Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-04-16
ROUGH ON CATS.
A Novel Invention by Which They
Are Captured.

ether, but the inventive genius of Phil
adelphia has not ceased to burn bright
1y. A Philadelphia machinist, John J.
Chattaway, has invented @ device for
capturing feline MINISTRIES. Quiet as of
the cemetery is absolutely essential to
the comfort of q Philadelphia, but the
Quaker cats have not as yet learned to
mitigate their nocturnal concerts or to
temper their lovelorn lays, They patrol
the fences and the back yards with the
noisy vchemence of their kind, and
protesting Philadelphia waves its night
cap and shouts and screams in vain. But
the researches of the ingenious Mr..
Chattaway have shown how to bell the
cat. The part of the town in which he
lives, so writes IN enthusiast in the
Philadelphia Times, 'is the arcadia for
all the lovcmaking toms and tabbies
in the neighborhood. On his back fence
and on the back fences of all his neigh
bors it has been the nightly custom,
rain or shine, for hundreds of nocturnal
providers to congregate and there hold
discordant revel." Poisoned meat and
spring traps were tried without effect.
The cats laughed at them. Broken
glass, barbed wire, and other nmulets
useless. The cats continued their vo-
ciferous proceedings, and the inhabit-
ants swore and suffered.
In the sleepless nights the brain Of
Chattaway kept working ut u plan for
conquering the invader of his peace. 1t
came to him finally in dream. From
his ash-pit he dug n pile of empty
tomato cans, and out of these supple
mented by a roll of condemned roofing
tin, which sympathizing neighbor
kindly donated, he manufactured n con-
trivance that, if universally adopted,
will rob the funny photographers of one
of their most fecund sources OF supply"
His completed device for acat-compcller
is Il continuous strip of pyramidal-
shaped tin, the apex of the pyramid
being placed on top of the fence. The
base of the tin triangle is left open, and
its sloping sides hang over the fence
and stand out from it's face. AS the
apex of this tin roof comes to n sharp
point, and it's sides are too smooth even
for the claw holds of cat, the result,
when tom or tabby attempts to cross
It, is obvious. AS soon. rs their feet
strike the tin they IRE bound to slip,
and a fall on one or the other side of
the fence is inevitable. AS the tin sides
project beyond the face of the fence it
is impossible for the fallen feline to
climb back to it's perch again."
The first nights catch is thus re-
ported:
at was late Monday afternoon when
Machinist Chattaway finished mailing
his cat-compeller in place, and the curl
npiTl1 hnrG yhnf oil
meant. Darkness had nearly fallen be-
fore the cats began to congregate. AS
Machinist Chattaways house is near
the middle of the block, his back fence
was sort of meeting place, and the
spot where all combats were arranged
and fought out. The night was not so
dark as to prevent the confident in
ventor from witnessing the result from
his library windows. The first cat to
strike the compcller, gigantic tom,
sprang upon the tin coping with n meow
of disdain. Like a flash Toms maltese
body described q scmi-circlc, and, much
to his amazcment, he landed in the
yard. Recovering himself, and with
his feline mood up, Tom gripped the
fence and scrambled upward. His head
struck the projecting tin, and after one
or two futile attempts to get a claw
hold he slid back into the yard, sans
spirit, sans mode, sans confidence. Tom
realized that he was q prisoner, and lay
low uttcring from time to time sub
dued and mournful meow.
"l1e was not long without company.
tabby was the next victim, and al
though he recognized her us an old-time
sweetheart, and she identified him as n
oncc-favored beau, neither had uny
heart for love-making, but crouched in
opposite corners of the yard, disgustcdly
blinking at each other. From that
time on Until dawn cats came, and but
few escaped. Those that were fortu-
nate enough to fall on the alley side of
the fence scampered away, with their
distended tails nloft.
S'En,l1- b., 4. ,,,-