New-York tribune., 1902-06-14
PLEAS FOR STRAY CATS.
HEALTH PROTECTIVE WOMEN SAY
FELINES ARE DESERTED IN sum
MER AND LEFT To STARYE.

New-York women were cautioned yesterday
against leaving their pet cats forage for them
selves during their owners absence in the coun-
Try. II the seasons parting word Of the
Brooklyn Women's Health Protective Association
which held its final meeting at No. 2l4 Schermer-
horn-st. The subject Of abandoned cats awakened
enthusiastic responses from the members present,
and called forth a variety Of experiences. One
woman had been touched with the forlorn CON
dition of several hungry felines in her neighbor
hood that she had captured them consigned them
all 10 a basket, and expended 20 cents to send
them by a messenger boy u the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty Animals, No. 13 VIII
loughhy-st.
A variety Of civic evils was discussed and an
experience meeting followed. in which the mem
bers described conditions in their various neigh
borhoods.
children were a fruitful source of complaint
They ride down balustrades, swing sates. play
hall and menace the lives of afternoon callers,
tear down vacant lot fences, do sums and prac-
tise spelling lessons steps and stoops, and
scatter litter ad lihtum.
It is not the children of the tenement districts
that cause most the trouble, said Mrs. Scrm-
geour who presided On the other hand It is the
boys Of well do families that commit most of
the depredations and that most openly defy the or
der OF the community.
All but one member had a tale of wrongs which
implicated the street cleaners, garbage collectors
policemen and all the powers that be She sat
quiet and awed until il her turn to speak
she timidly and admitted apOlogetlcally
that she had complaint to make nor grievance
10 air. She could find no fault in anything. fieT
garbage emptied promptly and hahd4eu
with It has not even a dent Her ruDDlSh -
collected at the first appearance or the req SlEil
card. Her street is clean enough to eat from IN
good England parlance. Her block is cItait
sweet and beautiful Householders or passers bE
her block scatter paper. The chll1ren OF
the ueighborhood models They never chise
cats never mark steps and sidewalks. never track
mud up the steps nor play Il spy behind vestlbuIe
doors. and never throw paper on the streets
The general verdict, the uncomplalnlng mem
her took her seat. against her III : All IIsIl
that children should be children, but -,
Mrs James McKeen was the speaker OF lhe
morning She contrasted the conditions IN New
York with those in Harrisburg. Penn. Wnlch sne
called the model city" She recalled the tiioi-
nous death rate OF infants. the perlodcaI "'ittF
supply scare the terror under which the poor HNt
and suffer because OF the unrcStrained lSelct oi
the police and the sickenng condition OF SueetS
and sidewalks" Mrs. Mcheen narrated the =
forts OF Harrisburgs citizens and their success III
doing away with similar evils 80 -, ,,,5
a photorrapher' she said, has been ENGAGE @ j
nv our society to take pictures Of the streets on pig
feeding days and in the fail Will show them 10
pig feeding" was not quite ineligible to some
Of ne members and Mrs. McKeen responded 10
their queries: What else would a stranger h'.Et
think an the utensils of fermenting garbage tl$it
line the thickly populated streets cou!d mean
She urged the need of funds with Whlch 10 pilIiI
and circulate the laws relating 10 heaIth ana clei
liness and Of teachers who shall visit the people
and let them know their rights and teach theIh 10
M Them.