The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31
1T WAS THE CAT.
One-Eyed and BOb-TaiIed, But She
Had "A Fighting Friend in the Skip
per'S Wife.

From the San Francisco Chronicle
A one-eyed, bob-tailed cat was the in
nocent cause of mutiny on board the
bark McNear during her recent trip from
Departure Bay to this port, and as a result
of the trouble Capt. Petersen is now look
ing for new men to fill the positions OF
first and second mate, as well as several
other vacancies in the crew.
The hapless feline was the special pro-
tege of Mrs. Petersen, the captains wife,
and all the crew had learned to respect
the pet and attend to its every want, not
withstanding the fact that every man of
them heartily hated it, and ascribed to its
supposed evil influence innumerable mis-
haps and spells of bad luck by which they
had been overtaken.
While the McNear was loading coal at
Departure Bay the cat was accustomed to
go gaddling, as the sailors put it. and the
captains better half, as well as the entire
ships force, were continually out on
searching expeditions for the wanderer.
On the night before the bark was to sail
Miss Puss failed to put in an appearance
and right then the trouble began. An
evil-minded coal-passer, who aspfres to be
practical joker, whispered to Mrs Pc
tersen that there was a conspiracy on
foot to do away with her pet He named
as the plotters First Mate Mike Nichols.
Second Mate Thompson of the McNear.
and Waterman on the dock. The lady
Immediately swooped down upon the
Waterman. The latter who sports a broad
Scotch accent and is something of a wag
himself denied that he had gone into the
cat-purloining industry, but confded the
alleged fact that he had seen one-eyed
cat on board the ship Two Brothers, which
was loading coal near by. A search of the
latter vessel wa snext in order, but it was
fruitless.
The McNear sailed the following dav
minus the cat, and everybody waited for
the bursting of the thunder cloud which
they knew was inevitable. 1t happened at
the dinner table, Mate Nichols affected an
air of sympathy when he asked Mrs. Pc
tersen if she had heard anything of the
cat, but he could not conceal his real feel
ings. The captains wife could contain
herself no longer. She is said to have ac-
cused Nichols of being the man who threw
the cat overheard, and, to emphasize her
anger, she hurled a life-size cllstard ME
al the onending mate, nearly smothering
him. After digging a deep hole through
the ingredients which filled his Celtic
countenance, and getting his bearings
Nichols dashed out of the cabin, followed
py the nturiated woman. He sought re-
AuSS III the noiu, out that was like
jumping from the fryingpan into the fire.
for his Nemesis followed, and arming her
self with an apron full of coal proceeded
to pelt him with the chunks until he beg
ged for quarter. The captain attempted
to calm his better half, but was unset for
his pains
During the remainder of the voyage the
mates and crew of the bark refused to
take any more meals in the cabin. prefer
ring the seclusion of their hunks. They
took care, too, not to say anything more
about cats When the vessel arrived here
nichols and Thompson, with several
others threw up their jobs and left the
vessel in the stream