The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-23

-<eNSA VI w AOEH ONhSA OnS Leg
Through It's fundamentally a
Costly Blaze Was Started Re-
spOnsibiIity Finally Located,
Share and Share Alike, on Each
Leg.
Now, this is the strange, true tale of
cat which comes from far India, where
the law knows no testing and justice is
weighed with delicate scales. 1t has
been duly published in the legal reports
and you must not scott, for 1t is truth
says the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The ancient house of Manockjee, Poon-
jeajee & Co. is situated in Barah Bazaar
street fort, Bombay. and it is claimed by
the members Of the present firm that
their ancestors have carried on the same
business, with a few notifications to
meet the necessities of the European
trade, for more centuries than the United
States has been known to the man Of
the world. The firm is made up of four
partners and their counting room and
one of their warehouses are in this build
ing. This particular storeroom contains
only the silks and other precious stuffs
for which the house is noted in trade
all over the world.
One day there strayed into the count
Ing house where the four sedate and dig
nif1ed merchants sat smoking their pipes
in the solemn silence so common to the
prosperous oriental merchant a pretty
white kitten. Little attention was paid
to pussy until she had made the round
Of the room, rubbed her soft fur against
the leg Of each member of the firm and
finally walked demurely over to the
great strong box which stood in one cor,
ner. Here she paused for moment and
seemed to critically examine It's fasten-
ings. The animal seemed quite satisfied
with the construction of the safe. and
when she had again reached the door
side she made playful leap, raped tbs
bunch of keys with her velvetlike paw.
stretched herself comfortably beside the
door and began to purr a little catlike
song, looking at the four partners with
an expression which seemed to say:
Now, gentlemen, you may rest per-
fectly secure. 1 will assume all the re-
sponsibility of this business myself"
WELCOMED AS A GOOD OMEN.
Brothers" exclaimed one Of the party,
''this is surely a good omen. Unbidden
this pretty little creature comes into
our place of business; without ceremony
she introduces herself to each member
of the firm. Next she examines our
property to see If we are solvent and in
May this not be visitation from heaven
disguised in strange form? Let us adopt
the little stranger and give it a home
In the great house of Manockjee, Poon-
JeaJee & Co. Should we refuse her shell
ter 1t is possible we offend the deity.
What say you, my good brothers?''
well" said another member Of the
house, 1 am quite willing to admit that
we really have no right to turn it away
~ I,e, ~.
the little thing, and in order that the
good or Ill fortune it may bring be equal
ly divided we will consider it one of the
assets of the firm. Now, how shall we
divide the ownership of the animal?"
on, well, exclaimed the others, 1--WE
will follow the regular precedent Of our
people. You, Manockjee may claim the
left fore leg; 1 will take the right and
so on till the cat is equally divided. Is
this arrangement satisfactory to au?'
There being no objection to this mode
Of distribution, 1t was so agreed. The
bookkeeper was called into the counting
house and the ownership of the cat was
duly entered on the books of the firm as
one of it's assets, each quarter of the ami
NAL being designated as the property Of
some individual member of the firm
All went well with the house of Ma
nockJee, Poonjeajee & Co. for a year or
so, and pussy became a great favorite
with the whole household. Never for cen
turtles had the great house been SO pros
porous. Trade with the West had almost
lished in parts of North and South Ameri-
lea, all of which were successful. Yes.
there could be no mistake the kitten had
been harbinger of good luck.
PUsSY'S LEG BROKEN.
Some time during the month of Decem-
Der, 1897, while puss was playing in the
street in front of the store its attention
was distracted by some little moving OBJ
ject and it did not notice u bullock cart
coming from an opposite direction. In
moment poor kit was under the heavy
wheels, and before it could extricate it
self one white paw was crushed and bro
ken.
The left foreleg of the cat belonged to
Manockjee, so 1t was the duty Of Ma
nockjee to send for the physician and
foot the bill. A doctor was accordingly
sent for and did all IN his power to re-