The Nevada journal., 1855-09-21
Shot at the Cats.

Inc following graphic picture is from
the Albany Stote Register:
We stated long time ago that there
would be tronble 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 brickbats
that we could lay our hands on-that we
had thrown away something less than a
ton OF coal, and had smashed windoE on
the opposite block. All of this proving
OF no avail, we said we had got double
barrelled gun, and percussion caps, and
powder and shot; and some morning, af-
ter moonlight night, somebody's cat
wouldn't come home to breakfast, or if it
did 1T 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 the sky with queenly step,
throwing her light like mantle of bright
ness, over all the earth. We love the
calm of moonlight night, in the spring
time, and the cats in our part of the town
love it too, for they come from every
quarter-from the sheds around the Ma
tional Garden-from the kitchens and
from the stables creeping stealthily and
softly along the sheds, and clambering up
the boards that lean up against the out
buildings, they sat themselves down, more
or less of them, in their old trysting place
right opposite our chamber window.
To all this We had, in the abstract, no
objection.
If a cat chooses to take a quiet walk
by moonlight-if he chooses to go out for
his pleasure Or his profit, it is no partic-
ular business Of ours, and we havn't
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 go 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 pro-
fame 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 with double barreled gun
loaded with powder and duck shot, and we
meant it. But those cats didn't believe
word we said They didn't believe we
had any powder or shot. They didn't be-
lleve 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
a Bologna sausage,) grinned and sput-
tered, and spit in derision and defiance at
our threats. every we'll !" said we, every
well, Mr.. Tom Cat, very well 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 on Monday
night with her great round face; and all
the little stars hid themselves as if ashamed |
of their twinkle in the splendor of her su-
perior brightness. We retired after the
baby had been put to sleep in his crib,
and the rumble of the carriages and carts
had ceased in the streets, and the scream
Of the ten O'Clock train had died away in
to silence, with a quiet conscience, and in
the confidence that we should find that re-
pose to which one who has wronged no
man during the day is justly entitled 1t
may have been eleven O'Clock, possibly |
midnight, when we were awakened from a
pleasant slumber by babel of unearthly
sounds in the rear of our chamber We
knew what those sounds meant-they had
cost US fuel enough to have lasted US a
week. We raised the window; and there
as of old, right opposite US, on the north
end of that long shed, was an assemblage
of all the cats in that part of the town
We won't be precise as to the numbers,
but it is our honest belief that there were
less than 5000 of them; and if one among
them all was silent, we didn't succeed in
discovering which one it was There was
that same old Maltese, with his great sau-
Ger eyes and sausage tail; and over
against him sat monstrous brindle; and
on his left was one black as wolf s mouth,
all but his eyes, which glared with a sui
phurous and lurid brightness; and dotted
all around, over space of thirty feet
square, were dozens more Of all 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 barrcled gun by
candle-light; we put plenty of powder
and a handful of shot into each barrel
We adjusted the caps carefully and
stepped out of the window upon the mar
row roof upon which it opens. We were
then just eighty rods from the convention,
and we addressed ourself to the chairman,
the old Maltese, in distinct and audible
voice, and cried "Scat !" He didn't re-
cognize our right to the floor, but went
right on with the business of the meeting.
"Scat!" cried we again, more emphat- |