Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-11-20

fee, the lrnpetiai printing office oi
France. the government printing office
in England and She municipality OF
Vienpa The last~nAmed department if
more mindful or DUTY toward ami.
mails than the others. for, after years
of active service, the cats are placed
on the retired list" with a comfort.
able pension. However. when litter
OF fluffy kittens duly arrives at Uncle
Sans postofIice, the local postmaster
informs the district superintendent OF
the fact, and an increase Is allowed in
cat rations. In France. the local stafi
Is fed twice a day. and q man Is en-
ployed to look after these business
cats, so that milk and cats meat may
be provided to fill any deficiency that
may arrive when rats and mice fail to
fill the larder. Many large establish.
ments, like the Midland railway com
pany OF England, dock yards, shipping
and storing houses and public offices
employ cats for similar services At
Que time the Midland company placed
between three and four hundred thou
sand empty corn sacks under the care
OF eight cats during the storage season
and they die their work successfully
while an adjoining store house suffered
the entire loss of their corn bags
| through the ravages of rats However
IL can hardly be maintained that all
the business cats are Toms, nor that
the present cat fad originated through
an angle of utility, or that any of the
eastern or western cities have incor-
porated catteries in order to find en-
ployment for the erstwhile unemployed
cat. For this is not the case; merely
the fashionable world set its seal of
approval upon the feline family, and
now a well-conducted cattery, wherein
are reared idle Tabbies, Is source of
considerable income. WITH but little
outlay OF trouble. Two rows OF ken.
Inels. in a sunny rear garden, Joined
,overhead by wire netting, and thus in
Iclosing a runway or playground. which
may be furnished with old trunks of
trees, ladders and boxes, over which
ithe cats may climb, constitute a con-
Ilvenient cattery. The male cats are kept
in close confinement, for the peace of
the neighborbood, and are only al
lowed to exchange courtesies with each
iother through wire netting. while the
lmothers and kittens enjoy the runway
and are only put in their kennels at
might Their natural food is raw meat.
but now and then they require a
change, such as boiled asparagus
stems. cabbage, lettuce, or some other
vegetable either cooked or fresh. Some
cats can be taught to eat almost any
thing. while others, all their lives. will
refuse to eat anything but meat or
milk. Very peculiar prices were paid
for ordinary cats thousand years ago,
as shown In Berwick's "Quadrupeds. !"
The price of kitten was one penny.
until proof could be had of its having
eaught a mouse; then two pence; after
that 1t was rated at four pence, which
was a great sum in those days. 1t was
likewise required to have good hear
ing and seeing, have whole claws, and.
II female. be good nurse. IT, after
being sold. 1t failed in any one of these
qualities, the seller forfeited one-third
of the price. II any one should steal
or kill cat that guarded the king's
granary (Hoel the Good. king OF
Wales), he was either to forfeit &
milch eve. her fleece and lamb. OF az
much wheat as when poured on the cat
suspended by its feet-its head touch
| ing the foor-would form a heay high
enough to cover the tips of its feet.