Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-18
sMoopEhkATz GONE.
Mr.. Christian Gudebrod Mourns, But Not
n lie Did for Toots.

New York SUM-
There was a COW. climbed up a tree
Old Song.
A small boy walked up n down Broad
way between Prince and Blocker streets
| distributing little circulars. They read as
follows:
LOsT-Gray Maltese cat: collar bearing
his name. ..SnOoperkatz." A reward OF 81
| will be paid for his safe return to GUIDE
| brod Brothers. Ga Broadway.
Gudebrod Brothers are manufacturers of
| spool silk. Mr.. Christian Gudebrod. the
senior member Of the firm. Is a handsome
man. with a clear, pink complexion. and
| one OF those long. straight, blond nous
| taches that you see in the picture of an
English army officer. As the reporter en-
tered his office he heard a hoarse Scat.
d-n you,' and the next moment a biz
black cat came flying through the air.
The moment IL landed on its feet II darted
| through the open door and flew down the
stairs. Just In the nick Of time, for out
| OF an inner room ran Mr.. Christian Ghrde-
brod with an empty inkstand appraised In
his hand.
Pardon me- he said. stopping short,
but that cat-er-did you wish TO see
| me?'
The reporter explained the object OF
his visit and was invited into Mr.. Guide
| brod's private Office. Mr.. Gudebrod
| seemed to b. much affected over the abb
| sence Of his Maltese cat.
oh sir" he said. "un.ess you are a
lover of cats you can nave no idea how
| feel about Snooperkatz. There was only
one cat in the world like him, and he's
now dead. Have a clgar?'
When a man looks YOU straight in the
.,.. md ,nufntaTuQ an e1rngut farm onl
speaks in fervent tones. IL would be cruei
to entertain captious suspicious.
REMARKABLE STORY.
YES. sir; that other cat is dead. How did
he die? Well. sir. It's a rather remarkable
story, and | don't ask you to believe IL;
but, nevertheless, | will tell II to you.
Tom Toots-that was bis name-lived in
my apartments in the Metropolitan Opera
House building, and when j was not at
home he had the run of the place. He
was a wonderful cat. and could leap and
stand on his hind legs and on his fore legs
like a raine dog. lie wasn't very pretty
to look at. because he had lost the hair
on his back and his tail. You see. one
day he upset a bottle Of mucilage. and
got The stuff all over his back and paws.
took him into the bathroom, and let
the water run on him until he was clean.
To my great surprise, he liked the wash
ing Very much. and the very neXt day
he upset the mucilage on purpose, and
III lllO Illt III ~ ff1AA HtAA - a.
happened, however, 10 turn on the hot
water. and before ne could get out all the
hair had been scaldel OF his back. You
have no idea how bad | felt about his dis
figlIrcment, FOR he hdu Dtth "a very ndIld-
some cat.
well. as was telling you, he was
quite "a gymnast. and nothing gave him
SO much delight as TO perform his tricks.
( rugged up a swing In the window, and
Tom Toots used TO climb up and swing
I'm and out. Through the carelessness of a
servant. a glass full of whiskey was left
on the table one afternoon, ana Tom
Toots upset il and licked IT. up. II must
have gone TO his head. for when "A moment
later he began to swing in and out of
the window, he lost his balance and tell
into the street below. and was killed"
Mr.. Gudebrod looked his visitor full In
the eyes. and seemed To be affected. After
clearing his throat-his voice had grown
quite husky-he went n
\ LONABLE CAT.
wen sir. you wanted 10 know about
Snooperkatz. SnOOpetkatZ was more IN
telligent than Tom Toots, but he hadn't
Tom Toots's lovablc disposition. He was
always up to mischief. and ! never could
trust him. but in spite of all his faults
| became attached to him. He was a beau
tiful cat, Il very beautiful eat. but, sir he
was not honest. | remember-'
Just then the door opened softly, and
the head Of a yellow cat poked III. Mr.
Gudebrod jumped To his feet, and, with
a yell. hurled the inkstand at the cats
head. Whether it was from long eXp--
Renee. or by mere chance. his aim was
true. The cat caught the missile plump
upon his nose, and. with II howl, fled from
the room.
] was saying, SnOOperkatz was beautiful,
bur he was not ~ br trnsted. Why. sir,
that cat would steal postage-stamps IRON
my desk and TAX" them down 20 the mix
man in the morning to buy milk for HIM
calf Heaven only knows where ne ever
learned that trick. but he did IL every
morning. As soon as he heard the mix
wagon rafting down the street, ne Would
null out the little drawer in which ] keep
nv stamps, lick up ) or 10 cents worth,
and then run down stairs To the milk
man. I did not know OF this for a long
time. but when the janitor told me about
il. questioned the milkman. ana the
rascal confessed. Let me give you a
light? ,,shoras,
The depth of his depravity was something
startling. Why, sir, that cat would climb
nm the screen door of the elevator and
push the button. and as soon as he saw
The elevator coming NJ he would run
down the stairs and eat up the elevator
BOYS lunch. And yet, although ! Know
Won will not believe IL, ! became strongly
attached to that cat. and when he. dis3p,,
peared, | cannot tell you how srieved !
felt"
Has. no one seen hin since h. went
"As far as | have been able to ascer,
taIn-no. AS a result OF advertising anu
sending out these circulars oferinS Il re-
ward, an army OF small boys and men
and women have come mere WIN cdtS Oh
ali kinds and sizes and cOlors and dlspo-
sitions hut no one has brought back
SnOoperkatZ. AS a matter OF fact. | nave
been forced to the conclusion that those
people were not sincere, Tor when th"y
found that they could not claim the re-
ward they departed. leaving the cat thSy
had brought behind them. AS a result,
We have been oyerrun WIN cats sNvi sin
o1r SnooperkatZ disappeared. To De per
fectly frank with you, II was one OF mos
aha ndonel cats that YOU saw me treat 50
vioIentlv as YOU came i'm. And-er-thls
veliow one. too-ycs. But we never treat
ID SnooperkatZ like that-oh. dear no. ,
I'VE had a clue yesterday when Iooht9
promising. but upon investigation iount
there was nothing in H.. The lanitrsas on
the Bleecker-Street SAVINGS SANK pumLmuI
ing has a black cat-a iefnare cat. hht
often seen ~SnooperkatZ running apou.
With a black cat. and when the elevator
r"ny told me IL was this Bleecker-street
cal I called on the lady and. after teillhs
her that her eat had been in the habit OF
visiting our cat. | asked her II she had
seen Sp~ooperkatZ. She told me, however,
that her cat did not 20 WISHING, 50 l
guess the elevator boy was mistaken.
'Er-yes-here Is a picture of ShOopeI-
KATE. which my brother, who Is an ARTIST
made from life. You can see Tor your
self what an intelligent-looking cat ne
was. But lie can't compare with Tom
Toots."