The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-06

Whimsical animal has Insisted upon sleep
Ing In the waste basket ever since tia
days Of mis- kittenhooj. and. as "Ichabod"
has grown larger and larger, the doctor
has felt compelled TO supply bedrooms" ia
keeping with the dimensions Of the occu-
pant, and now that "IchaDOd" is the CO.
l.ath OF the city's cat population his waste
tasket is the most spacious thing Of the
kind IN town. His principal claim to dis
tinct1on is his ability as a bird catcher and
his remarkable agility as a broad jumper.
With a good start he can take a leap
through the air that would put the winner
OF the recent Harvard-Yale broad jump to
shame. Although a bird hunter, he is not
a heartlcss fellow in the least. as was
proven by his recent attachment for =
gopher which DR.. Fletcher brought up
North from a Florida trip-sn attachment
which the doctor considers one OF the most
remarkable on record.
STUDYING THE GOPHER.
The gopher Of the Florida type resembles
a tortoise. being a different animal entirely
from the ratlike animals of that name in
the Western States. DR.. F,etcher's gopher
was an unusually large specimen, and no
brought 1t TO Indianapolis i'm order 10 make
a study Of its habits. From the FIRST 'Ich-
abod" was immensely interested in this
queer new conner. and would follow the
wkward visitor about the study for hours
at a time. watching its every movement
and occasionally giving it a friendly little
tap with mis- paw as If 10 urge the slow
moving Southerner to hump himself up a
bit. The cat never offered 10 harm the
gopher in any way. but so long as IL was
Kept at the study showed the greatest
fondness for IL. and seemed never to DO
happier than when in its company
Henry Goes fine black cat "Nansen' IS
the pride of the neighborhOod, in which he
lords il over all other member of the
feline tribe. hansen" is a cat that mas
reached that degree OF fame where he has
been made the subject of a poetic work,
written by a friend OF Mr.. Goes for private
circulation. on the cold winter night three
years ago that the famous arctic explorer
gave his lecture. "Farthest North" in this
city a tiny black cat followed Mr.. and Mrs.
Coe all the way from the Denison Hotel
TO their home on North Pennsylvania
street, and demanded admlttance In the
most appealing terms known TO its kind
In other words. it y~owled-yowleG so heart
lily and so continuously that there was
nothing to do but open the door and let
1t in. And in 1t marched, with admirable
seIf-possession. and. making straight for
the warm hreside. curled up on a rug
and Immediately went TO sleep. Mr.. cos
says he had never been a great admirer of
cats before. but that the smartness dis
played by that little black speck OF animal
life overcame all prejudices. and "Nansen."
- "a 1F.rro Gfrargar "a rhwFzranaa an IN.
spot. became from that moment the real
ruler OF the household. And "Nansen"
has lived up 10 the mark OF merit which
he set for himself that night az the begin
ming OF his career. and Is to-day considered
one OF the most original and intelligent cats
in Indianapolis. He has just one fault"
Mr.. Coe explains. dryly. Hes an ex-
plorer: but what could you e1pectg"