The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-20
FELINE BOARDERS.
Singular Morning Scene in the Lower
Streets Of the City,
FED ON THE FAT OF THE LAND.
Cats Who Are Cared For by a
Professional Purveyor.

HERALD reporter yesterday. while taking the
early morning air in the region Of the deserted Bat
terry noticed two cats. sitting like miniature cary
atides each side OF warehouse eagerly
peering around the corner and occasionally inter.
changing remark. which led him to the belief that
the had special object in sitting and 50
peerng. walk through Bridge. Stone. Water
Pearl Front and other adjacent warehouse streets
revealed more cats. all evidently with some fixed
purpose. Kittens there. too, but they displayed
none Of the levity commonly attached to youth.
Each wore the solemn aspect of bummers. Sedately
seated at the front doors of their respective ware
houses. If they themselves the proprieors,
they looked up and down the streets ~ if awaiting
the arrival of the postman. .tn
The solid individuals of the cat family who looked
after the welfare Of the great brick buildings en-.
trusted to their charge occasionally intrudod
upon by strange cat, OF the tramp kind in fact
whose coat showed signs of wear. but who was OF
course frowncd upon and driven away by the more
respectable members of the cat fraternity who with
Kisses and other feline explosives expelled him g.
unanimously from the neighborhood All down town
seemed to be alive with cats Cats crawled from lit
tie square holes in doors; cats out from under
iron gratngs; cats assembled from neighboring
housetops where they had been making night hideous
with their serenades; stray CATS who had neither q
local habitation a name, took post; other cats
from distant wards, but who seemed intent on
something visited the precinct; black cats. gray
cats Maltese cats and every other variety of the
feline family represented.
CONNECTION AMONG THE CATS.
The cause was presently apparent. Aman In blue
checked shirt with heavy basket on his arm laden
with small packages of meat, came around q corner.
At once every cat to the attitude attention."
and presented arms" and in many tails too.
fha
boarder. took package of meat wrapped in brown
paper and handed his portion to each cat Those
who were not regular boarders made spasmodio
attempts in some cases to assist the regular boarder
unsuccessful. The purveyor knows all his custom
ers. rather his boarders. He knows that the
Maltese lives at No. 10 State street. and if she in.
quires for her breakfast ut No. 4C he Furnishes her by
refusing give her her rations. &c. too, he knows
that huge, tawny who looks after the
OF a pork warehouse Bridge street has no busi-
ness in Stone street. He has studied his bo lrders
''has them down fine," and cat dares be ON
any other premises but his own at breakfast hour.
BOARDING THE CATS.
In an interview with the man for whose coming
the cats impatiently wait and whom they fondle,
purr about. aud against whose legs they rub their
superhuous fur. he said
s.wen have been in this business for several
years. manage to make about $50 week. the actual
amount varying ut different seasons Of the take
ont about one hundred and fifty pounds OF meat in
the morning for delivery among my cat family, and
it's pretty hard work. tor to say nothing of the job
of Juggling the grub round, oil the cats In the coun.
try know me and follow Inc. and sometimes feel as
though was the father OF the whole cat tribe"
INSTRUMENTATION do you supply with cats meat
generally?
borhood whose occupants deal in pork, cheese hams
and other eatable matter OF that description. Now
all these stores are mostly very DID, and infested
with rats Well, the people who occupy the stores
have to keep plenty OF cats to keep the rats down.
These cats have to be fed They amt goin to cut
q to feed the cats, and cats don't like salt meat
anyhow, and on SUNDAYS there would be no one hero
to feed them. SO, as had read one time how men in
went naa tS Sar bs ana leu Tue
scale.
REpoRTER-what do you charge per day for tho
PuRvEYoR--Five cents. and its too cheap at that.
buy my meat away up town. and have to buy wrap.
ping paper to keep the separate pieces in and what's
more, don't board my cats ON boarding house hash.
REPoRTER-You don't mean to say you feed them
tenderlon steak?
PuRvEYoR-Of course don't give 'em choice cuts,
but don't feed 'em on poor grub don't give 'em
outings from dead animals rs they say they do
in London and other places where cats meat go
round but give EN- good. fair. decent food. vary.
ing it from day to day. always give 'em fish on
Friday. There's always plenty of hsh In the mar.
ket then, and its cheaper to me than meat on that
day. and cats like fish anyhow. change OF diet Is
good for cats well rs men,
REroRrER-How do you feed them during Lentf
DO you make them observe the forty days and fol.
low the Church directions as to dietS
PURvEYoR-No; feed EN- on meat right along.
except on Friday any how you couldn't mako cat
keep Lent as long al there rat or mouse to be
caught any eatable on the premises.
USEFUL MEMBER SOCIETY.
The cat in the day is rat her agreeable and has
its AT night. however, the IL the
Among the downtown warehouse however. where
there residents. and the cats more unpleas.
ant peculiarities do not make themselves 50 con-
spicuous they do in uptown yards, they very
necessary. downtown dealer in provisions said -
eve keep less than six cats here. They 70
duty when we lock up. about six IN the evening. II
didnt the rats would play high carnival and eat
out stock thai 1t would be utterly unstable.
The worst thing Is the cheese. Rats gpaw right
through the boxes. They to fancy 1t more than
meat. But have sometimes other goods in stock
which IL 1t wasn't for our cats would speedily be
ruined. We useDto feed them ourselves but IL was
very great trouble, we had to send to Washing.
ton Market for meat, and when the men came round
and offered to supply them with food for five cents
day apiece accepted the offer gladly. 1t IL
cheaper to pay couple of dollars week than to
have the place overruu with rats" az
The meat said in response to inquiry
whether he missed cat from the appointed
place :--"Oh, yes; l sometimes find them dead in
front OF tho store where they are employed"
Are their situations filed At onceY asked the re-
porter.
'vell, I'm cant tell" said the purveyor. az
leaves the ratons for the cat who is waiting for em.
and l don't feel called upon to sit as n Growers
quest the body of cat. All I look for is I
puts in the bill Monday Is the color or tho cats
masters money +h Alt
There is probably sort Of guild among the cats.
hat when one of them comes to "a violent death
by the brckbat OF sleepless and Infatuated citizen
his situation is filed ut once.