The Republican journal., 1882-10-19
Seven Cats Whipped by One Rat

AT o'clock yesterday morning" said
Policeman Mnsgrave, of New York, II
stood at the corner of Bayard and Baxter
streets The streets were silent, aud the
moon shone down on the ash barrels and
broken down peddler wagons. Suddenly
heard a shrll squeak, and knew that
Baxter street rat had been corncrcd by
Baxter street eat.
Nov, there are no other eats or rats
the policeman continued, "like those Of
Baxter, Mulberry, and Mott streets. A
Baxter street cat Is as thin as a knife
blade, and is accustomed to being thrown
daily out of windows or from roofs If he
has a tail il is either broken, stumpeQ or
knotted. Ears and eyes are luXuries that
few Baxter street cats enjoy; but for
lighting, making Il racket and coming
down on your head they beat all so
when | heard the squeak | knew there
would be fun, and | stepped out to the
curbstonc to see where the rat WAS com
cred. Backed in a corner Of the gutter
was an immense rat, as big as my day
stick and as tough Mrs. Mulhgan's cat
and two others were eying it closely
Mrs. Alulligan's eat had given it the first
tusse and had been worSted The
squeakng of the rat and the me you, me
yaW Of the cats brought re- endorsements
OF the latter. They came from all direct
ions, like young coppers answering the
alarm rap. There was Cohen's yellow
eat, which has only one eye, but is as
wiclle.! us a bulldog. There was the
lIaliah sausagemaker's great Tom. There
was Dick kanabes beer cellar cat and
Warden Finn's gray. They all came Jog
ging along, with their tails up. Then
they sat down in a sellicircle and watch
ed the rat, which looked at them defiant
ly from behind his ash heap.
'Then a big eat began rolling itself, as
eats Go when they want you to pat them,
purreH like a muttled drum, and ,jerktd
its tail among the ashes. 1t was Mrs.
Mulllgan's one-eved cat. Suddenly it
sprang on the top Of the rat, the fur flew,
the rat squeaked, the cat yelled with pain,
and then jumped back. Then every one
of the eats had a tussle with the rat He
beat all of them, and each time sprang
back to cover, and could see him pick
ing the cat hair out of his teeth.
"As the cats drew off Il little way"
MuSgravc went on, "the big rat bounded
across the sidewalk and went into the
water pipe that runs down in front Of the
tenement known as Noak's Ark. AS he
disappeared up the spout the cats gave a
yowl and ran for the water spout. Mrs
Mulligans eat. CoLcn's yellow cat, Dick
knabe's and Warden Finn's cats put their
noses to the end Of The spout, but came
away with blood Oh them. Hanz, the
grocer, mas a cat that he boasts will kill
any rat in the world. Says | to myself,
'I'll keep that rat for ianz's cat : 50 |
picked up brick and closed the mouth
Of the water spout
'At 5 o'clock in the morning comes
back and found IIanz fixing up his store.
Good morning, Mr.. HanZ, says | where's
your cat 2 Vat do you want NIT my cat,
Peesmarck p said HAM I've got rat
cornered in the water spout | said 80
bring out your cat Well, Hanz got his
big eat and brought him to the water
pipe. took away the brick, and the rat
put his head out HAMS cat made a
spring at him. The rat caught HAMS
cats paw, and Hanzs cat ran. Hold
your eat, says | to Hanz, Then set
fire to some paper, and showed it up the
spout. All of sudden the rat leaped
out. Hanz let G" his cat, and the cat
made for HAMS grocery, the rat little
ahead. As the rat disappeared in the
cellar Hanz yelled "My sheese Dot rat
will all my sheese eat up and that's the
most fun ever had with a Baxter street
rat"