New-York tribune., 1905-02-19
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH.
~Oldest Cat in Brooklyn" Back
DriUer Tith Aspirations.

Jerry has returned much TO the delight Of his
many friends who thought he was dead. Jerry is
said to be the oldest cat in Brooklyn. and has
wide acquaintance among the politicians and bust
ness IN the vicinity Of the Borough Hall
There many who willing TO take affidavit
that they knew Jerry twenty-five years ago. when
he a kitten Among them is Dr.. Michael
Connors, dentist, who tells many stories about
the life OF the old tiger In his youth Jerry's
home was in Hopper's undertaking establishment,
at Court and Joralemon sta. Fc1 q white he
Teigned supreme. but fnslg q big black cat be-
came 8 member OF the household. and. rather than
take q back seat. Jerry transferred his headquar-
ters 10 e cafe next door. There he made many
friends. Nine years ago, when the place was given
up. Jerry refused 10 leave Il. A week later. when
T. F. Fox the present proprietor of the cafe, took
possession he found Jerry almost starved to
death. Careful nursing and q diet of hot milk
restored the cat TO his old SELF and since that
time Jerry has been of the chief attractions of
the cafe. The friends Of Mr.. Fox have been his
friends and he has had the widest acquaintance
eJnong public in Brooklyn of any cat in the
borough. II has been his habit in the warm wealth
TO visit the various public buildings in the vicin-
tty. Frequently he paid visits to Hugh McLaugh-
LIN, the old Democratic leader when the latter
Borough Hall in the evening jerry IS most dis
criminating cat and has a violent dislike for per
patrons. Although he old and feeble. no dog can
stay n IN me eaIe when Jerry IS aT9und Several
experience with him. He seems to- be able TO read
except sunday and Monday moThngs5 gs which Is
the time for closing & Jerry begins TO make his
Gently Jerry disappeared. and was away for three
returned and in good condition showing that
some one must have given him kind treatment
For pure. unadulterated nerve a certain genius"
attached TO the Street Cleaning Bureau in
this borough takes the palm. in the opinion of the
Office staff. He ranks driver and rode on q
cart until brilliant idea struck him. One day
be appeared in the Office with a letter from an
official higher up saying that the driver had
aspirations 10 be lawyer. and asking that some
work IN the office be given to him which would
enable him TO peruse his law books. So he was
transferred to Office duty, presumably as a mes
senger, but with little actual work Next day
when he reported for duty he had package Of
books. Instead Of law BOOKS the package con-
tatned primer. arithmetic and ten dime novels
From another parcel the would-be lawyer pro-
auced an old pair OF carpet slippers Removing
bis shoes and putting on the slippers, the stu
dent cooked his feet upon the table and started
sigging out legal lore from one Of the dime novels.
Despa1T1ng OF getting any work out OF him in the
oflce the superintendent one day assigned him
Rs a umekeeper on one OF the tugs hired by the
department II was carefully explained to him
actually In that it of great Importance
to know the exact period Of their service That
@ asked him how long the tug to which he had been
Well" he replied Il don't know when they
Etarted. but when they stopped # wos $40 o'clock
In the morning mail several days after ten
sTiveTs had been dismissed for abandoning their
horses IN the snow envelope addressed with
red Ink IN a scrawly hand to The Snow ONCE Of
the Street Cleaning Department" Inside was q
square piece Of newspaper, upon which had been
pasted the representation Of a human hand. The
aand had been cut from fine white paper. and had
been coored black with ink. There was no writing
Tt Impulse wa to tT ii 4 6Tr ta tbs ooG 6oae 9nd the the
bn more careful consideration il decided that
II Kgn qf an +ez3
person. and was probably meant for a practical
Who had heard Of the threats Of the dismissed
drivers.
As an example Of the queer characters in the
department. an incident that occurred yesterday
may be related. A sweeper who had been called
Down 10 the Office for some dereliction Of duty
marched into Superintendent Clarkes Office on his
way out and gravely said:
Please. sir. give 10 cents
e.. WHAT & & &gaspedd the astonished supeTiptendent.
What for2' asked Mr., clarke.
- want 70 buy a palm leaf fam said the sweep
The superintendent thought it not best to uiae
Fith man with that sort OF a delusion, and rang
or his clerks and instructed them TO take the
Tweeper out of the building
Reports OF the dinners in honor of the ami,
Fersary Of Lincolns Birthday last week called at
iention 20 the fact that tWo of the three cipher
tspatch operators who were detailed at the White
House in the Civil War live in Brooklyn Ali three
Eere in that borough on Monday night-one at the
Union League Club dinner and two at the Lincoln
Club dinner No one had a better insight into
tvery move Of the than these men. Few be-
same acquainted with Abraham Lincoln more in
amately and saw him in all the many sides of his
character. At the Union League Club A B.
Chandler and at the Lincoln Club d. Homer Bates
rave some personal "reminiscences OF the great
President which were deeply interesting in spite
" all that has been written and said about Lin
boln. The other member OF the trio is Charles 4.
Tinker. who was al the Lincoln Club dinner. He is
former president OF the club, and lives in Lcfferts
Place. Mr.. Tinker is superintendent of the West
I'm Union Telegraph Company Mr.. Chandler who
Ives in clinton~aye.. is president ofo the Postal
Telegraph Cabla Company.