The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-07
CATS AMOUR WHARVEN.
They Rarely Enter the Rats Territory-Cats
Left Behind by Vessels.

Running up a wharf in South street was a
black and white cat, which, az a point about mid.
way between the end Of the wharf and the street,
took to the string piece, and running silently
along that for half n dozen or SO feet crouchcd
low there and disappeared over tho edge. This
was something unusual; in the experience
of a man who had b"en about South street ~
years it was the frs, time hr hai ever known
Of a cats going under a wharf, Tor he did not
doubt III al that was where the cat had gone. Go
ing himself to tn" string piece and looking over
al the point where the rat had disappeared he
saw there, against tho side Of the wharf, either
fastened to II or caught in that position, a fender
about eight feet long, extending diagonally from
about thu level Of the wharf down 20 the crib work
II was down this fender that the cst had gon"
% the shelter OF thr wharf underneath, APP
parcntly the cat was going 10 q spot with which
II was well acquainted
A longshoreman at work on the wharf said
he had seen this cat go over there a number OF
times and it went under the wharf, but that was
as far as his information extended, \ number
Of persons familiar with the wetcT front H. whom
this incident was related said that they had never
before heard Of a cats making ito homo, or tai
ing up quarters under tho whArvcN, that region
bring supposed as far MS four footed animals
are concerned To belong exclusively 10 the wharf
rats, Of which there. are greet numbers along
the water front Many n thcsr rats arr very
large, themselves almost as bic as a cat ard
fierce and powerful and il, would take = good
deal II an animal 20 dispute possession win
them under thr wharvcs An able cat might
stand of one or two Of them, but by any sort Of
onccntated attack ,hr wharf rsN could easily
tar into pieces a cat that should seek quarters
in their peculiar territory,
As TO this particular cat which evidently had
established quarters under the wharf, in the
Ipmnln of the wharf rats II was sail that ppT-
haps il had originally followed a rat there in
chasing it, and had found top1 there ana gone
shelter there from he cold, or that perhaps il
had n litter n kittens there which II was caring
for; but all az recf thatio u cat 10 have = dp7liCiie
undera wharton the tiverfront would bcI'm'rka-
Die. On the other hand 20 see cats on ~ about
the whnrvcs would not be. These cats might
have their homes in stores Or in dwellings on the
streets bordering on nr contiguous - the water,
and they mightstrnll TO the wharyes as they might
60 anywhere. And cats rom various kin rs -
boats, from canal boats, and from decp-watcr
ships. may go ashore tn stretch their legs on the
wharf or just for y%aricty's sake; and IL may b.
shat the cats about wh1rvcS are cats thai haze
been left behind by vessels These cats may
wander away, perhaps 70 find n home somewhere
in the city. or il may be 10 JOIN the army 81 tramp
cats. but not in'reauently they herg around the
water 'front.' and the identical wharf on which they
werclet and wait for the ship tocome back
One man told a story Gbout a Get that lived
aboard on ocean steamer Hud had a lot uf young
kittens. This cat got lctt ashore On one 81 he
steamers sailings, and from that tine I'LL We
steamers return II haunted III wharf waiting
1t would jump ur on the stnngp!rce at the HF-
proach II every passing steamer, and II kept
w its watch for It's own steamer luc"Nsantly
And at last its own boat did come b0Ck Hrl WHOM
i, had tied up the first creature to loo' The gang
plank the instant 1t touched the shorr, was the
cot, flying aboard after lie kittens
And this man told Of n cat h. had known u
himself tha, wed on an oyster boat from Uo he
Sound. On one Ut her TINS when the boat was