The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-12
DISPOSING OF CATS.
s. p. c. A. of New York Is Having an
Unusually Busy Season.
ew York Times.

New York Times.
The cat colony of New York is being de-
preciated to the extent of $50 felines every
working day of the year. The Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is
being overrun with cats and helping them
to another existence as fast as the exc
cutioners of the two Manhattan stations
can load the gas tanks and empty them.
1t is the annual cleaning up, but this year
is the greatest ever known
1T is nothing but cats, cats CATS said
Charles H. Hankison, superintendent of
the society. I'VE never had such a busy
season. Every year we get it just about
this time, and our capacity is put to the
test. But we were never run so hard as
this year.
''Of course, there are more stray cats
and dogs, and consequently sick cats and
dogs, in the summer time than at any other
time of the year, because they can live
out of doors, but we are crowded now be-
cause of the army of animals that are
abandoned when people close up their
houses for the summer
'"They generally turn the cat out, think
ing it can take care of itself and expecting
II to be about when fall comes and the
never
The cat becomes stray and invariably
drifts into our hands If it is sick we put
it to death at once, but if it is in good
health we keep it for twenty-four hours,
and if no claimant appears then its doom
is sealed.
There is a constant procession of people
coming here these days with cats. You
would be surprised at the class. Some of
the best people of New York drive up here
and hand out their cats in nice clean bas-
kets from their carriages, and maybe the
next visitor We have like errand will
be tramp, who, in his wanderings, has
found a sickly cat on the street and taken
it under his coat to carry here. Children
stop on their way to school when they see
the animals in distress and vie with each
other in reporting cases to US, or, when
possible, bringing the helpless little beasts
along: .-o
cats a day Nearly all of them are put to
death. Their misery Is soon ended, without
the slightest suffering, by the gas process
Most of the killing is done at the shelter
at the foot of East Observation-Disclosures
ond street, although Daniel Compton, the
chief executioner at the downtown station,
Ill East Twenty-second street, is ushering
out big percentage of the number re-
ceived.
Compton is an Englshman, and was
brought up to love dogs, and says he never
had a distaste for cats, but feels that he is
doing "a humane act in putting them out
of the way.
Now, L want to tell you we are having
busy times these days." he said. What
with people going away and leaving the
come trooping in here so lively / get tired
turning on the valve. but 1 want to tell
you it don't take long to lay out string
when we once do get TO work.
Its mighty simple. You see, We have
but an iron box about three feet square on
the inside, and with a door just big enough
| to get in dog. When we have big dog,
of course, he gets a shuttle off all TO him
self, kind of exclusive like but when it
comes to cats we can pitch in half a dozen
at a time. and before it takes to tell it they
are ready for their graves.
II just shut the door on them and turn
on the gas At first ii takes a few min
utes, but after the first batch is dead
open the door and drag them out, in goes
another crowd. and. there being no draught,
little of the first gas escapes and they drop
before I get the door closed. So, you see,
it don't take long to kill the second crowd.
and then this department moves along ma
chinerylike.
I'VE have merry times getting hold of
cats sometimes. Now, say you live In a
fine big house near the park, and you close
up and go off TO the seashore. In a day or
two your neighbors will begin to realize
| that something has gone wrong in your
| house The maids perhaps, left next door
as caretakers, hear a crying and a screech-
ing and swear there do be ghosts in the
deserted house, and along comes a police
man. who is wise and he says right off:
/ 1t isn't ghosts at all, but cat The po-
| liceman telephones to the society.
Down comes message here which says:
| a cat is in a house at so-and-so, and must
be got out. Go get him out Now. try it
once. 1t is like burglariZing, getting into
the house. and that is hard enough: but
| that is easy beside what you'll get up
| against when you get in. And maybe be-
fore you'll get through you'll have the po-