The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-04
FIFTY CATS.
Comprise the Family of Two Hermit
Brothers.

hey Live in a Cabin Far Down the Bay
The Place is Beautiful But the Cats Are
Not-one Brother Spends Most of His
Time Catching Fish for Them-His
Queer Mania.
We sailed to Harpswell on the Merry
coneag Saturday (and by the way, there
is no better summer steamer, no more
accommodating and courteous officials,
and no more delightful sail on the coast, }
and from thence IN small boat sailed
across the bay. half mile or SO, to
Haskell's Island. It is beautiful is
land, and seemed so attractive to a
Massachusetts man years ago, when
yachting in Casco Bay. that he resolved
to own it, and now he, Mr.. Noyes, of
Georgetown Mass, and Mr.. r. d. Pingree,
OF auburn, own the island, and the
former has lived there every summer for
ten years.
The island is mostly bare fields, but at
one end is thick grove of black spruce,
on high, rocky bank. Into the very
heart of this forest narrow inlet pene-
trates, Offering an irresistible invitation.
1t is long assure in the rock, is few
rods wide and over hundred in length.
As we approached it dory preceded us
IN which was man. At the upper end
OF the inlet, the other side of the forest
has been reached. There is beach, and
just beyond neat little farmhouse, and
still farther are the green fields and
meadows and pastures. On slight
rocky eminence. near the head of the
inlet, was an old fish house, a simple
structure. about IL feet square.
The dory grounded there, as we drew
near, and the man stepped out. He was
splendid physical specimen, over six
feet tall, and broad and muscular, and
about so years old. He carried in one
hand a long and rusty gun of Anticipated
workmanship. He would have attracted
attention anywhere, but the reception he
received in front of that old fish house,
his home, was more unusual than any
man could be, whatever his appearance.
As he stood on the shore, leaning on
his long gun, and looking at us for an
instant,
AT LEAST NINETEEN CATS,
big and little, old and young, black and
white and striped ana spotted and yellow
and gray and maltese and tortoise she'll,
came down to meet him in perfect flock
from where they had been basking on
the rocks and sand in front of the
cabin.
And they were not all. Cats were
everywhere, our astonished eyes kept
discovering them here and there as we
gazed around. They were perched on
high rocks over the water, licking their
chops and their fur. They were all
around and inside the house. They
were crossing the beach, and in the dis
tant fields white spot here and there
proclaimed cat.
We hailed the big. handsome man, for
in spite of his rough beard, his features
were handsome, and asked him if he was
raising cats.
no." he said gruff1y.
What have you SO many for?"
Just for fun"
1t was evident that he wasn't inclined
to talk but 1--WE persevered and went
ashore. AS we pulled up alongside the
dory there was almost bushel of cum
ners and rock cod.
What do you feed the cats on?n
Fish," still grufay.
Then it wasn't affection, sbut hunger,
that caused the cordial greeting at his
home coming. The cats knew that he
had brought their dinner. We then
noticed all over the rocks .and every
where the skins and partially eaten
bodies of hundreds of fish. We might
have noticed them before by the odor,
had not the felinity of the place ap-
pealed to our noses more powerfully
than anything else.
II