The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-08-10
THE RECEIVERS CATS.


st Louis Globe Democrat
Representatives OF the State Insurance
Department engaged 10 going over the ac-
counts OF MIR. Alexander, the receiver Of
the Columbia Life, have found u charm in
work which doesn't often develop in such
jobs. II came about somewhat in this
way: One day Mr. Relte, in running down
the entries showing the credits MIR. Alex
ander had allowed himself stopped with
his finger on four monoSy llableS, and pom.
dered. The amount involved was insig.
uificant, but the attorney was puzzled.
ilk-for-the-cat- five cents"
he repeated half aloud. Then he stopped
and went into executive session with him
self for five minutes. At length he got up
and went over to Colonel Williams pri.
vate office and showed him the curious
entry. 1t was too much for the Superln-
tendent. Deputy Knott spelled it out and
grinned. The problem was referred 10
Actuary Harvey, who is supposed to un-
derstand what nobody else can explain i'll
the insurance business, but he gave IL up
with a mystified expression. Relfe went
back 10 the accounts, but that
milk for the-cst" weighed on his
mind and he shut up his desk and
lett for home early. The next morning
he had just spread out the papers on his
desk and had made ready for a fresh start
when Colonel Williams stood at the door
way and said: "By the way, Relfe, do
you know that was funny thing in Alex
ander's accounts: | didn't think much
about it when you showed it to me, hut
after got to bed l lay awake an hour,
wondering what in the world that milk
for the.cat' meant.n "WelI, | went you
an hour better" groaned Rrlfe, and he
turned to the books with the air Of a man
who meant TO dodge an unwelcome topic.
Knott sat down to his desk that morning
and shifted about uneasily for five min
utes. Then he got up and went over to
the actuary's place AMI asked: 81 say,
Harvey, what dye s'poSe Alexander
wanted of milk ,ior.the.ca," o. course,
he didn't buy genuine milk Tor real cat,
did he, and then charge IT up against the
Columbia assets" Harvey shook his head
moroSely and refused TO be seduced into a
discussion.
About the middle of the afternoon Rclfe
walked out with his finger ON another
entry in the accou IT, and laid the book
down before Williams first, then before
Knott, and then before Harvey. There it
was "Mllk .for.the.cst.. 0-cents" Every
one of 'em turned back the pages to be sure
that Rel'e wSn't ringing in the old entry
ON them, and" said something forcible to
| express his establishment.
shortly after dinner Relfe struck il
again. "Milk.tor the-cat twenty cents. "
| The next day he caught it three times, and
the fourth day ont tho my,teri Gus entry
/ showed up five times, the amount vary my
| from fifteen 60 forty.ive cents. There was
a council Of the Insurance Department If
! the State of Missouri. II was decided that the
! peace OF mind OF four officials called for ex-
( PLANTATION, Alexander was sent for and
asked about the cat. There wasn't Il
tremor in the old gentleman's voice nor
the least nervousness in his manner
! Milk-for-the-cat" On, yes, he re-
membered all about those items Mice
were bad in the Insurance Building, and
so he got cat or two, and then, to stimu.
lac them to good service, he bought some
| milk for them occasionally.
Wheu Alexander had gone there was a
brief discussion. II suppose" remarked
Williams, she was waiting for an order OF
Court 70 discharge those cats" Relfe
said he would take of all those m.lk items
Is he went over the books, and Harvey
1 promised to enrich life insurance stati,ti-
! cal literature with set Of table show in ,
how many cats could be maintained u
each one-thousand policy holders at the
rate OF expenditure for milk established
- Receiver AIsxsadsr.