The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-12

Five years ago Jack was hobo cat
himself. His earlier history is I'M
known ana Jack has always manifested
dclicacy about talking Of it. 1t is
only known that he appeared one day
at the residence Of C. NJ. Brocksieper.
the present manager of Lyric Hall, as
far down the line as any two old cat
ever gets. He was a tramp, pure and
simple. but that he was tramp
through the Vaccinations of a hard
fate and not through his own yolltton
was abundantly proven by the celebrity
with which he awaited himself of the
first opportunity to become respectable.
He was taken in, red and made to feel
a home. When he realized that he had
indeed been permanently rescued from
his hard life and that there was for
him an end of seeking a precarious eX-
istence out of garbage pals and the
difficult hunting grounds of city, Jack
gave cat thanks to his benefactOrs by
becoming as handsome and fat as pos
sible and making himself an ornament
to the Brocksieper establishment. Such
police duty as there was to do among
the rats and mice was attended to zeal
ously and enthusiastically; but there
wasn't much because all the rodents
in his bainWick speedily recognized
that Jack kas an excetional cat and
that where he lived was no place for
the habitation of rats and mice.
For awhile Jack contented himself
with his life of easy luxury as family
cat de jure and de facto. Then, as he
matured and grew into the fullest es-
tate of feline magnificence, the contrast
between his former Wretchcd state and
his later prosperity evidently set Jack
to thinking deeply and seriously. Was
it right that he, surrounded by every
comfort that cat could dream of, should
slothfully give himself up to a selfish
enjoyment of sensuous luxury while
there were so many of his kind doomed
to an unending struggy for existence
in a homeless and cOld-hearted world?
Very evidently this train of thought led
Jack to the resolution to become ben
efactor to hobo cats. for he has since
that time applied himself assiduously
to Il self-im imposed task of COrlalng
homeless cats and bringing them to the
Brocksiepcr home for care and susie
nance
The first cat that Jack adopted was
little tiger, about half grown. One day
he made his appearance with the
strange little cat in tow and proceeded
to make it plain that he had brought
the stranger in to stay. In fact he in
sisted that his newly found protege be
allowed all the privileges of the house
and SO distinctly resented a tentative
busting OF the new conner that he final
ly got his way about it. When Jack
was given his customary regalement of
liver, instead Of eating it he sat down
beside his plate and invited the strange
cat to dip in. This the latter did, with
all indications Of being well nigh fam
ishod Jack sat sobedly by, looking on
with evident interest, until the stran%
ger had eaten his fill. Then he proceed
ed to make the latter respectable by
washing him. The small cat, having
been on the road long enough to ac-
Qu.re ali q typical tramp's antipathy to
the bath, was inclined 10 slide out of
this part Of his entertainment, but Jack
used force and, holding the newcomer
with one forepay. polished his coat
thoroughly vita tAc other until the lit
tie feline was as sleek and we'll
groomed as any family cat in good re-
pute and circumstances. After that
Jack took full charge Of the new-com-
er and would not by any manner of
means consent to its expulsion from the
household. In fact it was a formal
adoption and the small cat eventually
became a part of the Brockseiper estab-
JnIH
ton of very strong Will
Since then Jack has gone through the
same proceeding with untold dozens of
stray cats Sometimes it was as plain
as daylight that he did not expect the
Migrants to be kept permanently, espe-
cially when they were old and hardened
roprnhates. Others Jack brought home
With every idea of adding them to the
family, and many times he has been
bitterly piqued when his proteges have
been incnntinently elected into the out
err world after a reasonable season Of
Tecuperation. Three Of his hobo
friends, besides the small tiger, Jack
has succeeded in forcing adoption for
during the last four years, bringing
them back persistently and repeatedly
untlI ne wore out feSlSleI!GN 10 HIS VIII.
The little tiger was later found a
friendly home elsewhere, but the other
three are still membrs Of the Brocksie-
per household, with Jack as the recog-
niz2d head of the cat family.
While the home Of the cats is in the
living apartments of Mr., Brocksieper
up stairs over Lyric Hall there is never
a function of any sort in the hall that
Jack does not attend. He is always
there on dancing nights and mingles
with the guests until the last strains of
Home, Sweet Home, When he sedatoly
takrs himself upstairs and retires.
Generally he has one or more of his
adopted family with him, for, strangely
enough, all the rescued Migrants have
picked up in greater or less degree the
characteristics Of their guide and men
tor.
There isn't a dog in town, 1t IS said,
thai will pass Lyric Hall without cross
ing to the opposite side Of the street
for be it known that, benevolent as Is
Jack to hts own kind, his benevOlence
is of a highly militant order and he is
O holy terror to any animal that sports
a bark instead of a purr. Mr. Brock
sleeper says that Jack doesn't fight
dogs because he is ugly or loves TO