Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-22
BUDD REEVE.

| To the Editor of the Globe:
! NINNEAPoLIs. Sept. Il. 1871 have beer
waiting long time for the cat to jump. But
it don't jump. 1t don't move muscle. | am
beginning to think the cat is waiting for me to
ting caught. This may be a big thing Tor the
cat, but can't say enjoy the catch.
l never thought much Of cats anyway. They
| are anything'b but lovable. They were not taken
into the Reeve family through love as pets, but
as a matter of necessity.
! The rats were 80 thick around the cabin
| where was born, that it was impossible to
| keep house or raise family without some
thing TO hold them in check.
They so thick, that boy had to stand
over the hens when they laid, in order to get
the eggs before they were carried of. During
| young gosllng season, every rat hole would be
marked by gosling sticking head downwards
with feet in the air. Costing scarcely
ever lasted longer than day. No matter
how large the crop, the supply was never equal
to the demand
1t was dangerous to leave the baby alone in
the room. Unfortunately at that time / was
the baby. lily mother has frequently returned
and found q whole drove of rats around my
cradle, apparently In consultation as to whether
they should carry me OF, eat up in my
little bed As it was too much trouble and ex-
pense to raisea boy for rats to eat up, she con-
cluded to get cat to eat the rats up. She
walked five miles on arainy afternoon to bring
it home. There was nothing peculiar about it,
eyes, very thin ears, and great
many long hairs around itS mouth-al of
which were sure signs of good ratter.
That is what the old lady said who sold the cat
Best" es it was female-another sure sign of
good ratter-so the old lady said who sold it.
She said when it came to have family of its
yuou l1 La m 1lofa NV
stincts to hunt for their support, and would
catch all the rats to feed them on. This argu-
ment struck my mother very forcibly. She
had large family of her own to support, and
she knew she had to watch every corner to do
it; and she naturally thought she could see
that cat, like q faithful mother, watching
every rat hoe. Alas how vain are human
hopes! How often do we entertain theories,
and how often do we meet people that seem
very nice at first sight, but when we come to
get acquainted with them are sadly disap-
polnted' They are anything but what we
thought they were.
1t was SO with that cat. 1t lived
seventeen years and grew in tricks and cussed-
ness up to the day of it's death. 1t was born
with weakness for something soft to lie on
1t would not lie anywhere but on pillow or in
the middle of the bed. Drive it from there
and it would get in the clean clothes basket.
Drive 1T rom there, and several times it was
found in my mothers handbook, lying on her
new Sunday go-to-meeting hat. Its dreams new
er ended sweetly when it was caught in that
box. | have been caught under the bed eating
preserves; have been caught in the sweet APP
pie tree; have been caugh running away
from SCHOOL, but put it all together, my pun
ishment was light compared to that of the cat
when it was caught in my mothers handbook
L always thought it hard enough to be boy
but was quite satisfied when thought of the
cat.
l can see it now, started by blows, with back
up and tail up, running for dear life, trying to
get away from woman with a broom in her
hand. can also see woman holding a soiled
hat up to the light, wrinkled and mussed,
wondering how she could ever make it look re-
spectacle again.
The last word before going to bed at night
was, is the cat out of the house?" If not, it
had to go out. If it was left in it would skim
all the milk and carry off all the food before
morning. 1t sonn got tired of catching rats.
1t could open every door just as well as a per-
son, without they were locked or bolted; then
1t would come through the chimney and out
through the fire place. 1t was bound to be in
the house, and you could not keep it out
1t may be that our house was peculiarly
attractive; L know it was to those who passed
by, perhaps it was to the cat 1t was
an old fashioned cabin, with chimney on t;e
outside, built of sticks laid up something like
rail pen, and plastered OUTSIDE and in with
kind of home made mortar commonly called
mud. just after rain storm, it handy for
u cat or boy either to run up.
That cat was In comfortable circumstances,
but it never seemed to be happy without it was
walking on the fence by moonlight, or taking
advantage some way when your back was
turned. think 1t because it was sur
rounded by too many rats. Just as it is with
people when they in the midst Of wealth
and luxury, they run iuto all kinds of extrava-
gance and speculations until they lose what
they have, then they can look back and appre-
ciate their blessings after they are gone.
Man never appreciates much as when he is
mourning lost opportunities 1t is also easy
for him to see then what fool he has been.
privileges so much. We had to build new home
to get rid of it; just as the people are having
to form new party day to get rid of the
Republicans. They have not only skinned all
the milk and licked the pan dry, but they are
trying to eat up the pan.
Which way and where is the cat going to
jump! mean the great business cat of the cOu1a-
try. This is the most important question be-
fore the people to-day. and interests them more
than any other. AS said before, it don't move
muscle; and from all appearances. it is not
only going to catch me, but the whole COM
munity. 1t it does not, shall be thankful as
We'll as surprised. / have no desire to see any
one in the cats claws.
There has been many theories advanced. as
to the cause OF the hard times. My opinion u.s.
that they are owing to the fact. that our fore
fathers forgot to put clause in the constitu-
ton, that congress should not meet oftener
than once in ten years. and then not sit longer
than ten days.
We are simply suffering from {. serious case
of financial tinkertng.
There is often more wisdom in letting thing
alone, than there is in touching it. Let the
finances OF the country alone, and they will
take care of themselves. Just as an individual
will do.
The return TO specie payment makes me
think of the irishrnan who tried to make his
pig live without eating. He said just as he got
it learnt, "be.jabers, 1t up md died.
We are nearly back to specie payments, but
just as we have reached there. business is deod
property is dead. THE country is oead." We
are in the same fix as the Irishrnan and his pip
There Is a way to get out of this fix. In nv
next l will tell The people what to eat to live
not how to live without eating.
BUDD REEVE
The Ecpert.
In justice to Mr.. Chapman, the expert spoken
of in yesterdays GLOBE as unduly CRITICS.