River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-12-20
Cats and Borders or the Bermuda
Islands.


As we enter the edge of the tow
(Hamilton, Bermuda Islands) that Sunda!
afternoon, we stopped at cottage to &c
a drink of wafer. The proprietor, mid
die aged man with a good face, asked III
to sit down and rest. His dame brought
chairs, and we grouped ourselves in th'
shade of the trees by the door Mr.: Smitl
that was not his name, but it will an
swer-questioned us about ourselves anC
our country, and we answered him truth
1 fully, as a general thing, and questioned
him in return. 1t was all very simple
and pleasant and sociable. Rural too, fol
there was pig and a small donkey and
/ a hen anchored out close at hand, by cords
to their legs, on a spot that purported tc
| be grassy. Presently a woman passed
along, and, although she coldly said moth
ing, she changed the drift of our talk
Smith said:
"She didn't look this wav, you noticed
Well, she is our next neighbor on one
side, nd there's another family that's our
next neighbor ON the other side; but
there's a general GOODNESS all around now
and we don't speak. Yet these three
families, one generation and another, have
lived there side by side and been as friend
" as weavers for $50 years until about a
year ago
"Why, what calamity could have been
powerful enough TO break up so old a
friendship"
Well, ii was too bad, but it couldn't
be helped 1t happened like this
About year or more ago, the rats got TO
Fostering my place good deal, and /
set up steel-trap in the back yard.
Both of these neighbors run considerable
to cats, and so | warned them about the
trap, because their cats were pretty sOci-
able around there nights, ard they might
get into trouble without my intending it..
Well, they shut up their cats for a while,
but you know how it is with people
they got careless, and sure enough one
night the trap took Mrs. Jones principal
cat into camp, and finished him up. In
the morning Mrs. Jones comes here with
the corpse in her arms, and cries and
takes on the same as if it was a child. 1t
was a cat by the name of YelveTton-Hec-
tor G.. YelvertOn-a troublesome old rip,
with no more principle than an Iniun,
though YOU couldn't make her believe ii.
said all man could to comfort her; but
no, nothing would do but must pay for
him. Finally, / said ! warn't investing
in eats now as much as | was, and with
that she walked off in a huff, carrying the
remains with her That closed our inter
course with the Joneses. Mrs. Jones
Joined another church ard took her tribe
with her. She said she would not hold
fellowship with assassins. Well, by and by
come Mrs. Browns turn-she that went
by here minute ago. She had dis
graceful old yellow cat that she thought
as much of as if he was twins, and one
night he tried the trap on his neck, and
it fitted him so, end was so sort of salts
factory, thath he layed down,and curled ur,
and STAYED with it. Such was the end or
Sir John Baldwin"
sWas that the name Of the cat.'
sThe same. There's cats around here
with names that would surprise you.
Maria Ito his wife), "what was that cats
name that eat keg of ratsbane By mis-
take over at Hoopcr's and started home
and 90. struck by lightning and took the
blind staggers and fell in the well and
was most drowned before they could fish
him outs
THAT was that colored Deacon Jack
sons cat. only remember the last end