The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-05

surrounds Bimself With a Peculiar
Breed of CT Which HI Invented Him.
seIf-whea lie Died the kitteas Gave
Warning To the Settlers aud They
Searched For the old Man and Found
Him-Cas R.issd a Row when IL
Came to Burying Hin
Boston. Mass. Dec. 4-''Blaek Dick"
Gerrette. the famous "cat hermit" os
Moxie Lake Me. Is dead. For more
than a score OF years BLACK Dick" had
been the most remarkable parsonage in
the Northern Somerset wilderness In
Maine. he was a French-Canadlsn.
and mad but little knowledge Of the Eng
lish language.
Ii was learned that mis- name was
| GeFEettC. and that ne came fEom the d.
rsction of the provinces when nc enter
ed Maine. Some trappers IN the Cau-
comgomoc region saw him when ns
passed through there. He carried
great pack taat would nave swsmped =
man with le=s sturdy legs. but under his
nagaty burden Gerfette tramped stoiid-
ly along. But tire most interesting feat
ure OF the outfit was this: The man
bore on top Of all the other DUNE on his
back big. round basket woven from
csiers The trapper judged from the
chorus OF plsIntive "misows' that csms
from the interior o; the basket tass IL
was full OF kittens. At iae queer pil-
grim's heels followed an attendant train
o, nearly a score OF biz cats. son's oc
whom were eontlausily mswtng back
answers % their progeny In tae bssket-
Gerrette buiJt himself fovei sDd lived
there with MS cats.
Boston spoTt-men who visited tbs
place l<st summer were allowed 20 land
and look Ground a bin.
Several huge cats we're lurking on ths
shore os the lake. dSobling their paws
in the water and gazing dorm into ths
depths vita an intent regsrd. SUDDEN
~ orie OF the cats male terrifS plDngs
into the water and came dhp7insly oni.
bringing a gooi-eizei sro9t. T1pe cat
went tearing away to the unf.rrro1fn
aith his prize. pursued by q iozen o; tas
huge fellnes, who had been with aim AZ
the shore Of The lake. Judging rom ;as
uproar in the bus1es. taers were a. isAss
a dozen fzat- over TIE fis1 ere ne a1ss-
ton of owner.fip was settled
The oid Frenchmsn sxplsinsi tnst
these fishing animals we're the result q
tae crossing = the comnsn cats DiSh
tbe ~bIsck eats" or the ''hsbsr cats
- tae Maine forest. TIE lastrr - fur
pearing animal of tbe naFten sD-ciss.
ana. in common wsfr ire rscepen. - 81
psrentty able % WOO HfSn great sues
any t4bbiss w77 nay venture - stroll
Into the dep Soo1s
tVitrin ssa pav. ulonsN ne ca's ssvs
comm nd - foek shout - i1rlo~r
camps In t1e vicinity 90 Moris Pori
end ave appeared particularly hgnEry
snf ee-1-ious The E~otsu1~n fe--d~f
that ssn1efHlnx mus, Bsve hsrpsned n
C;errette's camp. ~ w5e1 Fi~f AHn~ty
y n down - r1s eaTtisTnrnf sst~s To-
- eco ard rr.st-hes 81 5eclaed % EAR fn
AZ Ger-Aike's and So u ias al eeisD vas
~ any ;-eBale. A. s@ tseE near -
fi--ref's= mBf he osHsf Fep-sfsilY -
t1- RI man Tas-e Nss no zusNeF S9
smoke cane ff7-n sas bit - ss1ns. Sf7-
lrufiag sD1ve g1s rot, TIE fooT ~ss
EhIf s0d there zsrs NJ ysxnE ., If soy-
Where asout s5@ premises. p~sTinz N
he c1Bid disfinxsssa uothsrx sTcrpt
rye- syss eysa. caring " s7fs from 81
parts - ths sooa 10 cats E-rs visias
only tse sys@. fas, ssrTnsf llkc TTe~s.
rei sn3 b.ge 'nzmes uEfstsnx - .As 10
tsrlo- esssly.
TIE oif mar IsT eE;snssi "a Tss
browse ae8 Hs Ras dead Hs rs5 ssi-
Ssntiy izfn - many ssys, ~ go lest
ures hsd essuxst
On ~ s15lornx sIn3sv AnnssT ant
.rres stz~t aen cane eosa - 90 isisai
'rsn r3el- csmo b~nginz sasTsi. sffs
xal-h = az q gave. Tssrs Ess a
,st-rss bette n fss ksaek - yen 80
-n~a an - z3s1sisn esGs. ans suiy e.
~ aaE os tssna asi bsea knssex~a "a
.as hssd ii fae siht-7 sfI-x Azsy sul
,1sE shs Eo01ss-~a q sexy sns b3sy -
- <-svs tasy asd ha1sxs1 sear 49,
.salr A. ;se men r~sssse1 severe blss~
rs szsste5es vale ssev wsrs ssrv-
* - So3y = s'ss r1ys-erf1sss 81 nan
- gay sux xr.<xs@s ss,s at a. a.
e dastxpee sd E4sehea Whss rh4.
my q fszszs waa a. darsnx rs~ esf4
5inier gaat is eeasinx I'D one gs~ssEsss
9 ~sy-
Engxss.ss. T<nn.. De- 1-Tas Te-a-
ssse 3s4izss eeileps xss c-zgroy-s ~
Ire tsss a<esg1cn< l&e toxs fs 70 s.sa