The Red Cloud chief., 1888-09-14
RESPONSIBILITY OF CATS.
they Have Boon harEed With Nearly
All Grimes Known to tho CxlcndSr.

A1Vy Aa8A SAb
All Crimes knOwn to tho Calcsdsr.
A merciful Providence is metaphor
ically said to have made the back o
the domestic cat exceedingly broad, il
exquisite adaptation to the moral load
which that anatomical structure has to
carry. We all know that most fires arr
due to cats. Cats are culpably careless
in the use of matches. Even Messrs.
Bryant and May have scarcely been
able by their ingenious invention to
correct the influences of feline rash
ness 1t is far too common a thing for a
cat. after lighting a cigar. to throw a
a vesta Or a deadly fusee upon the
carpet or the bare boards. These ami
mails will leave candles in immediate
proximity to curtains. and forget all
about them in an exciting chase after
mice that have as much right to live AS
themselves.
A cat has been known to turn on the
gas. and then, hearing Il scratching be-
hind the wainscOt to become absorbed
for half an hour before applying the
flame. with consequences which can be
imagined. and. therefore. if Henry
James will pardon us for saying SO.
need not be described. Cats, too. are
addicted to the pernicious practice Of
smoking in bed. especially Persian cats.
who al not otherwise perform their
allotted task of reading through the
Arabian Nights" twice a year. Now.
AS it is notorious that no cat will en-
dure a cover to his pipe. We need not
point out the great dangers We are in
by this unhappy levity. But there is
really no end to the responsibility of
cats. who r without any sense Of
shame. and appear to be most imper-
fectly acquainted with the laws which
govern the ignition OF infammable
bodies.
How many fires they cause Ill Lon
don from January to December. Cap
tain Shaw alone knows. 1t is only
necessary to mention their too familiar
habit of saving themselves trouble by
carrying hot Goals in a shovel from
one room to another. for on this Occa-
sion we may avoid the painful topic of
the frauds which they too often per-
petrate az the expense of the in
surance companies. When all these
things are taken into consideration We
need net wonder. however deeply we
may be gricved. at the number of fires
whose origin is assigned in official re-
ports to the agency of those nOxiOus
and ubiquitous quadrupeds. Cats are
a powerful! interest. and in the prevail
ing fabbiness Of public opinion. few
have the moral courage to speak the
truth about them.
Excellent is the spirit of DIR. Low.
officer of the Local Government
Board. who merits the respect and
OF the whole community for
brought out the facts about
without hinching. No cat, after
the publication Of d.. Lows memoir
andum. car shelter himself behind the
miserable plea Of ignorance from the
duty of at once answering the charge
whatever may b. his recreatiOns
and amusements. his serious business
life is the spread C: diphtheria.
1t Is the more courageous in DIR.
Low to state this because certain
Irish-American cats are more than
suspected of having attempted to
blow up the premises of the Local
Board with dynamite
about five years ago. Cndeterred
BY these lucid memories. DR.. Low
charges into the ranks of Our feline
with desperate determination.
He accuses them. not by insinuatiOn or
.nuendO. but in plain and unmistake-
terms. OF having caused an cpl
icmic of d%iphtberia at Ealing. The
in which this detestable plot
carried out is truly diabO.ical.
4 number of associated cats. whom
Dr.. Low. for obvious reasons, abstains
rom naming. cOnspired to eat the
remnants of the food. and drink the re-
nainder of the milk. which had been
to d~iplltheritic patients. Thus
for their horrible work they
a number of healthy children.
With whom they began to play. The
We're particularly attentive to
he eats. because the cats appeared to
Ne unwell. Such is the lot of children.
Who never tease animals, though ami
nails are constantly teasing them. We
lraw "a veil over the sequel. merely re-
marking that DIR. Low. as becomes his
position. has no doubt that the
.hildren were infected in this precise
way. The germs Of infection are, it is
be feared, everywhere, and life would
become impossible if We were always
rpcculating IN the chances Of coming
within the grasp of disease. Mean
While it is desirable that criminal cats
hould be brought to justice. and that
contaminated articles-edible, potable
II Otherwise-shOuld be destrOyed.-
Saturday Reciew.
Musical instruments.
For the Observation-Disclosures
For the lawyer-Lyre.