New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-10

having whipped in more hard fought battles than
any cat in the building. The old fellow has oeen
almost chewed and clawed to pieces time anu
again. but he gets patched up and goes to war
again Captain Clebaugh says he is the gamest
cat he has any knowledge Of One Dig
white fellow, weighing eighteen pounds. stays
almost all the time in the luncheon room. and no
other cat dares come IL. Naturally, TINS
cat is a general favorite with the clerks and pa
irons of the luncheon room.
Perhaps the Government Printing ONCE produces
some OF the most sreaky cats to be found in the
city One large black fellow. was taken In hand
by young man named NewsOm and ne says ne
succeeded in training him to that point where he
would not eat meat Friday. On this day the
cat expected fish. and II he didn't it. ne would
refuse meat aid content himself with milk An
other cat makes his home in the proofroom-the
'brainery-and will not associate with the cats OF
the composing and press rooms He seems TO be
AFFLICTED with a severe case OF swelled head. and
does not wish to associate with the common herd
1t Is related that costly fight occurred in the
government 'printery" several years ago. Then.
now, there was a large force employed al night
during the session of Congress one night aoout
Il o'clock when everything was rushing along and
the click click click of the type as they dropped
IN the sticks made music at the rate OF 50 cents
an hour for the composltors suddenly there was a
wild caterwauling in the centre or the main ROOM
and the cats went together at a hVely rate max
ing the fur fly in every direction Printers dropped
their STICKS and ruSnSu fAt Va SAAO ~ 81
the fun and for minutes or Whereabouts there
was no work: but the worst part of the fight was
that in the general stampede a form Just READY
for the press was pied the worst way Wnen tne
battle was over IL was figured up that the loss or
time the peing Of the form and the hilarity which
followed had cost Uncle Sam about 500
Secretary Wilson of the Department Of Agrfcult-
is a great admirer OF cats. and there are a
number of fine mousers around the ouiidlnB- f1is
orders are the cats shall be eare1uiIy looked
after and taken care Of and If an empioye should
be caught rnistreating of the Agricultural De
partment cats it is altogether certain that he would
either be dismissed receive a severe lecture
There are number of cats in the Pension Office
and Commissioner Ware says tnat Whlie ne mas
no special fondness felnes he has no objection
to their remaining in building SO long as they
conduct themselves in decorous manner Inc
best friends the have in the Pension once are
the -vatchmen, who feed them regularly and the
men on night duty have found that the cats are d
great deal of company to them There is one cat
the office said to be nearly thirty years DID, anu
he is still a good fighter.
In the Department of Education there are sew
eraI cats and two Of them possessed Of a large
amount Of sense, dropping motionless when told to
'go dead; standing hind feet when told to play
soldier and a number of other tricks have been
taught them
In the mailbag repair shops where a large num-
Der Of women work. there is drove of cats and
they are well fed by the employees, who find them
a great deal of company during the long hours
This is one branch Of the POstoffce Department
where no allowance is made for the care of cats
Throughout the big Patent Office all kinds or
cats may be found, and the clerks and employees
see that they want for nothing in the way of food
When Secretary Hoke Smith was in office his
rooms and offices in this building, and clerks
say that he had hatred of cats. and messengers
were instructed to keep them out Of his offices
There are fewer felines in the State War ana
Navy departments than any. other. Just why this
is so no reason is assigned. save that there are
fewer women employed there. Said an ofrcial OF