The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-21
THE CATNiP PEDDLER.
The Feline& Would Have Robbed the Ole
Man But for Peliceman's Aid.

The Felinee Would Have Robbed the Old
Man But for Peliceman's Aid.
Old Father Busch, a well-known char
acter earns living in Williamsburg
by peddling catnip and watercresses.
One night recently he was walking
along North Second street with his cat
nip. having sold all the watercresses,
when a sound came out of the inky
night that made him tremble. 1t was
the prolonged howl of a cat. 1t had
the same effect on Father Busch as the
scream of panther on green hunter
or the cry Of the wolf on the lonely
traveller. The very bane Of Father
Busch's existence is the cat He can
elude them all right in the daytime,
and ordinarily even at night but on
TO his wherea bouts, and also felt
that he was too exhausted to
move much further. As he sat
down on q door step an answering howl
broke the stiffness of the night, and
soon the old man was staring at two
pairs of green eyes which blazed
through the darkness
Scat out o here" he yelled, shying
a stick at the blazing eyes, but there
was DO move on their part. The own
ers just whimpered and crawled
around to leeward Of the catnip. Then
they got the full odor of the pungent
herb. Their whiskers stood out
straight, they shifted, and then both
together let out yowl which could be
heard for blocks. That yowl must
have meant catnip, for Immediately
afterward there was a wonderful echo
of hoMls, yowls and meows from all
sides. With great effort old Father
Busch pulled himself together. slowed
the catnip under his coat, buttoned il
tight, and started off on run. 1t was
too much fer him, however, and he had
not gone more than dozen steps
when he broke down and staggered in
to a doorway. The cats were there be-
ford him, not two, but twenty. They
we're an assorted lot, and included
every known type of the domestic cat
tribe. There were parlor pussies,
kitchen Tables. cellar mousers, spike
fence crawlers, backyard bawiers, rat
trap trailers, hallway howlers, yellow
striped yowlers, breakfast GROWERS,
and all were calling for catnip. Old
Father Busch, despite his fright,
resolved they should not have anv of
the catnip, which he intended to sell
for his breakfast. He clasped the herb
TO his bosom and kicked out vigorous
ly. But the congregation of cats was
not to be bluffed by kicks The cats
surrounded Father Busch, and one
gave him a vicious scratch Still he
would not let go of the catnip Bv
way of sop to Cerberus, he
picked out little piece OF
catnip and threw it among
the cong regating cats. 1t was
snapped up at a bite, and the
hungry cats were at him for more.
Then, as if they had it prearranged,
all together made a rush at the pros
ira to Of sid man. Such a snarlinp and
scratching was never seen or heard be-
fore in Williamsbrrgh. The cats strug-
gled to get at the catnip, while the old
man kicked with his feet and struck
out with his fists As the cats were
nimble, he did no harm He finally
sonnd voice enough to cry for help. A
policeman heard his appeal and hur-
ried to the rescue. He shooed the cats
away with his night stick and lifted
old Father Busch to his feet The old
peddler still had his catnip. The no.
ilcemar wanted him TO throw it to the
eats, but he refused and was led off to
the station bearing the catnip with
him. The eats followed at distance
until the policeman charged them with
his stick again when they went slowly
back to their homes-N. Y. Sun.