Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-11-13
Broadway Cats.
rEr, oF rHf DRY GOODS AND DRUG STORES
FELINE roLlTENEss TO CUSTOMERS.

No shop i, complete nowadays without
cat" said Broadway policeman. MY
beat along the upper part OF Broadway
takes NE right through the shopping dis
trlct, and when 90 home at night | have 70
walk down Sixth avenue, 50 that have a
pretty far opportunity to watch the cats.
he hrst case that ever came to my notice
was about two years ago, when went into
furnishing goods store on Broadway to
buy collar Well. si., went in and asked
the man for some collars, and he dumped a
lot on the showcase. A big Maltese cat
which had been lying on the door-mat trot-
ted back to where stood, jumped on the
counter and then on the showcase, and
walked deliberately to where the collars lsy
She was beautiful cat, with big eyes and
soft, gray coat. She sat down quietly,
looked IN my face, and watched ME while |
selected the collars. Every few minutes she
would put out her paw and gently touch
whatever collar seemed to have in NV
hand. Finally, when had chosen one, and
it had been wrapped up for me, she gave the
bundle gentle pat with ner paw, then
bounced back on the floor again, and went
back to her place on the door r-mat The
shop-keeper told me that every customer
who came i'll received the same treatment
from the cat, and when man wa. buyins
big bill Of goods the Maltese followed him
around from one case to another, and always
accompanied him TO the door when he left,
which was a bit of polieness that the cat
never showed to small buyer.
EVERY drug store on Broadway has lis
pet cat, and they are all of them fine, we'll
fed and good -natured animals. There is
one that lies in the front window among a
lot OF sponges in the winter time. Wien |
first saw that cat thought it was stuffed.
passed IT three or four times every after
noon for week, but never thought it was
alive. 1t lay in one position with its head
curled down on It's paws, and never changed
It's position during the afternoon. | stood
watching 1t once for a long Time through the
window, and the clerk in the store, Just to
show me il was alive, poked it up. The cat
got up lazly, stretched itself, rubbed its
nose against the clerks hand, and then went
TO sleep again.
They say they are very useful about drug
stores, as they keep the mice away from the
herbs and sweet things. There isl big
black cat in drug store corner of Thrtieth
street, which knows as much as anv dog
ever saw. 1t is a beauty, too According
to my mind it is the handsomest cat in
New York. 1t is as black as the ace of
spades and as shiny as ebony. 1t is young
cat, but it has already learned to recognize
the regular customers of the place. 1t has
comfortable corner in the doorway. where
1t sleeps in the daytime, and at night it
lounges around the soda fountain. There
is not mouse in the place. The cat will
move around the shelves among delicate
bottles and fac glassware, but it has never
broken thing. Ii you 90 into the shop
more than once it will recognize you, and af-
ter that will always come forward to meet
YOU. The customers have got in the habit
Of stopping and rubbing its head when thev