The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-10-13
STARTS CAT RANCH.
Bright Young Man is Raising
Tables For Their
Skins.
G,linnenpoiIs Tribune /

The latest products o. the glorious
climate of the West is cat ranch.
This old maids paradise is located
on small island in Puget Sound, and
the ranch occupies the whole island.
This was necessary in order that
there may be no neighbors to COM
plain. for the nightly concerts of
several thousands of cats would ma
turally bring forth complaints and
make the life of a municipal Court
Judge one round of misery.
Hoibe Tortgen, the young ranch
man. has been the guest of Min
neapolis. and who is on the fair
road to wealth by the originating Of
new industry, that may develop
into something very large before he
finishes with his idea. Young Tort
gen was formerly a resident of Min
neapolis. when he first came over
from the old country, but he did not
remain here long. preferring to take
his chances in the new West, where
there were chances for life on the
ocean wave, for he had been brought
NJ, in nautical pursuits. So he went
10 Washington. tried Seattle, and
drifted about a bit until the cat idea
struck him.
He located little shanty on the
island. built himself fine sail boat,
and was monarch of all he surveyed.
He knew something of furs; having
been mixed up in that business in
his own country, and when he found
that black cat skins brought as high
as Sl.7O al times, and never less
than a dollar. il looked to him like a
good thing. II was six years ago
when the first bunch of cats were
taken over in the boat to the island,
and naturally there are plenty OF
black cats now. 1t IS a verltable
"Hoohoo" ranch. and the squalls of
the felines often reach to the main
land when the wind is right.
IL have made il a paying bust
ness" said Mr.. Tortgen. speaking
of his plant. II now employ seven
boys and men To help me. and have
no trouble finding market for my
skins. The fur is much better than
the average cat fur. because | use
care and keep the cats well fed and
where they will not fight,so that the
fur and skins are perfect. We feed
chiefly fish, as there is an abundance
Of it handy waiting for the nets,
such fish as is not marketable, and ]
work the two things together, fish
and cats. There is nothing a cat
would rather have than fish to eat,
and they keep fine and glossy on 1t.
They breed rapidly, and have TAX
en- pains to raise only the largest
kinds, so that the skins that | sell are
the best on the market.
81 have Just been East, in the fur
markets, looking over the demand
for fur to use for imitation seal.
The black cat is valuable because it
does not have to be dyed, but there
is SO much imitation seal being used,
that have thought there might be
money in raising cat fur thatwould
have a uniform color that would dye
like seal.
Many of the imitation seals are
made frow rabbit skin, but cat is
much more durable and stronger.
My Idea was to begin the breeding
of Maltese cats in another part of
the island, and separate the two by
wire fences. The color would dye
very nicely. left some skins to be
treated and dyed, and the report
will decide what will do.
mo, there is no cruelty in killing
the animals. We want to preserve
the skins in tact, so we kill them by
the use of sulphur fumes in a large
room with low ceiling. The
fumes kill the animals, painless
ly, and they are good for the fur
Also"
The young cat raiser made no Sc
cret of his business, because he said
the demand for cat skins is so great
that there was little chance of the
business ever being over done.