Arizona silver belt., 1892-12-17
CATS FOR COMPANY.
A WATchMAN HAS TwENTY-THREE
 AND Es LIKES THEM

NNC F1G LINED tFfLW.
 A Fciino Crowd That k Wen Cared For.
 Visiting New York Sight watchman
 Who Would Be Lonely bat for HIS De
 voted and Rowing Pets.
 Vince, wheetl Vince, wheet!
 1t was such whistle as the Pied Piper If Hamlin may have given when he jailed the rats from the famous old city ;o watery grave il the river Weser But instead of rats there came from little shanty in Alderman Duffy's coal ward at the foot of East Twenty-sixth street the queerest colony of cats to be found perhaps in Christendoin. They gathered about Inc watchman of the yard. Charles Melville, short thick set man with bristliGg brown mustache, who walked with Il slight limp and is fainiliarly known as Doc, because of his veterinary skin, in answer to his whistle
 Great family. aint it?" said the watehman after moments pause, dur ing which he counted them to see if the cats were all there "Ain't another like it in the city. The black ones Mig. He's years old, and the most intelligent. Larry the brindle. is the same age, and is the biggest of the lot. That black and white small sized eat is Cinders. KHnkais, over there, is black and white too. She's the dead spit of her mother, is Cinders. Most people can't tell them apart. That staid looking old woman over there is Minnie. She is 8 years old, being the oldest of all and the grandmother of most of tue babies. The lively little lady with the five liver colored kits is Ginger They think rbey are gong to get something to eat. See how disappointed they look when they find they ain't"
 Nothing today" he said sharply "Trot back; the gentleman has seen you.
 Tho twenty three cats were for mo ment irresolute. Then they blinked their eyes as if to wipe away the tears, and turned about and went with droop- ing tails and bent heads into the shanty when,e they came The watchmaa followed, leading the reporter to the shed, wnich was built ia the corner of the coa. yard l. was uot more than dozen feet square and as many high and was built of old boards It stood at the entrance to tAe yard At tue street end was door, in tue bottom of which was cut hole about threo inches sqnare Hanging over the little hole was a Hap of wood suspended from a piece Of leather Two windows 1t up the ints- riar of the shed On one side was raise,l bnak, where t.,e watchmau 'ceps, and on the other, under the windows. tyl,s 8 lOng shelf Coils of rope, shoyels, picl JSas, tools, odds and ends of iren, pulleys and blocks, lanterns and empty boxes filtered up the rest of the interior
 upnn the bunk, shelf and floor and in nooks aad corners ihe cats were iual5. ing themselves perfectly ut home The watehman picked up small piece of assat from A closet and began to chop 1t ui Instantly the cats were all atsun- tion md watched hiln intently When he throw down what he had cut each eat picked up piece and took il of to a ecrrer to eat it Thero was no scranl- olinsor fighting save among the kittens
 T keep the cats for company. said their master Most of them l have raised from kittens which friends gave me. 1 used to have tribes of them, hat q good many died Of distemper There hsed to he 50 many of them that when l went through the yard at night with a lantern l was almost afraid of stepping on item Yon cant teach them g..y tricks except to 5ulnp over sticks and through yoGr hands and to come when yoa call eud to stick 10 you like broth ar. x dog has got more intelligence. A cat lives about twelve years. The talk about their having nine lives is rot They M'e awfuly delicate creatures and catch the distemper very easily. You mustn't oyerfeed them. don't believe in giving thom milk it's too heating A little meat once day is all they need. They caJch rats and mice enough to keep them from being hungry Be kind Co thsm Bob lugersoll says q kind word to dumb animal is better shaa kick
 ...5olas ul tly cats are great fighters. AIiuuie is q perfect John l.. Sullivan. She will tackle anything n the shape of dog that cosues along < big bull ter. rier chased Cinders tEe other day It was great to see Minnie go 10 her aid Those two eats got that dog down and cldwed him until he howled. When lhey let him Up he had hardly any hair on him He put his tail between his legs aud ran away as if the old boy was after him. When acat fights, you know, he lies on his back and paws with his uind feet Wherever the claws strike ti.B tpr flies,
 If a strange cat comes around they will chase bim away if they don't Ike him If they think he is pretty good fellow they will bring him in here when | call them 10 feed Cindrs has a'niost turned Protestant through kindness, Sae runs off to the female training school up the street aud tie nurses make great time over her and feed her, have forbid her going there, but she won't pay any attention to my orders, Then Melville went on to tell what comfort the cats were to him the long winter nights When he reads in hia little home the cats climb on the bench where the lamp stands and sit there, on his shoulder and about the arms If his chair for hours, quiet as lambs. New York Press,
 Comlua 10 the Point.