Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-04
Saved by Cats.

Mr.. Philip Pryor lives on the Belle 81
Butte lode claim, and his house is within
about ten feet OF q house owned by one
Emery, who is supposed to be nov in Wis.
~consin. Eme-y's house was vacated on
Christmas Eve, and is now Al unproduc.
tive property. At a late hour last Satur-
day night a number OF cats were holding
high carnival on the roof of Mr.. Pryor's
house. and he went out to the woodpile
with the intention of changing their style
Of music by throwing some stovewood
among them. As he Strengthened up with
q stick of wood in his right hand, he OBJ
served, to his CONSERVATION that one of
the cats. whose arched back projected above
the roof, was surrounded by a kind of
halo, and his bristling fur seemed to be
composed Of
SOME LUMINOUS SUBSTANCE.
H.Mr. Pryor had not before been aware
OF the fact that cats are akin to the evil
one, he was now almost convinced Of it,
but in a moment he saw that the fiery
CLEAN on the cats fur, was caused by a fire
ON the other eide Of the house. He ran
around the corner, and found a fire blazing
~fiercely in Emery's vacant house. The wall
was already nearly burned through, but
Mr.. Pryor partially extingulshed the fire
by throwing a couple OF buckets OF water
on it. and finished the job with the aid of
his %neighbor, Mr.. Peters. They found that
the fire had been started after careful
preparations in the shape OF q pile of
kind1ing, soaked with kerosene, against the
wall, inside OF the house. A bucket in which
the kerosene had been carried, was found
outside of the house. with a little oil re.
naming in il. Nj. Pryor and his family
were naturally much disturbed by the oc-
currence. concluding that
THERE WAS A PLAN
to burn the house for the insurance, and
Sunday night he kept a careful watch, and
was rewarded by seeing a couple OF men
sneaking down by the Alice buildings, and |
occasionally ducking down, to take a care
full view of the field as they worked their
way toward the Emery house. The women
in MI. Pryor's family got so excited they
could not remain in doors, but rushed out
to get a closer look at the nocturnal prowl-
ers, who thereupon ceased to prowl, and
went into hiding until the coast should be
again clear. The Pryor family remained
up on the watch all night, and the incendia-
ries made another attempt to reach the
Emery house unseen, but were again de-
tered by the sight of the women, who
could not be prevented from running out
into the bright moonlight, where they were
easily seen by
THE PARTY.
Yesterday Messrs. Pryor and Peters came
down to interview the insurance agents,
with a view to finding whether there was any
on the vacant, or adjoining
buildings. They found there was none on
the vacant building, and the only insured
building that would be likely to catch fire
from it belongs to a man who would not
be likely to 60 at it in such a roundabout
way if he wanted to burn his own house.
Messrs. Pryor and Peters believe they
know the owner OF the bucket in which the
oil was brought to Emery's house, and the
matter will be investigated. In the mean
time Mr.. Pryor is trying to overcome his
to cats; as he can't but acknowl-
that if the cats had not held their
on his housetop Saturday night,
his house would have been destroyed, |
with, perhaps, some of his family.