Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-11
4 Cats Nine Lives

A Cats Nine Lives.
The tenacity with which cats cling to
the one life which they possess, has no
doubt given rise to the popular supersti-
ton that they are endowed with nine.
An Irishman once said: Goats may be
kilt a good many times, but only once
kilt entirely" and it is probable that
that the real truth may be found in this
Celtic epigram. Mrs. Macdonald, a
Scotch lady, declares that she knew of
cat which was in the habit of frequently
haunting stables and perching herself on
so violently kicked by a horse as to be
found lying stiff and cold beside wall.
Having been a favorite with the man
who thus discovered her, poor Tabby
was picked upand laid in certain corner
of the farm yard until her mourner
could find time to give her decent
burial. Lying here all day in the sun,
she was found at milking time by SER
want girl, who fancied that she perceived
in the body some faint signs of life and
who took it indoors and tended it with
humane soGcitude. The cat not only
soon revived, but ultimately recovered.
" She lived to a goodly old age" pro-
ceeds our informant, but abjured the
turf-she never backed favorite again..
" Another cat was known by the same
lady to have revived and lived after
having been caught in trap by q cruel
gamekeeper, beaten over the head until
blood gushed from both ears, and having
had its tail cruelty Topped off besides! On
the same authority we are told of a cat
which was hit by a boy with stone,
and which dropped seemingly dead. The
boy, afraid of detection, carried the body
10 cornfield not far away, and for three
days afterward visited the spot where his
victim was lying, each day finding her
in the same spot, stark and still. On the
fourth day, however, she was gone, and
that evening the astonished boy found
her at the door of her masters house, de-
murely washing her face as though moth
ing SO remarkable had occurred as her
own resurrection. The following case of
suspended animation in cat is affirmed
to be absolutely authentic: A humane
Scotchman wished, for certain private
reasons, to get rid Of his cat. He had
not the heart to hang her; there was no
poison in the house, and there was no
sheet Of water near his abode sufficiently
deep in which to drown her. ACCORDINGLY
he placed her in a sack, tied it's mouth,
and digging a hole in the garden, lowered
her down. "Pll no hurt We, poor puss."
he said, while firmly and gently pressing
the earth over her; and yell no be lang
O. deeing there, for we Gamma live wantin'
breath" He merely intended this grave
for temporary one, and the next morn
ing he opened it with the intention of
placing pussy's remains elsewhere. To
his surprise, however, pussy jumped out
Of the bag, alive and well, and immedi-
ately and permanently fled that portion
OF the country.
An Inscription with Meaning.
In the old burial ground adjoining the
Gohsenhoppen Reformed Church, in
Upper Hanover township, Pa, is a tomb
stone which bears the inscription: GA.
D. Rosina Schultz, murdered June IA,
ammo 1850 Aged 20 years. For death
is come up into our windows Jer. tx,
81" The scriptural quotation has an
actual significance. The story of the
affair is now told as a tradition. Her
husband was away from home, and she
lightly punished a slave for some offence.
He made up his mind to kill her, but
better spirit prevailed, and he went to
his work in the field. The old story saws
that while there an apparition in the
form Of a white man appeared before
him and said, "Don't kill herp' It dis
appeared, and black man came, who
whispered, "Kill her!" These two
spectres confronted him alternately all
day, until nightfall. Then the white
man disappeared, leaving the black man
alone, who still kept telling him to kill
her. At midnight he seized butcher