The times., 1901-06-16
CATS OF THB WHITE HOUSE
Little Tabbies Born Within Its
Walls in Great Demand.
Disposed of by an EmpIoye nj Fancy
Prices-Hov the supply Was Re
pienished by Shrewd scheme
Which Brought Prosperity With 1t

|
his associates and led to an investigation
on their part as to the source of his
wealth so suddenly acquired. Until with
In the past few weeks George has cheer
fully accepted, and with a profusion OF
thanks and cOurtesies. every gift Of wear
ing apparel which was rendered to him
particularly II 1t came from anyone in
official life, but now he dresses so weu and
| apparently has such abundant means that
his former benefactors hesitate to endow
him with any cast-off garments for fear
of insulting and offending him. He now
dresses in the latest styles with numerous
changes. Is the very glass of fashion and
the mold Of form, displays dazzling.
sparkling gems in his shirt front. and
there is merry jingle of glittering coins
Of the realm in his trousers pockets
When first he revealed himself in this
fashionable attire there was great con-
sternation among his friends. and great
wonder as to what particular stroke Of
good fortune had befallen him. 1t was at
( first reported that a wealthy old planter.
who had IN the ante-bellum days owned
I Georges father as a slave had died in
I Mississippi and bequeathed 10 the son of
his former vassal a handsome fortune.
This rumOr could not be verified however.
/ Then 1t was said that for a long time he
I had saved small amount of money out
| Of his wages and had been playing the
stock market. and, acting upon the advice
of some --i~nd, had struck il rich in the
recent upheaval of the market. This did
not seem very plausible, however. and as
one story after another was circulated.
and none of them could be traced to a re-
sponsible foundation, the mystery deep
ened.
George in the meantime maintained
very discrete silence, for to have spoken
would have been most likely to have put
stop to the income which he had so in
genfOusly contrived to acquire and which
was lining his pockets with crisp new ma
tional currency notes. He quietly went
| ABOUT his work as before, in the kitchen.
cellar, the conservatory and garden
wherever duty called him, only casting a
sly smile now and then at those who
looked upon him with envy and were en-
deavoring to ascertain the source of his
profits.
1t was by most Industrious detective
wcrk that the secret was revealed. No
one could for moment doubt the honesty
Of the man, and that made the problem
all the more difficult. One night just at
twilight George was seen carrying a tiny
meowing kitten under his arm into the
mansion. The next day a young woman
dressed in rustling silks and a beautifully
flower bedecked hat drove up 10 the house
in a trap and when she went away she
had with her carefully snuggled up In a
fancy colored basket, and with a pink
ribbon tied about its glossy neck, the
same little feline which George had
brought TO the house the night before.
This was peculiar coincidence and it
afforded key to the whole situation. and
u
unlocked the mystery of Georges pros
perity.
The story is this: About two months ago
there were born to the official White
House cat twelve fine bright little kit
tens. It was remarkable birth. not only
from point Of numbers, but because it
took place beneath the roof of the most
notable house of the land. At first it was
thought TO drown the new arrivals, but
such violent protest was made against
such action that the resolution to end the
lives of the wee felines was reconsidered-
The news spread with rapidity in Of
fetal circles. The kittens were objects of
great interest, and there was an active
demand for a kitten born in the White
House They were not Angoras. or any
thing of fine blood like that stock, and
had they been born in a barn in a South
Washington alley would never have been
worthy of anything more than
a kick every time they came within foot
reach. and would most likely have met
death some night from contact with
bootjack welded by some nervous, in
sOmnia affected citizen.
But as it was their good fortune to
first see light in the White House wood
shed they were very popular Even with
a stock of twelve kittens. three OF which
died in early infancy, George. who was
their self-appOinted guardian, found it
impossible to supply the demand for
White House kittens. He was offered all
manner of bribes To save the prettiest
me for somebody, and soon discovered
hat there was money in the thing if it
vas properly managed.
The first kitten which left its happy
lone yielded George a crisp new So note.
I went to young man who had girl
riend who is passionately fond of cats,
nd as he frequently visits the White
Iouse she exacted a promise of him to
rocure her one of the celebrated kittens
But the price went even much higher than
hat as the number of kittens gradually
Unfinished. From far and wide came re-
uests for these ni>iras. two or three went
0 Ohio and one as far West as Iowa, and
s George was the shipper and was trust
d TO pick out the brightest and prettiest
ne he was always well paid.
Each one he parted with was, accord
1g to his own statement, the prettiest
ne of the lot, and at least a half dozen
mes he sold positively the last one, which
ad in each instance been promised TO
ONE one else, and it accordingly brought
i'm greater revenue. Kittens with es-
ecially popular names were much in de-
land, and George could always be de
ended upon to apply the correct cOgno-
len, which he invariably said some one
se, some prominent person, had thus
lggested. This made the kittens the
lore valuable in the eyes OF the pur-
nasers.
Finally the time came when the old
other cat was actually robbed Of the
st kitten. This one went into Il very
-Ominent household. and has a home any
line might be proud of, and il is said
lat the sum which George really received
r this kitten was more than the public
ould believe, il the amount were TO be
ated. Yet the demand was by no means
.tistied, and here it was that the pc
Iiiar ingenuity of George displayed itself
must be done. if for no 9TH
reason than that he had promised to
We Kittens for a great many more peo-
2. What he did was this. He enquired
nOng alI his friends in South Washing
n as TO their knowledge of the recent
nth OF any kittens. and succeeded IN
,taining a half dozen litters which ho
rried 10 the White House and religious
sold as being the offspring of the Off
al White House cat. and. Of course, no