Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-24
CATS FOR THE PHILIPPINES
Gen. Merritt Took Three Telines on His
p" Recent Expedition.

Recent Expedition.
tSan Francisco Chronicie.)
when Major General Merritt sailed
from San Francisco he asked the gov
srhiileht authorities here for thee.
cats to taxi to Manila. Probably tho
trio of Americans felines are now
teaching Yankee habits to their mis-
guided fellows of the islands, for ii was
MAJOR General Mcrritt's intention 1,
send them ashore when they landed.
Ihe eats came from the commissar nv
depot on Jessie street, San Francisco
n their progenitnr may be seen the, G
any day, busted among The barrels aud
y or doing lazily in some SNUG
corner. He has grown old and ia, in
the service of Uncle sam, ana is high
~ esteemed by all Who know OF his long
Years of faithful attention to duty.
1t is not generally known that the
government spends several thousands
OF ollar annually f.,' tJ.c aaa ja cna n &c
uf cats. but the counts OF the United
states depo colnmissaries prove it. In
every storehouse there are from on. to
flve Of he alma and their rations are
provided as carefully and regularly as
those Of amy Of the gallant soldiers.
IheE are not fed on craps nor are
their individual tastes disregardeG. as
are those of the enlisted men, but they
arc allotted SO many pounds of choice
beef or any other %delicacy their palals
may desire. vi c1urse they may have
as much game as they Visit, "nd the
s~torehouses seldom fail to furnisns1n
unlimited supply of ratS+and mice. That
the cats save many times their cost of
support is well known. as such supplies
as crackers, cheese. bacon, flour and
meal are much sought after by the
rodents 1.4 -l5. r .M.st..e d.. Ft.
That the army cats in San Francisco
are VII Created may be judged from
the fac Mat while New York quotes 6
cents per day per cat as the price Of cat
meat, Col, Baldwin. depot commissary
here. finds Z cents as low as he can get
the proper sort of beef for the felines
which protect his stores.
some time 6 a new attache OF the
warehouse procured a terrier and in
stalled him in the territory OF The
Colonel" who is father of the animals
Major Genera Merritt took With him.
The next morning the dog WAS found
beside two rats, badly Scared, While
The Colonel" guarded five with Il PRIDE
hat spoke in the severe arch Of his
back and his loud meows. The terrier
was forthwith removed. All mcn-of-
var carry cats. Their usefulness Is
never more apparent than on ship
board. The writer. was crossing from
Antwerp to New York on the steamship
Southwark. when he was awakened by
the sudden stopping OF the ship, an o.
currence which. happening in md
ocean generally means something seri-
GUS. The passengers rushed on deck
half clad. and were Disguised to learn
that a rat having crawled into thu. cyl
inder had caused the halt. Such an ac-
cident on a man-nf-war in time of ac-
ton might he fearfully paid for. and an
active eat is the only preventative of
such Il possibility. a /.
TIL Colonel. has a host of admirers
and in his many years in the army h.
has become the ret Of many officers
and clerks and the progenitor of many
other cats whose rafting qualities have
Won them distinction.