Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-27
SCAT!
SCAT!
A Boston Cat ShOw-NOvel Exhibition.

Boston Cat shOsv-Novel Exhibition.
Correspondence of the Providence Journal
lhere were cats and cats, and cats, of all sizes,
sorts aud descriptions and all confined in cages
with cushions or baskets, which were occupied
oy the more aristocratic. Some of the cushions
We're OF calico or chintz and others were of en-
Oroldered silk or velvet, while the little wicker
| baskets were very gorgeously gotten up indeed.
and bedecked very plentfully with gag ribbons
| OF Divers hues. An Angora cat, yellow and
| white. with its long hair standing straight out
like quilts upon the fretfu porcupine," was
very dainty and lofty in manner. and looked up
| in establishment, with wild amber eyes. at the
people who crowded about to stare and adj
mire, while big Russian, cOal-back, and i'm
posing enough to belong to the Car himself
curled lazy up in the back of his cage.
and went off to sleep in compliment disre-
gard OF the Interested spectators before him.
Not far of was cage with a whole family,
mother and three dear little kittens all as
black as the ace of clubs. if one NAV use so
doubtful a simlle. and all with the uayest and
most riotous disposition. which led them ON to
perform antics and evolutiOns which delighted
the Children hugely. There was cat which
had Killed fifteen hundred cats i'm short time
when was surveyed with respectful interest by
most OF the men. and which ought certainly to
nave been the property Ot a certain Sullivan a
. noble citizen of Massachusetts,. and somewhat
noted as an athlete; and there were several of
the mdest looking animals in the whole exhibit
ton conspicuously marked dangerous" which
afforded a mOralist opportunity to observe that
terrible temper may Turk under fair exterior.
while q modern Chadband in rusty black muir
INJURED in a clerical voice something about
| 'whitcd sepulchreS and other Scriptural cpl
thets equally appropriate. and marched off, feel
ing that he had performed his duty to man
kind.
some Of the names were very amusing There
was Mary Anderson. pompOus creature of yell
low. black ana white, who. as we passed before
her cage. was actively engaged in an effort. to
catch her own tail. and although we watched
her for some moments and were delighted with
her grace and agility. she made miserable fail
ure OF her project. There was TOmmas, Salvni
too and funniest of all was white cat. deaf
from its birth. crOSSpyed. with one blue, and one
yellow eye. and named-just think of it!--Ben
| Butler, This afforded much sport and laughter
| to the good natured crowd. which, however,
was mainly gathered about the cages containing
the elias of curiusities the cats without tails
| and without ears, and with two or three legs
| instead of four. But the cats were obstinate
| and might just as We'll have had four legs for
| all we could see. as they were all sleeping or
lying down at the very ends OF their small apart
ments. and a general expression OF despair was
settling upon faces. when Aunt Martha suddenly
| developed spirit of enterprise. and producing
long lead pencil from her pocket proceeded to
poke the three-legged one vigorously, until it
arose, and we saw that one of it's front legs was
not. to put it very POLITICALLY Everybody
breathed q sigh of relief and remarked that
after all it did not amount to much and hurried
OF to see the stranger spectacle of a cat and a
rat dwelling peaceably side by side. There was
dull forebOdn9 that the millennium must be
near at hand, and the modern Chadband was
heard to repeat to himself that well-known text
about the Hon and the lamb; but the friendship
of this ill-assorted pair seemed not to be very
firmly cemented. and we could not help think
/ fhnft %
at all emphatic the cage would soon have one
| inmate instead OF two l suppose if that should
happen, however. it would be spoken of as an
accident though perhaps catastrophe would be
a better word.
There are a number of very large cats. one
which weighs twenty-five pounds being per-
fectly enormous. and with difficulty fitting into
his allotted portion of space. heard rumors Of
rival of fifty pounds weight. but we could not
find it ont, and in doubt still as to its exist
ence. The largest We're tortoise shells There
were many maltese and Angora cats. and some
beautifully marked tiger cats, which bore
themselves proudly, and seemed to long
for an effective and esthetc background
against which to display their charms. Many
OF the exhibitors were residents of the
suburbs and outlying towns near Bos-
ton. and it was rather curious to OBJ
serve that by tar the greater number were
from Somerville, which may be the means of
procuring restiul nights TO some misguided per-
sons who were about to take up their residence
in that locality. but now being warned will fly
to opposite directions. Almost every owner of
the cats had sent with her pet a little written
card. setting forth its virtues and graces and
some of them were very childish and quaint; for
instance, one which saws that the kitten was
shut up for twenty-four hours in an oven with a
moderate fire, and that on another occasion this
same cat brought home steal trap from a
naters barn.. which was an instance of sagacity
which the little mistress probably thought de-
served prize.
But the show is to last still another week and
the poor pussies nave not seen the last OF their
| martyrdom yet. They excite much interest,
and there were four thousand visitors yester-
, day in the hail. which is very good proof that
eats are as popular as dogs. There is a general
belief that cats the peculiar property of
old maids. and perhaps the fact of the seventy
account for the great number of we'll
| kept, well-cared-fOr Tables here to be
seen. Alter all. who could not be happy with
an esthetic teapot and an AngOra cat. by snug
little freside of ones own. This prospect is
always hanging over the head of every Boston
heart upon the very cat and teapot and fire.
place that she would prefer if her time actually
comes to join the innumeraple ranks of maiden
ladies' The reason of this preference for cats
may be because they have nine lives, and be-
cause the calculating spinster cherishes a fond
nope that in some mysterious way she may be-
come pOssessor of one or two OF them. But
alas, she lives few years and is no more and
leaves an ample provision. for her idol in her
will Pope must have had prophetic vision
OF the taking-off Of Boston old maids when he
said:
"But thousands die without or this or that:
Die, and endOw college or a cat"
ME- w.
Dining in Sweden.