The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-01-26
CATS FOR COMPANY.
A WATCHMAN HAS TWENTY-THREE
AND HE LIKES THEM.


who Would Be Lonely but for Ills De-
voted and Loving Pets.
Whee, wheel, Whee, wheel!
1t was such whistle as the Pied Piper
Of Hamlin may have given when he
rallied the rats from the famous old city
to watery grave in the river Weser.
But instead Of rats there came from
little shanty in Alderman Duffy's coal
yard at the foot of East Twenty-sixth
street the queerest colony of cats to be |
found perhaps in Christendom. They |
gathered about the watchman of the |
yard, Charles Melville, a short thick |
set man with bristling brown mustache, |
who walked with slight limp and is
familiarly known as "Doc," because of |
his veterinary skill, in answer TO his |
whistle.
Great family, amt it," said the
watchman after a 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
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 s years
old, being the oldest of all, and
the grandmother of most of the
| babies. The lively little lady with the
| five 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 sharply.
"Trot back; the gentleman has seen
you"
The 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
whence they came The watchman
followed, leading the reporter to 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 door, in the bottom OF which was
cut hole about three inches square.
Hanging over the little hole was flap
of wood suspended from a piece Of
leather Two windows lit up the inte-
rior of the shed. On one side was a
raised bunk, where the watchman sleeps,
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 empty
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
watchman picked up q small piece of
meat from closet and began to chop it
up Instantly the cats were all atten-
ton and watched him intently. When
he threw down what he had cut each
{. cat picked up piece and took it off to a
corner to eat it. There was no scram-
bling or fighting save among the kittens.
81 keep the cats for company" said
their master. "Most of them l 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 q
lantern was almost afraid of stepping
on them. You can't teach them any
!, tricks except to jump over sticks ano
r through your hands and to come wher
l. you call and to stick to you like broth
er. A dog has got more intelligence. a
z. cat lives about twelve years. The tall
}. about their having nine lives is rot
- | IoJio cTaaf11f.pC oT(
catch the distemper very easily. 4or
>, mustn't overfeed them. I don't believe
." in giving them milk; it's too heating. 4
little meat once a day is all they need
VI They catch rats and mice enough t
2. keep them from being hungry. Be kint
to them. Bob Ingersoll says a kind wore
to dumb animal is better than KICK.
b. "Some of my cats are great fighters
IL. Minnie is perfect John l.. Sullivan
Nj She will tackle anything in the shape o
i. dog that comes along. A big bull ter
~ rier chased Cinders the other day. i
- was great to see Minnie go to her aid
'N Those two cats got that dog down an
clawed him until he howled. Whe
W. they let him up he had hardly any hal
W. on him. He put his tail between hi
b. legs and ran away as if the old boy wa
es after him. When cat fights, you know
oz he lies on his back and paws with n
- hind feet Wherever the claws strik
the fur flies.
y eff strange cat comes around the
will chase him away if they don't hk
him. If they think he is pretty goo
"a fellow they will bring him in here whe
bl. call them to feed Cinders has almo
II turned Protestant through kindnes
~ She runs off to the female trainin
'N' school up the street and the nurses mai
o%' a great time over her and feed her.
zee have forbid her going there, but 81
arg won't pay any attention to my orders
- Then Melville went on to tell what
A' comfort the cats were to him the lor
winter nights. When he reads in
,in little home the cats climb on the benz
nd where the lamp stands and sit there,
his shoulder and about the arms OF
W | f., Z az lambs Ne