Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-09-18
'SCAT!"


Won of the odd genius met at Pontiac who
was going to do away with carpets on floors
by sticking little pieces OF carpeting on the
feet with mucilage."
Jones looked at the younger man with So
yerity. jackson, l was just on the point of
telling story about a little idea of my own
when l lived in Iowa several years ago
Enrich us with the tale or your bright
young friend some other time"
yes" returned Peters, ut does very well
for you to say that, but my story was going
to be a true one"
"Young man." answered JONES' "you
seem to forget that l am yo1r former
teacher. The memories of the district
school at Hemlock hollow appear to be de-
sorting YOU"
Give us your story, Jones-giye US your
story" said Smith encouragingly.
81 was going to-" replied Jones' ut
was number of years ago. l was living
out in Iowa near Des Moines. My place
was on the Des Moines river bottom, and
the bluffs were literally alive with wild
cats. The wildcats from all over the
country seemed to be in the neighborhood
that year holding a wildcat worlds fair
a fact, gentlemen. had fancy stock
farm, and between the resident and the
visiting wildcats they played the very
deuce with my blooded chickens. don't
need to tell you, gentlemen, that am
MORALLY afraid of n gum"
Seems to me that's pretty serious ad
mission for man who only last night was
telling how, down in Arkansas, he used tt
spring up bears with a finch hickory
plank and shoot them on the wing, like
clay pigeons" said Jackson Peters.
"An idle tale, Jackson, an idle tale. A
man must relax little sometimes AS
was''-
"But you offered to bet $50 that'--
II couldn't shoot those wildcats, you see
so what could l dor Night after night
they walked off with my choicest fowls
One day bright idea occurred to me. II
was nothing more nor less than every tint
l heard any disturbance among the chicken!
to put my head out of the window and cal
out 'Scatp in loud voice"
The narrator paused and looked at Jack
son Peters defiantly. But Peters only blew
cloud of smoke ceilingward and archec
his eyebrows slightly.
"That was clever notion" observed
Robinson-''very clever notion. Worthy
to rank with your plan for extracting the
latent energy from tramps"
mo, Robinson, no." answered Jones
smiling, and evidently much gratified
mo, you are too kind. My tramp idet
showed genius; such things come to maj
but once in his lifetime. This was simply
an indication of special talent for dealing
with wildcats. Still, if you would believ'
it, my plan proved utterly valueless as fa
as frightening the cats away was con
cerned. seated myself hoarse ever.
night for week; still those wildcats wen
right on carrying away my poultry. But
felt that the principle was sound one, ant
looked about for the weak point in thu
application of it. soon found it.
II was employing the same volume o
scat for wildcats which is used in the cas-
of tame CATS and wildcats are three time
bigger than tame cats. My first though
was of speaking trumpet, but soon de
cided against it. l determined to make
clean sweep of the whole matter. sent t.
Chicago and got all improved Edison pho
nograph with intensifying attachments.
set the intcnsifier at the ratio of three t.
one. then shouted a battery of seats int
the receiver in my natural tame cat drivin,
voice. Iwound up the clockwork and Sc
the monograph near my henhouse. !
small wire connected the clockwork wit
the henhouse, SO that cat on entering tn
door would set the photograph off, causin
it to speak once. went to bed, gentle
men, and slept soundly till morning.
after breakfast my foreman told m
that at about midnight. when the frs
wildcat started to enter my chicken COO
to feloniously abstract my poultry, tina
monograph sort Of cleared its throat an
remarked 'Scat' In a voice which rattle
the windows Gentlemen, my foreman wa
man in whom l had the utmost conf
) dence, and he told me that after that phone
graph spoke he observed a long, gray strea
Of wildcat reaching from my henhouse doc
to the underbrush about 200 yards distant
The same phenomenon was noticed by IN
; foreman in the case of subsequent cats.
lost no more chickens through the depredt
tions of this obnoxious form of vermin."
Jones paused and lit his cigar, which ha
: gone out. He blew an aggressive cloud 6
: the lamp, elevated his chin and looked {
Jackson Peters.
: Peters rested his cheek in his hand an
seemed thoughtful. After some seconds
: drew a long breath and said, Jones, ma
y trouble you to tell us when this intercs
. ing and valuable incident took place"
. 'Certainly, Jackson. certainly. In tn
- summer of 1871"
Peters smiled. Then he said: 1.-THE PHI
nograph, Jones, is given later date by tt
more advanced historians and archno
F., ogists. You are, Jones, guilty of anachr'
a nism."
"Nodoubt, Jackson, no doubt" answere
Jones. "Most men who tell the truth ar
shall not lie to avoid an anachronism-n
/. not il l am guilty Of an anachronism vii
every word l utter-if my whole life b
comes one vast anachronism. Truth, JAG
>. son, truth first, truth always. "-HarpeI