The sun., 1906-12-23
The CATS OF SNUG HARBOR.
PETS OF THE OLD SAILORS AND
ALL WOMAN HATERS.

Retired Mariners VINO Are Cat Cranls
They Make Cats Their Companions
and Their MascOts Ots-AccOmpiishment
Attributed 20 the Feline Inmates.
talk about old maids! I guess we're
as bad as any on 'em when ifcomes TO CATS
remarked a griZzled old sea captain at
Sailors Snug Harbor as he stroked the
purring ball Of fur on his knees. well.
folks have got to love somethin', and we
haven't anythin' else. so we take cats
The cats and the old sailors appear TO
have established an underst anding at Snug
Harbor, down on Staten Island. Both have
given up adventure and wanderlust for
the calm security Of home life. With the
ships putting out to sea before his eyes
and the call of the deep reaching his ears
the sailor bides peacefully in his hsrbor,
a pipe in his mouth and cat in his arms.
Yes, we've got cat cranks enough here,
Lord knows" went on the capt ain. >NI'm
one on 'em myself. Money couldn't buy
this cat of mine.
He used to belong to a family Of old
maids, but he ran away and came over
here. / carried him home three times
and every time that cat came back.
The first time 1 carried the cat hack
they give me 50 fer the job. But dyer
think that cat 'ud stay? Not him
He was back in two days, and finally
we made up our minds that il was no use
tryin' to convince a cat agin his will, no
MORN a woman. So there he is, the rascal
The rascal" was handsome, fluffy
tailed Angora and he lay curled up on the
CAPTAINS lap, calmly unconscious of the
recital of his misdeeds srd ungallsnt te-
bavor in deserting his former mistTesses
for the more Jovial society of some thousand
Old salts. He enjoys the distinction of being
the handsOmest cat at Snug Hsrbor
The cats at Snug Harbor are legion.
There is the biggest cat, the best ratter,
the blackest cat, the oldest cat, the hand
somest cat, the friendliest cat and the
widest cat. In fact. the list of superla-
tiyes Distinguishing the members of the
cat colony is as comprehensive as it is long.
The cats might escape the notice of
chance visitor unless his attention was
called to them; then he would discover that
the animals are present everywhere. In
the garden walks, under he bushes, along
the galleries, in the shops and Easements,
everywhere pussy is in evidence.
Here sits an old tar with tabby nestled
asleep on his knees; there another at work
with his woods has one curled up under his
chair and a second on a cushion bc side him.
In the shops while the sailors are at work
there is always at least one cat kept as a
mascot. Many of the sailors have their
particular pet cats and spend some Of
their loose cash buying delicacics for them'
Tramp cats from all over Staten Island
come TO us and we take pretty good care
OF EN-, said a bronze faced veteran whose
hands and arms were thickly tattooed.
There's Peterson over in the hospital;
be sleeps with two of 'em in his arms.
Sometimes they get too much atten-
ton. | was away on my vacation last
summer for Ave weeks, and when I came
back l found my two cats sick. They'd
been fed and petted too much.
we feed EN- twice day, and tell you
they know all right when the time comes.
You just ought to see the crowd looking
or meals; it's a show
Curious, too, about them cats COM
mented another old salt. They're all