Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-20
washinston for oata. The huge sttucsurs

Washington for cats. The huge structure
Is fairly aswsfm with them. and at night
they ecamper about in troops Nobody
knows how many of them there are. but
the watchmen reckon them by scores.
They are all Migrants and wild as hawks.
In summer they are scattered about the
neighborhood 20 some extent, but IN
winter they gather within the build
ing. AZ about 10 o'clock every night
the empty corridors, which are made
20 resound with their cries. The acoustic
effects produced are astonishing. Let a
single grimalkIn lift up his voice in statu-
AIRY hail, famous for Its echoes, aud the
silence Of the night Is broken by a yell
like that OF damned soul. as loud rs a
locomotive whistle. A favortte place for
cat concerts is the whispering gallery
down below, known rs the "crypt," where
the feeblest sound is inagnified into a
roar. Imagine the demoniacal ensemble of
half dozen feline s0ngsters in such a
spot.
~ ENGLAND.
The British government paws certain
sums. regularlv& passed through the ac-
counts quarterly, for providing and keep
ing cats IN public Offices, dock-yards. AMI
store houses. Rats and mice. used TO do
great damage TO paper in the imperial
printing. Office OF France. but now sum
IS appropriated yearly for maintaining a
stah Of cats there, which are fed twice a
day and carefully looked after by man
who is paid for that service. In Vienna
four cats are employed by the au-
thCrities TO catch mice on the premises
OF the municipality. A regular allow
ance Is voted for their keep, add after
reasonable period of active service they
are placed on tho retired list with COM
Portable pensions. The Midland railway,
OF England. supports eight cats at Trent.
which are borne on the company's pas -rolls
for milk and meat. Their duty IL to guard
hundreds OF thousands of empty corn
sacks, and the Importance OF their work
may be estimated from the fact that twelve
women are engaged ell the year around in
darning holes eaten by rats in the sacks.
Why CATS ARE INVALUABLE.
II is probable that railways in this coun.
try would find it we'll worth while TO keep
cats at their principal stations for the pro-
lection of perishabIe freight against rats
and nice. People who are given 10 run
nlng down the feline tribe do not realize
how valuable the pussies are 20 mankind
In truth, they are Indispensable Were it
not for cats rodent foes would overrun all
houses, buildings, and cultivated land.
They are invaluable 70 farmers. protecting
the poultry yards and guarding the crops
devour the fresh-sown seed in the fields
and eat the grain before 1T was ripe for
harvest.
USED AS CLOCKS.
The Chinese utilize cats as clocks. They
say that the pupils of their eyes grow
steadily narrower until ~ noon, when they
are like fine hair-lines, gradually dilatlpg
after that hour. When Chinaman wants
to know what time 1t is he picks up cat
and finds out. There Is an old story of q
surgeon confined for debt in the Fleet
prison of London, who only escaped star
vatlon by employing skilful tabby to catch
mice for his food. Notwithstanding the
accusation of selfshness brought against
them cats are very sfec;ionate animals,
usually attaching themselves to one per-
son IN preference to all Others.
ATTACHMENT FOR OTHER ANIMALS.
Cats often become very much attached
20 dogs, horses. and even cows. They wall
sometimes rear young rats. rabbits, SPUR
rels, puppies, hedgehOgs, and pigeons.
There Is record of an instance where two
cats were brought up by female dog. A
cat has been known to make friends
with q sitting hen and to help keep the
young chicks warm bv permitting them to
creep under hor The fact has yet to
DO realized that the cat shares with the
dog the instinct toprotectits masters pro-
perty. A cat properly trained will not
touch tame rabbits, though it kills and
brings home wild ones, aud its appetite for
birds pauses at the domestic chickens and
ddckings. Pusses are used for peculiar
kind of sport In Belgium, where they are
tied up III sacks and let loose simulta.
peously, the one that gets home first WIN
ming a prize. 1t is recorded that IN one
such cat-race the prize was won by bind
cat.
CAT SHOWS.
The cat shows frequently held in Eng
land have done much to develop popular
interest III cats. tlnely-bred animals COM
maud at present very high prices. The
various breeds are as well recognized and
the points for Judging them as carefully
determined as with dogs. There is a
male tOrtoise-shell. Oddly enough tor
toise-shel cats seem always 70 be females.
At all events, only one malo Of that KIND
has thus tar been known Of in England.
Ii should be borne in mind that this re-
la.es TO the sort of tortoise-shell that is
black, red, and yellow in patches. with no
white.
The ROYAL CAT OF SIAM
Within the last few years new breed of
cats has been imported into Europe. ~ IS
the roval cat of Siam. For centuries past
the only pure stock Of this variety has been
kept confined to the palace OF the Slamese
king, and the most jealous care has been
taken 10 prevent any specimens from beng
carried away. Nevertheless few have
been obtained, though with great dill
Guilty. These cats are OF. an unusually al
fectionate disposition. They are OF a beau
tiful fawn color, with black muzzles, and
the kittens ALWAYS have peculiar kink ~
their tails. Unfortunately, they are re-
markably delicate. their hesh beng at
tackled by parasitic worms.
DEAF AND TALLEss CATS.
Itisa very curious fact that white cats
of the short haired kind with blue eyes are
nearly always totally deaf. Sometimes
those of the same breed with yellow eyes
are similarly afflicted One might suppose
that such defect would be Of no conse-
ouepce to the owner. but the fact ls that.
because their deafness prevents them from
hearing their own voices, their mewlnR IS
intolerable 70 listen 10. taking the shape OF
horrible yells. Such cats are only sulta-
bile for deaf old ladies. The origin OF tho
tailless eats of the Isle Of Man Is puzzle.
II NAV be that they were derived from au-
cestors who happened TO have their tails
cut OF. Such mutations are sometimes
reproduced by heredity, as has been the
case With the short-talled sheep dog. Inc
cats figured on ancient Egyptian monu-
meltS are supposed 10 nave Ceen OF tue
same variety "a that which Is common III
Abyssinia TO-DAY. II is not possible to
determine this question with certainty,
because although millions Of these cats
have been preserved as mummles, the color
of the bar cannot be distinguished.
IHE WIZARD BLACK CAT.
Black cats have much more electricity
IN their fur than any Others. This may
be one reason why SO many snperstltions
have attached to them. From time imme-
mortal popular belief has attributed 10
them necromantio power; They were