The morning times., 1897-01-31
THIS CAT TRAVELLING
100000 MILES
Six Hundred and Seventy five Thousand
Already Covered by Old Tom
Of The Alameda.

Here is q cat that is striving to make a
unique record. To cover 900 900 miles is
the goal of its ambition, and that of it's
owner, Chief Engineer A. u. Little, of the
steamer Alameda, Of the Oceanic Line.
1t is the most widely travelled cat in the
world. Up to the present time Tom has
covered distance of 675 600 miles, and
both he and his master are livingin the hope
that he will be able to reach the million
mark. Incidentally, Tom has had many
strange experiences. He has been bat
tered about and laid on the sick list more
than once but never has this prevented him
from continuing his travels.
Tom has done most of his journeyings on
the Alameda, on board of which Mr..
Little has sailed as chief engineer for over
thirteen years The Alameda plies between
San Francisco, New Zealand, Hawaii and
Australia, and at every port where the
vessel touches Tom is as well-known as
the oldest salt in the service There are
dozens of persons interested in him, and
many of them keep record of the miles
he travels, adding TO the score whenever
the famous old feline reaches port On
the water front at San Francisco Tom is as
well known-in fact, better than the
oldest policeman on the beat, and surely
twice as well liked and at Honolulu, Apia,
Auckland and Sydney he is first favor
ite with all who frequent the docks.
1t was not until Tom ha d been at sea
for ten years that Mr.. Little began to
figure up the number OF miles he had
covered, but since that time he has kept
a careful record, and at the close of the
last voyage, when it was discovered that
Tom ha d covered a distance of $4,000
miles, there was general feasting among
the crew.
From the moment that Tom boarded the
Alameda he kept to himself. No amount
OF coaxing could ma ke him friendly. He
would not allow any one to pick him
up, and If any of the sailors tried to
stroke him, he would dart off and dis
appear for couple OF days. Then he
would renew his crusade among the rats.
This was the case on the first voyage that
Tom took. One day he happened to chase
monster rat into the galley. In his
anxiety to catch his foe Tom jumped on
the stove. His feet were badly burned,
and with a howl of pain he rushed out of
the galley and slowed himself away in
the tween decks. Engineer Little started
for him, cropping among the cargo for
several hours, at last finding him writh-
ing in pain between two barrels, Little
picked up the cat and took him TO his
room, dressing his feet with vaseline
every day until they were cured, and from
that time Tom has been friendly to the
chief engineer
or late years Tom has acted as sentinel
at the door of Engineer Little's stateroom,
but there is something paradoXical about
his methods. He will XIII every rat that
dares to make an appearance, but If he ends
the life of one anywhere else on the ship
the first thing he does is TO deposit the
carcass at Mr.. Little's door.
This wonderful travelling cat is sagacious
in other ways. He knows the sound Of q
flying fish, and never one falls on the deck
that does not find its way to the chief
engineers door Flying fish are consid-
cred delicacy at sea, bat Tom is always
rewarded for his faithfulness by being al
lowed to eat his captive. The only annoy