New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-30
RELIEF FROM CATS.


| hack fences The subject of cats upon back
fences should be avoided by ali well-meaning per-
sons the same as that of mothersin-law or kicking
mules But when cats upon back fences really
do something of public interest, or cause certain
people to do something of public interest," as truCh
full chronclers Of contemporaneous life what can
we do except to report 1t
There is in this city young man named Dod-
kim Mr.. Dodkin Is an ingenious young man, much
given to mechanical and electrical experiments
He has furnished room in flfty-seventh-sC' Az
is rear room overlooking large number OF
small vertical pigeon-hoes known in this me-
tropois as back yards. Naturally, If there are
any cats in the neighborhood Mr. Dodkin hears
them And lately, owing TO the fact that num-
Der of members of the Society for the prevention
of Cruelty to Animals living near by have closed
I'D their houses for the summer and turned their
cats adrift on the world, Mr.. Dodktn has been
more than usually favored with feline vocal efforts
Each night Mr.. Dodkin has risen several times,
thrust his head out of his window and cried
"Scatln in loud voice, accompanying the re-
mark with q bairbrush, book. hand-mirror or
other object Mr. Dodkin determined that
something must be done, and accordingly, for the
space Of one week, he devoted his energies OF
mind and body to the construction of an appliance
for Kidding the neighborhood Of cats
Naturally, when he first began consideration
of the problem poison, spring guns, steel traps
and other fierce modes of destruction suggested
themselves to him, but he resolutely rejected them
What he did do, however, was to get q large
monograph with the apparatus attached to 1t for
greatly increasing the sound, called by an ex-
ceedingly difficult Greek name which for the mo-
ment escapes u.s. but which will no doubt readily
occur TO the reader. This monograph with the
foghom speaRing-trumpet attachment he placed
in box with the nozzle extending out of one
side In the box he also put a powerful steel
spring with an arm about two feet
long reaching out of the top-this part
was, in fact, intended to work much
the same as the trap used by sportsmen TO throw
glass balls, though it was arranged to throw
downward rather than upward. This box Mr.
Dodkin set just outside of his window on the
sill, after having made appropriate remarks into
the photograph. The whole was connected with
and operated by strong electric battery. The
frst night after the apparatus was completed
Mr. Dodkin retired at about eleven o'clock first
having turned lever which started his invention.
In fifteen minutes he asleep. Cats were
already gathering on the back fences. Ten min
utes later they began their usual unearthly con-
cert. 1t had scarcely started when the air of
the back yards shaken as by mighty explosion
and the ingenious young Mr.. Dodkin's phono-
graph uttered Scat" in o voice which ratified
the neighborlng windows. AT the same time
there was a crash as n heavy castirOn hair-brush
struck the back fence and broke of the
boards. The trap had sprung simultaneously
with the photograph The cats disappeared with
their tails very large and the fur on
their backs standing up very straight.
Every ten minutes during the night the Dodiin
Cat Eradicator went off" in the same stentorian
voice and with the same crash of lumber, the
cast-iron hairbrush being Attached to cord by
which it was drawn back each time. We need |
scarcely say that it produced q great sensation |
in the neighborhood. People stayed awake all |
night, some in fear and others marvelling at a
man with such loud voice and such powerful
arm, they not rightly understanding the cause |
Of the phenomena taking place in the back yard |
Still, it is altogether likely that the machine |
would have become popular in the neghborhood had |
not at about five o'clock in the morning, some |
thing become wrong with the trap, so that the |
cast-ron hair-brush shot straight the yards
breaking tho cord and crashing in window |
opposite and through door, severely injuring |
two young ladies and doing much damage. Mr.. |
Dodlxln slept well and in the morning was much |
pleased with his invention, but the owner Of the |
house which was bombarded was greatly excited
and during the forenoon got out an injunction
the young inventor from longer operat
ing the machine. Mr.. Dodiin was Indignant, but
was forced TO submit
But is the great problem Of the alienation of
the suffering from cats in this city especially
after people go away to Newport, Saratoga and so
forth going to be dropped with the failure of the
Dod,n Scatterer? We hope not. Let other
means be tried. To our inventors we say, "Up
md at 'em!"