All this proving of no avail,
we said we had double-barrelled gun,
and percussion caps, and powder and shot:
and some morning after moonlight night
somebody's cat wouldn't come to break
fast, or if it di it would be troubled with
the dumps. We gave fair notice of our
grievances, and what We intended to do
about them.
! Well, the moon came up on Monday
night, with her great round face, and went
walking up the sky with qHeenly step,
throwing her light like a mantle of bright
ness, overall the earth Welove the calm
OF moonlight night, in the still Spring
time, and the cats of our part Of town love
1t too; tor they come from every quarter
from the sheds around the National Gar
den--from the kitchens and from the sta
b!cS-creeplng steaithily and softly along
the tops OF the fences, and along the sheds
and clambering up the boards that lean up
against the out buildings, they sat them
selves down, more orlcss of them, in their
trysting place-right opposite our cham
bcr window. To all this we had, in the
abstract, no objection. Ii a cat chooses to
so out for his pleasure or his profit, it is
no particular business of ours, and we hav-
ent word to say. Cats have rights and
we have no disposition to interfere with
them. But they must keep the peace
They must get up no disorderly meetings,
no unlawful assemblies. If they choose
to hold a convention they can do it for all
us-but they must so about it decently
and in order.
They must talk matters over calmly;
there must be no rioting. no fighting
They must refrain from the use of protane
language-they mustn't swear. There
law against all this, and we warned them
long ago that we would stand no such non
sense. We said we'd let drive among
them with double barreled gun loaded
with powder and buck shot, and we meant
it. But those cats didn't believe word
we said. 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!)
grinned and sputtered and spit, in derisior
and defiance at our threats. Very we'll!
said we, very will, Mr.. Tom Cat, very
we'll indeed! On your head be it, Mr.
Tom Cat. Try it on Mr.. Tom Cat, and
see who'll get the worst of it,
We said the moon came up Monday
night with her great round face; and all the
little stars hid themselves as if ashamed O.
their twinkle in the splendor of her snpe
rior brightness. We retired after the ba
by had been put to sleep in his crib, and
the rumble of the carriages and carts hat
ceased in the streets and the scream of the
ter o'clock train had died away into silence
with quiet conscience, and in the conf
dence that we should find that repose te
which one who has wronged no man du
ring the day is justly entitled. 1t ma,
have been eleven O'Clock, possibly mid
night when we were awakened from
pleasant sIumber by babel of unearthl
sounds in the rear Of our chamber. w
knew what those sounds meant-tbey hat
cost US fuel enough to have lasted week
We raised the win low; and there, as O
) old, right opposite to us, GU the no. tn ent
of that long shed, was an assemblage o
all the cats in that part of the town. W.
won't be precise as to numbers, but it i
our honest belief that there were less tha,
three hundred of them; and if one anon,
them all was silent, we didn't succeed il
discovering which it was. There wa
that same old Maltese, with his great sau
: Ger eyes and sausage tail; and over agains
him sat monstrous brindle; and off a
his right was ar, old spotted ratter; and Of
his left was one, black as VOLTS mouth
all but his eyes, which glared with sulphur
GUS and lurid brightness; and dotted al
around over space of thirty feet square
were dozens more, Of all sizes and color
and such growing and splitting, an,
shrieking, and swearing, never befor
broke with hideous discord, the silence o
midnight
We loaded our double baerelled gun b,
candle-light; we put plenty of powder an,
handful of shot into each barrel. w,
adjusted the caps carefully, and stepped
out of the Window upon the narrow roo
upon which it opens. We were then Jus
eight rods from the cat convention, ant
we addressed ourselves to the chairman
the old Maltese, in distinct and audi
bic voice, and cried 'Scat!' He didn' re
cognize our right on the floor, but wen
right on with the business of the meeting
Scat! cried we again more emphaticall,
than before, but were answered by an ex
ira shrek from the chairman, and fer
cer scream from the whole assembly,
Scat, once! cried we again. as W,
brought our gun to a present. Scat
twice! and we aimed straight at the chair
man, and covering. half dozen other
within range. Scat, three times!' and VI.
let drive. Bang! went the right barrel
and bang! went the left hand BARREL
Such scampering;such leaping offthe shed
such running away over the caves of tn,
out buildings. over the tops Of the wood
sheds, were never seen before. The echo.
of the firing had scarsely died away wher
the whole assemblage was broken up anc
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