The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-25

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are in this building. This particula
store room contains only the silks ant
other precious stuffs for which the
mouse Is noted in trade all over the
world
One day there strayed into the count
ing house where the four sedate anC
dignified merchants sat smoking theil
pipes In the solemn silence so common
to the prosperous oriental merchant q
pretty white kitten. Little attention
was pald TO pussy until she had made
the round of the room, rubbed her soft
fur against the leg of each member oil
the hrm and finally walked demurely
over TO the great strong box which
stood in one corner Here she paused
Tor moment and seemed to critically
examine its fastenings. The ANNA
seemed quite satisfied with the con-
struotion of the safe. and when she had
again reached the door side she made
playful leap, raped the bunch o.
| Keys with her velvet-like paw, stretch
ed herself comfortably beside the door
and began to purr little catlike song,
looking at the four partners with an
! expression which seemed to say: Now,
gentlemen, you may rest perfectly Sc
cure. will assume all the response
bility of this business myself"
| Brothers." exclaimed one Of the
party, this is surely good omen.
| unbidden, this pretty little creature
| comes into our place of business; with
out ceremony she introduces herself to
each member of the firm. Next she ex-
| amines our property to see If we are
| solvent and in good standing with the
| world of trade. May this not be a visi-
tation from heaven disguised in strange
| form? Let us adopt the little stranger
and give it home in the great house
| of Manockjee, Poonjeajee & Co. Should
we refuse her shelter it is possible we
offend the diety. What say you, my
good brothers?"
We'll" said another member of the
house, Il am quite willing to admit
that we really have no right to turn
1t away. Suppose, as has been suggest
ed, we take the little thing, and in
order that the good or i'll fortune it
may bring be equally divided we will
| consider it one of the assets of the firm.
Now, how shall we divide the owner
ship of the animal?''
"Oh, WELL" exclaimed the others, Eve
will follow the regular precedent of our
people. You, Manockjee, may claim the
left fore leg; will take the right and so
on until the cat Is equally divided Is
this arrangement satisfactory to all?"
There being no objection to this mode
of distribution, it was so agreed. The
bookkeeper was called into the count
ing house and the ownership of the cat
was duly entered upon the books Of
the firm as one of its assets, each quar-
ter of the animal being designated as
the property of some individual MEM
Der of the firm.
All went well with the house of Man.
ockjee, Poonjeajee & Co. for year or
So and pussy became a great favorite
with the whole household. Never for
centuries had the great house been so
prosperous. Trade with the West had
almost doubled. Connections had been
III; Nov ;, Con !,
America, all of which We're successful.
Yes, there could be no mistake, the
kitten had been a harbinger of good
luck.
Sometime during the month of De-
cember, 1897 While puss was playing in
the streets in front of the store its at
tention was distracted by some little
moving object and it did not notice
bullock cart coming from an opposite
direction. In a moment poor kit was
under the heavy wheels, and before 1t
could exitricate itself one white paw
was crushed and broken.
The left foreleg of the cat belonged %
Manockjee, so it was the duty of Man
ockjee to send for the physician and
foot the bill. A doctor was accordingly
sent for and did all in his power to re-
lieve the sufferings of the injured anil
NAL. The leg was wrapped in band
ages soaked in lturpentine linment, and
regularly each day the doctor made his
professional call at the great house
to hasten the recovery of the mascot.
In the early part of January, 1893,
the cat was walking about over the
tables and desks of the counting room
when she overturned a lighted lamp.
The flame from the lamp ignited the
turpentine with which the bandaSes
We're soaked and pussy flew in terror
through the counting room into the
The aoOuV of the burning
bandage about the leg kept the poor
beast going at top speed, evidently
hoping Ito find relief in some of the
snug corners among the bales of silk,
where she had taken many a quiet nap
on other occasions. Before help could
be summoned the great warehouse with
it's valuable contents was in flames,
and in three hours after only the big
iron safe marked the spot where once
stood the old, old house of Manockjee,
Poojeajee & Co. The partners took
their loss with all the stoical forbear-
ance of the confirmed fatalist. All
things We're ordained in the beginning.
This was merely a decree of fate. So
they bowed deferentially to fate and
calmly proceeded to rebuild upon the
ruins
But now came the important question
of settling for loss. Who was at fault?
A business meeting of the firm was
other three partners that the whole
damage was caused by the burning
bandage wrapped around the fore leg
of the cat. That left fore leg was The
individual and separate property Of
,Manockjee, which made decision an
easy matter. OF course, Manockjee was
responsible for the destruction of the
warehouse. There was no room for
doubt.
Although Manockjee did not dispute
this assertion outright, still he asked
for time to reflect before assuming the
entire responsibility. AT last he asked
his partners if they would object to a
friendly suit in the courts to decide for
a certainty just where the blame should
be lodged. In this manner" he said,
1--WE may settle the matter for all time
and it will leave no room for hard feel
ings."
The case was presented fairly and
without prejudice. Manockjee had re-
tanned one of the brightest pleaders
before the Indian bar, and through his
shrewd efforts the judge handed down
the following remarkable decision:
"A cat being owned seVerally by four