The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-23
1oNDoN,s "cATs' MEAT MEN.
A Queer Industry by Which Fortunes
Are in,assed.

From the LONDON DailE AufoHlNlc-t
In view of the dinner to the cats meat
men Of London which is to take place
soon, the following facts, supplied by one
who claims to know much OF the class
which purveys meat for the domestic pet
may be Of interest
Two cases which have within the last
few years come before different courts of
law simply show how profitable a trade
in London at least, supplying cats meat
is In one of these cases, PROBATE SUIT
a certain testator had left s2GV9, every
Dennv of which had been practically made
in little over twenty seven years py
means Of 1-1yEest End cats meat round.
which the teststor had originally acquired
for a payment Of 900, from MS lather-
who according to one OF the witnesses,
speYt a fortune in following horse races.
tor would have left twice as much as he
did hui for luckless operations IN music
hall ard public house property The other
case was one that came before the magis-
trate al Southwark. a coneiy young "oIn-
an of about twenty-five years Of age APP
r,ear red in the witness box Win a pTcIuse
display of really fine diamonds Inc mag
istrate-at that time Mr.. Fenwick-seemed
astonished when the witness told him that
she was a domestic animals butcher,
and further questions elected the fact that
her father had left her the business two
years before. and that she cleared out OF II
.lG q week regularly.
To those who have enquired into the
facts Of his trade such statement would
represent but commonplace cats
meat round has frequently yielded any
thing from G3g9 to E4GO when il came into
the market and there is one weil-kuown
West End round that changed hands for
Ell 300 about a couple of years ago. But
this trade like most Of the best rounds
having been in the hands of the same fam
lilies during three or four geneT-tinns. The
huge buildings let out into III
go common, have increased
value of cats meat rounds Il
extent One single building
reckoned TO be worth G2l9
himself by the 'purveyor
sole right of supply, and tn
exceptional case, other q
flats are prOpOrtionately
tain public buildings. like
ones in WhitehiiI, have !
q round comes into the ma
Il must always be recollected that
though most Of the purYsyOrs buy daily in
one great central market yet are the va
rieties and quantities OF meat they acquire
almost as much diversified as IN the case
OF meat for human beings, and the West
End cate meat nrovider obtains prices
that would be absolutely impossible, even
IN genteel villadom. But in regard to the
latter class. there Is Dulwich eats mea;
man who IS a property owner on q very
expensive scale, and another South Lon
dou dealer who still does his own buying
and delivering. has given a university edu
cation TO certain Of his sons, one OF whom
IS n clergyman.
Those II the public who may imagins
fhst there Is no room for initiative and iu
eeUtlity in the cats meat trade are vastly
mistaken. in KensingtOn an euterprisin"
young fellow is said to be making n for
tune through the happy idea Of supplying
on request, fish instead Of meat for the
cats on his round The pets Of the pros
porous can obtain meat at almost any
time. and they will not look. for the mos
part al the wares of the cats meat man
But no cat can resist tasty bit Of fish
be II offered when il may, and a huge
success is the result Of the innovation
Again. there are certain puTVeyors VIII
take the trouble to obtain a close know
edge Of every single animal on their
rounds and It's little peculiarities This
knowledge, once gsined, the cats mea'
man buys and cuts his portions accord
ingiy. taking care that each cat gets it,
faYorite bit. All chance Of rivalry is re-
moved at once by this means. for a ca
perate hunger, touch the strange cuts OF .
new purveyor.
Certain of the London cats meat ,re-i
rely largely. both for extra income ana 10,
continued patronage, upon their skin r.
dOctoring pussy" ard one Of the craft
told the present writer. giving names and
dates. that he had frequently received ae
much as sovereign by restoring cat f.
health. while on TWO OCCASIONS he had beer
paid FIVE times As much HIS "cat now
ders" have not only brought him a ree1r-
lar harvest Of coppers for years but bavs
eerved as an Introduction to some th0t,-
sands Of customers for meat
Drink Hesrichs Senate bcer with vour pys,I-
Phone C3i Arlington Bcttling Co. for case