The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-12-04
England's Annual Cat Show.

| ALTHOUGH the twelfth National Cat
| Show, which opened at the Crystal
Palace yesterday, was scarcely equal in
numbers to some of its predecessors, it
was unquestionably better in quality.
The animals were divided into classes,
under the descriptions of short-haired
and long-haired cats. In the former the
prizes for tortoise-shell male cats headed
! the list; but the species seems to have
become rare one, for the pure tortoise
shell tom was unrepresented, and there
were but two entries in tortoise-shell
and white. The peculiarities of some
of the exhibits attracted much atten-
ton from the numerous crowd of visit
ors during the day. For instance, Mr..
w. Luke Evans showed an English
black-and-white pet, Biackie by name,
four years old, which is accustomed to
sit up and beg like dog. Blackie also
possesses considerable skill in shaking
hands, and entered the exhibition with
the prestige of having won prize two
years ago. In the class devoted exclu-
sively to black cats, Miss L. GREEN'S
Cetewayo was the subject of much
notice. The cosmopolitan nature of the
show may be gathered from the fact that
one of unusual color, sent for inspection
by Mrs. Powell, was born in the Dobrud-
scha, while the same exhibitor sent a
cat which was native of Kustendjie,
on the Black Sea. In the department
allotted to male short-haired cats there
were but three entries of tailless Manx,
any color. Among the female cats the
red tabby appeared to be quite as scarce
specimen as the tortoise-shell tom
over the way. The accomplishments
and attainments of the animals were
fully set forth and undoubtedly very
distinguished cat was Mr.. Wookie's
Minnie, four years old, the winner of the
first prize as kitten in 1877, the
second prize in 1873, and the first
prize in 1879 at the Crystal Palace; the
first prize in the present year at Newcas-
| tle-on-Tyne, and the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts's gold medal. Another pet, with
highly creditable antecedents, was Mr..
Thomas Weightman's Mistletoe, a
white, long-haired beauty, ten years old,
and the winner of SO first prizes, three
second, and IL special. The price of this
one was set down at G100. Others were
appraised at 100 guineas, many were not
for sale at all, while two white cats
shown by Mrs. Staples-Browne, which
answered respectively to the names of
Simon and Snow, and both frst-prize
animals, were each assessed at f79 18s.
I'd. as the market price. The long
haired species appeared to be the favor
ties with the visitors, and here it may be
remarked that there was only one black
long tom in the exhibition. Much
amusement was caused by an announce
ment in the compartment intended to
have been occupied by Miss E. Ack-
lands Persian, Lion, that being without
his winter coat, he was unable to enter
an appearance. In class %, assigned to
male long-haired cats of unusual color,
the first prize of FL was won by Mr.. G.
Edison; the second by Mr.. w. Crisis
Haroun, and the third by Mrs. Powell.
This was sent to England about seven
months ago by Aga Khan, and is de-
scribed as an imported Persian. There
were special prizes for workingmen's
cats, and in this category was Tit, eight
years and six months old, the heaviest
in the show, and weighing 16 1-2 pounds.
Of animals with remarkable character
istics, a Persian white may be men
toned with one eye blue and the other
yellow. From these facts it will be seen
that the show is full of interesting fea-
lures; many of the exhibits are COM
fortably cushioned, and all are well
cared for.-L0ndon Meas.