The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-20

$3.50
suffered grievously in this respect. but be-
factors.
"Our big Maltese disappeared on the very
day the - sailed Tor China. and her
captain was in here that morning. darkiy
intimates the senior member or the nrm.
THESE sea captains are always crazy 10 get
hold of fine cats-they really have 10 get
them TO keep down the rats aboard or their
Garsoes would be DESTROYED. ana IL rs a
coats when nobody's looking. That's what
becomes OF our cats"
A FELINE HIGHBINDER.
San Francisco possesses a remarkable cat
criminal in the form of a small. demure.
black grimalkin. the property Of a whole
sale scotsman. A year or two ago this mer-
chant had seven diligent and respected cats,
among them a kind old gray Tom who had
distinguished himself on one occasion by
adopting a motherless brood of five, whom
he protected until they were large enough
to be given away. Meantime bloody deeds
were being enacted in the dead Of night in
the Front-street store. When it was opened
up In the morning a dead cat would De
found with her throat ripped open from ear
10 ear. Such a deed could only be the work
OF a feline fend incarnate. Upon poor old
Tom dire suspicion fell, and he was sent
into perpetual exile after three of the mutt
lated corpses had been discovered. Yet,
strangely enough. the moining following his
~ pOol
In precisely the same uncanny fashion. was
found on the floor. A few days later the
piack cat, demure and happy. came out to
greet the porter, and indisputable evidences
were there that she had slain her last COM
panion. Yet Mig is such a serviceable
cat, so docile and faithful to human friends,
albeit she never associates with her own
race except TO their undoing, that she Is re-
tanned. She keeps the establishment free
that those about her account for her mis-
DEEDS on the ground that she could not
brook competition.
One of the most accomplished cats in the
city belongs to a Market-street halter. and
in size and beauty ..Chauncey" has few
rivals. He is a great fellow, weighing about
white whiskers, snowy shirt front. mittens
and stockings. An u~nrelenting enemy of the
Zig sewer rats, he is frequently found In the
morning Dleedfng from wounds received In a
battle, but with the corpse of his hoary foe
stretched out by his side. He has been
taught TO- greet a visitor with a polite
.meaouw' at his masters bidding, make a
flying leap over a hat box placed on the floor
TO serve for a hurdle, or spring to the
shoulder of those he knows, and to pose be-
fore the camera with a stovepipe hat made
expressly for him perched rakishly on his
head.
Among the odd specimens of cathood
which nave at one time or another figured
in San Francisco commercial circles two
curios from Point Reyes must not be over
looked. These were sent down to a Front
street dairy firm, and were descendants of
two animals which, some fifteen years ago,
swan ashore from an unknown wreck.
When they reached the land one of them
presented the appearance of an ordinary
cat, but the other, whether as a natural
heritage or as a result of fright, had all of
Its hair growing on end, its head in particu-
lar presenting a ~singularly uncanny appear
ance. Every year there were two kittens
born to this odd pair, and invariably one of
the kittens preserved this popularity and
was wild in its instincts and impossible to
handle. The shaggy little cat soon made it's
escape from the dairyman, and its for
fI1n0C va nnxvnr hnAa l1A.v4 L"A H. 49,
In its place two handsome, half-grown
HOW TO CALL CATS.
1t Is notable that with mans adoption
of the cat come entirely novel methods Of
training and treatment. A woman does not
expect a cat to answer to anything but the
traditional Kitty or 'Puss-
russ Men will not descend to these FEM
inine habits, but invariably call a cat by
"histiing' making a buzzing or Kissing
names. ~
Among famous dead cats of San Fran
ESQ was the great cat belonging to the
offea Ans which was the pride
VI the captain, the pet of passengers and
the stewards right-hand aid in the night
watches when stealthy four-footed thieves
assail a ships larder. The AIameda cat
was adorned with q collar of solid gold on
completing his millionth mile of travel be-
tween san Francisco and Sydney.
NV dlQ U1OSI popular cat In
the city was formerly Leslie, an enormous
white Angora belonging to a Market-street
~9rugglst-a great, gentle, af~fectionate fell
low, beloved by children, many of whom
were lnconsolable over his demise. In odd
contrast TO him stands the record Of an i'm
mense white Angora, now deceased, which
belonged to a firm OF wholesale druggists.
1t was not only stone deaf. but ~deranged-
q verltable cat ~lunatic, performing all man.
ner OF wild and absurd antics and permitting
only one man TO approach IL.
AItnough there exists a contract SYSTEM
IN San Francisco by means of which a con-
siderable number Of the business cats are
led by a man who comes around regularly
twice a day and undertakes to attend to
their health as well, in a majority of estab>
hmen genuine pleasure is taken in serv-
ing up choice dainties to these willing serv-
ants and reaping their gratitude IN return.
one wholesale grocer on Front street has
Tor many years each morning left home
with a package of choice scraps, which are
regularly put aside for his two gray cats.
and the cats have learned to look for him
and to run TO meet him a full block away.
He relates with zest the peculiar laws OF
table etiquette recognized by this odd pair,
who invariably eat from the same dish, but
never fail to administer a sharp cuff, one
to the other, If a greedy impulse moves the
offender to snatch a large piece on the op-
posite side of the dish.