The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-26
CATS FOR COMPANY.
A WATCHMAN HAS TWENTY-THReE
AND HE LIKES THEM

I u
Visiting Nov York Nighi watuhma AZ
Who would BE Lonely but Tor His DE
voted and Loving Pets.
Vince. wheet! Whee. wheel!
II was such a whistle as the Pied PiDer
OF Hamlm may have given when he
called the rats from the famous old cit,
To watery grave in the river Weser.
boI instead Of rats there came from a
little shanty in Alderman Duifv's coal
yard at the foot of East Twepty-sjxtb
street the queerest colsny Of cats to be
found perhaps in Christendoin. They
gathered abont the watchman Of the
yard, Charles Melville, q short thick
set man with bristling brown mustache.
who walked with a slight limp and is
tamiliarly known as Doc" because of
his veterinary skill, in answer to his
whistle.
Great family, amt itgn said the
watchman after a moments pause, dur
ing which he coduted them 10 see If the
cats were all there. "Ain't another like
1t in the city. Tho black ones Mig. He's
2 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 cat is Cinders
klinkers, 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 years
Old, being the Oldest of all. and
the grandmother Of most Of the
babies, The lively little lady with the
hive liver colored kits is Ginger. They
think they are going to get something TO
eat. See how disappointed they look
when they find they amt"
Nothing today" he said sharplv.
"Irot back; the gentleman has seen
you.n
The twenty-three cats were for mo
ment irresOlute. Then they blinJed
their eyes as if to wipe away the tears.
and turned about and went with droop-
ing tails and bent heads into the shanty
whence they came. The watchman
followed, leading the reporter 10 the
shed, which was built in the corner of
the coal yard. It was not more than a
dozen feet square and as many high. and
was built of old boards. 1t stood at the
entrance to the yard. At the street end
was a door, in the bottom of which was
cut hole about three inches square.
Hanging over the little hole was a fan
of wood suspended from piece Of |
leather. Two windows lit up the inte.
rior of the shed. On one side was /
raised bunk, where the watchmap sleeDs.
and on the other, under the windows
was long shelf. Coils of rope, shovels, |
picEaxes, tools, odds and ends of iron.
pulleys and blocks, lanterns and emuty |
boxes Uttered up the rest of the interior /
Upon the bunk. shelf and floor and in |
hooks and corners the cats were max. !
ing themselves perfectly at home. The
picked up a small piece of |
meat from closet and began to chop il |
up. Instantly the cats were all atten. |
ton and watched him intentlv. When
he threw down what he had cut each
cat picked up u, piece and took it off to a |
corner to eat it, There was no scran. |
bling or fighting save among the kittens,
II Keep tue cats for company" said |
their master. Most of them / have
raised from kittens which friends gave
me. used TO have tribes of them. but |
a good many died Of distemper. There |
used TO be so many of them that when ] |
went through the yard at night with a
lantern | was almost afraid of stepping |
on them. You can't teach them any /
tricks except 20 jump over sticks and |
through your hands and to come when
you call and 10 stick to you like broth.
er. A dog has got more intelligence. A |
cat lives about twelve years The talk
about their having nine lives is rot.
They are awfully delicate creatures aud
catch the distemper very easily. Yeu
mustn't ovurfeed them. | don't believe
in giving them milk; it's too heating. A
little meat unce day is all they need
They catch rats and mice enough to
keep them from being hungry. Be kind
to them. Bob lngersoll says a kind word
TO dumb animal is better than a kick.
"Some of my cats are great fighters.
Minnie is perfect John l.. Sullivan.
She will tackle anything in the shape OF
a dog that comes along. A big bull ter.
rier chased Cinders the other day. Is
was great to see Minnie go to her aid.
Those two cats got that dog down and
clawed him until he howled. When
they let him up he had hardly any haii
On him. He put his tail between his
legs and ran away as if the old boy was
after him. When cat fights, you know,
he lies ON his back and paws with his
hind feet, Wherever the claws strike
the fur flies
III a strange cat comes around they
will chase him away if they don't like
him. If they think be is pretty good
fellow they will bring him in here when
! call them to feed. Cinders has almost
turned Protestant through kindness.
She runs off TO the female training
school mp the street and the nurses make
a great time over her and feed her. ]
nave forbid her going there, but she
won't pay any attention 20 my orders
Then Melville went on to tell what a
comfort the cats were to him the long
winter nights. When he reads in his
little home the cats climb on the bench
where the lamp stands and sit there, ON
his shoulder and about the arms Of his
chair for hours, quiet as lambs.-New
York Press