The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03
CATS ON OCEAN LINERS.
They Are as Much "A Part of the Crews
as the Men.
New York Tribune.

as the Men
New York Tribune.
"Cats?" repeated the second mate of the
big ocean liner C~ampania, as she lay along
side her dock the other day. "Of course
there are cats aboard. Who ever heard of
a ship without cats? l couldn't say how
many, for you must remember this ship is
as big as the Waldorf-AStoria, and there
are cats that eat at the officers table and
cats that eat with the stokers, and nobody
ever stops to count them.
'Cats don't sign the ships articles, but
they are as much a part Of the crew as any
man that has the ships flag on his buttons.
There's the old tabby cat, Minnie. who
hasn't missed a trip since she first came
aboard. eight years ago; and a fine ratter
she is. She wouldn't eat a rat any more
than you would, for she has been trained
not TO, and she gets plenty Of good beef
and mutton to eat, with fish for dessert
now and then; but she knows her business,
and she doesn't leave much for the pro-
fesonal rat catchers with traps who over
haul the ship every time she gets in port.
Now and then" continued the mate,
there is some rivalry between the cats in
the matter of place. Minnie has always
been the saloon cat until lately. A few
months ago she had a family of kittens, and
one Of them. a fine young tom that looks
like his mother, decided to GUST her from
her berth on the saloon deck. He began by
making friends with the officers, and then
every time he saw his mother coming he
chased her away, until now, for the sake of
peace. she is obliged to stay down among
the hremen. while the victorious tom is the
saloon cat"
A 81 - H. a. 49, -
was at her pier, and there was the same
story of the ships family of cats. Some
times there are two, sometimes a dozen on
board, and they follow the men around like
the landing OF dogs at different ports, that
a dog on a ship Is a rarity. The sailors
and officers must content themselves with
cast and pigs The cats never take a night
of and go ashore when the vessels are in
port, not even with the temptation of a
good row with the family of cats that are
on every wharf, for wharfs and ware
houses along the river front would be car
ried of bodily by rats but for a well drilled
Cats often steal aboard and sail off as
~stowaways. The Oceanic's f~avorite. Jen-
nie. sneaked into a stateroom at Liverpool
three years ago, and stayed under the berth
for two days before she was discovered.
When she came out she began doing bust
ness going after rats, and proved herself
such a fine ratter that every man in the
crew win take his oath there isn't a rat on
the ship
lTlChS = SdlU bOOlS. sure. she is 1Ql
of tricks. is Jennie. She can do everything
but talk, and you couldn't get her TO taste
q bite OF anything but minced chicken.
Every cat has his own place on the
ship. The fo'casl cat, a big black and
white fellow we call the Bachelor. wouldn't
dare to come into the kitchen, where Jen-
ME belongs, any more than Jennie would
dare go aft where the gray cat stays. If
one chances to come into another'S terri
tory, there's a fight. sure"
i've heard il said. though 1 don't know
how true it is" said the first mate, with a
seagoing mans terror of straining the truth,
that If any part OF a cargo is damaged
can prove that there were no cats aboard
the ship. he has a good case against the
steamship company for damages" The
deck steward and the second mate standing
by looked wise and said nothing.
And it's many a meal L owe TO ships
cats" went on this mate, with an accent
OF Angio-Scotch~ITish blend.
mo 1 don't eat rats" he said, anticipat-
Ing the question. But when i was a prem
tice on a sailing vessel, where they give the
men pea soup twenty-one times a week and
ships biscuit made of beanmeal and saw
dust the rest OF the time. L learned to
watch the cat, and every time L saw the
sat make a leap and a run. 1 ran, too. and
that night I would have a flying fish for my
supper-and there isn't another deep sea fish
that can equal it
Speaking OF ash reminds me of the time
the Bachelor got a fish bone through his
upper lip" said the second mate, a big fell
low from Liverpool with memories of sail
ing-vesseI days and ships biscuit that
couldn't be broken with q Ratchet. One
OF the men saw him struggling with his
paw TO get it ont, picked him up quick and
put him in a sea boot 10 keep him from
scratching. and pulled the fish bone out.
and the Bachelor has followed that sailor
around like a dog ever since"
My word" calculated the deck steward,
q little man in a little Jacket, with a ten
dency TO skip his his, but these cats are
sensible. They know a ship better than 1
do. and when steamships used TO carry
sails. IL was nothing TO see a cat up in the
Rigging. You'd think Jennie was a member
OF the royal family the way she sits up and
asks for her minced chicken and won't
have anything else"
II was standing in the fo'cas'l one day."
put I'm the Liverpool mate. land looked
down through the hatch 20 the second deck
below and saw Jennie looking up.
Meow, she said, and l said 'P-s-s-ti'
She didn't wait for another word, but
started aft because she couldn't climb the
iron ladder at the forward hatch, came up
the steps. along the promenade deck. across
two bridges, and first thing 1 knew was
on my shoulder"
Get a seaman talking about cats, and
there IS no such thing as stopping him, for
there isn't any ship ahoat that hasn't a cat
slowed away somewhere. Strangely enough.
with all the superstii0ns that sailors have.
there are none connected with cats. ANY
old cat-black. white, gray. tabby, tortoise
SHELLS good enough. with a preference for
mOngrels. because they are the best rat
tiers.