The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-02-23
THE CATS seNsEo OF DIRECTION

Pusslfng 1nstance-Reachlng Home
by an Unknown Route.
That q cat can come home in the
face Of the most incredible difficulties
is perfectly certain. Thus, to take a
recent instance. cat was carried from
a town on the northeast coast of Fife,
to a county house near Perth. 1t went
in basket by train to Leuchars, where
1t changed for Dundee. and ut Dundee
changed for Perth. Next day, about
z In the morning, this cat was observed
to run down the avenue of Its new
home with a purp0seful dir. On the
third day 1t appeared ut its old home.
Now. how did that cat achieve its
Journey Did 1t take a Decline across
country, and. il SO. how did it know
Its direction? Or did 1t run to Dundee,
cross Tay bridge (the railway BRIDGE,
and SO along the line to Leuchars, nego-
tiating the Eden or Guard bridget. We
can hardly believe that it swan the
Tay. Or did 1t go round by the head
OF Loeb Tay, a long, rough journey
by the KILN, where cat might meet
many dangers and temptations. The
perils Of q cat on the road are innumer-
able. Every collie dog chases It, every
game keeper has a gun for 1t, every boy
Is ready with stone. Indeed, we
never see cat on its travels; no doubt
1t runs by night. There is the hypothe-
sis that the cat came by train, changing
at Dundee, and achieving the difficult
maneuver at Leuchars. wherein many
men have failed, going back to Dundee.
or getting to Cupar. though not one Of
them was like him 'that will to Cupar."
This method of transit, which needs
agile acuteness of reason in any man,
may not be beyond the powers and in
telligcnce of a cut.
But all conceivable ways. from the
Decline across country and over piers
to the course round Loeb Tay, is full
Of perplexities. That the cat simply
rode on a broomstick behind q witch Is
an hypothesis which brings US into un.
friendly contact with modern ideas Of
progress. Some how the thing was
done, and done In f0rty-elght hours.
from Vienna to Mentone. but died of
fatigue. The cat was as well and sound
as usual. We may speak of instinct
and inherited aptitude: but to find its
old home IL Of no use to cat in the
struggle for existence. Cats, much
more than dogs, are independent Of Il
home. They can take to the heather,
the forest, or the back green. Thus the
cats which f0rtuitously developed the
powers Of ''homing' would be no better
of than other cats. and not more fitted
to survive and beQueath their accom-:
plishment to their progeny.
In the face of these facts our boasted
science is dumb. We know little about
cats, but cats know great deal about
us. Faculties of this kind made the
cat q mysterious power In the middle
ages. He was roasted alive. that his
unknown protector might come and res
cue him by uttering words Of prophecy.
This very fact proves the existence of q
feline secret society, which nobody stud.
les, for we are all apt to neglect the
facts which underlie and inspire tho
truths which arc called superstitlOns.
Cats have very probably "an under
ground railway. Saturday Re.
view.
Check.
The man who tries to take adyan.
tage of the Ignorance Of another &C.
easional,y gets Roland for his Oliver.
A Boston man ONE, In England, seeing
q laborer digging flints out of chalk.
pompously asked him IL he rhouaht
they grew.
"surc," was the reply, II know they
do"
Then put some flint on o table and
sec how much II grows In q year."
And you. MR.. said the labOrer, nut
n nofnt0 ON the tahlQ and 900 tnxx,