The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-09-07
A Doppish Puss.

James NJ. Maddox, superintend ent or the
Missouri District Telegraph Company, has
d cat. Besides the usual feline compile
| n.eut of nine lives, this cat has a past,
and. unless all signs fail. future which
falls e. the lot of few cats.
His name is Towsrr, and, although his
mother was a we'll bred Tabty. TOwser
has all the characteristics, habit and fraii
ties Of O dog. in early httenhood Tow
ser's mother fell victim To the deadly cat
rifle of small boy, and Mr.. Maddo x
found n foster mother for the kitten Ia q
kind earted pet dog with young faInil y
and trouhleSof her own. The canine mother
took kindly 10 tie little founding, and
Towser, the kitten, grew fat and sassy
with "a litter of puppy foster brothers and
sisters.
When the kitten was wedned he showed
no tendency TO abandon the dogs life
which he had leaned to lead, and began
TO exhibit all the canine characteristics
which he had nursed with his adopted
mothers milk. Instead of mewing and
catterwauling like a melancholy orphan
cat, he began to bark like the other pup
pies and Erowl ike they did, and be be
came the wonder OF the friends ard visit
ors at tr Maddox home. he was named
''TowS-r, asr. rs ..>.r4s - "a.
OF Ills master Like sure-enough dog. Per
baps the oUdest trick Towser has learned
Is that Of wagging his tai, which he does,
Lot in the serpentine manner Of his all
cestors, but from side to side in the yigor
Gus ard uncolnpromising style Of cog.
TowRer expresses fear, too, as he has seen
his foster brethren do, and run To cover.
During the hot weather Towser suffered
considerably from the heat, lid might
have been seen sitting about in the shade,
painting with his tongue out, in the manner
supposed TO be peculiar TO the dog.
He has none of the sinister traits of his
tribe, does not parade along the narrow
edge OF back fences in the dead Of night.
and gets from place to place in dog trou
or real gaslop instead of in the soft
footed and obsequlous manner OF other
cats. fowser has mastered that faysteri-
Gus freemasonary of dogs which has been
the W onder of naturalists for all time, and
seems to have hut little Trouble in form
ing the acquaintances Of strange dogs
which ne meets on the street corners and
about the bases Of friendly lauppoSts
and Telegraph Indes. Occasionally he has
run acress an ugly terrier, who, accept
ing no oveTtuTes, would attempt TO rend
Towssr on the spot, and IL is only on
such rare occasions that Towsers feline
propensities come TO the surface. When
a dog attacks Inn he will climb a tree
or q fence, where he will 81 { gre wiling and
barking at the enemy until he satisfies
him that he = not really a c at, but do.s
In all but ply Conformation.
Towser is very fond OF q run through
the streets with his master, aud from
long launts over the p,ranftoid pavement
and rough streets his once velvet paws
have been covered with caIlous corns, I'm
til his football is no longer inautiible, AMI
his toe nails are as rough and strong as
those Of dog.
Towser has a pronounced antipathy for
women. and will rush at them. barking
furiously and growing as If he would bite
them: his bark is worse than his bite.
however, for he has never been known to
bite any one and has earned for himself
the reputation of being a very docile and
dog, or cat, as the casemay be-
s tHLouis Republic.