The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-09
Eleven Black Kittens Pass Through TrtureS of the
 Confederation
COUNTRY CLUB IS FINAL 0
 SCENE OF FESTIVITIES
Representative Body of Men Are Gath cred Around the Banquet Board and Lively Toasts Are Pro-
 posed By Participants.
One! Two! Three Four, Five! Six. Seven! Eight Nine! By. The! Tail, Of, The. Great! Black Cat
 Black. Cat.


 By! The! Tail. Of! The!
 Great! Black! Cat
 Black Catl
 Hool Hoo
 Echoes of misery, tortures of the doomed; yea, verify. & trip through the valley of the shadow of death, was that which II black kittens started on at 9 minutes past 5 yesterday afternoon, when they we skidded through the concate- nation hold by the sulphuric Concate- mated Order of Hoo Hoo. Chained, neck and neck. with huge log chains, until the great Shark gave the signal which sent them chasing over the roof of the county court house. like aofoot logs down a chute
 Nineteen kittens were Entered but four failed to land in Birmingham, on ac- count of illness and other reasons, while four others became completely unnerved al what they had heard was t9 be thrust upon them, developed a yellow streak and took for the tall timber. But II mewed at the door, were admitted and showed up against the rip saw, while snarks, bojums, scrivenoters, jabber- weeks. custocations. arcanoiers, gur- dons and Hoo Hoos of every description anl every grade of black cat lendishness turned the hose of terrifying agony upon them. The fur began to fly and each kitten had the bark skinned off him as nicely as a board of "AA" finish
 As preface to this eventful chapter in their lives the kittens were first com pelled to sharpen their claws. then the furies of Hades broke around them. over the slate roof of the court house they climbed amid the vilainous bowling of the old black cats Out on a gable, on the sharpest ridge. they twisted and writhed in 0 vain endeavor to sit down comfortable, then up the tower to the clock they climbed with their teeth, while the old cats piled upon their backs and tried to scratch their eyes out. Over the telephone wires to the jail and then up an elevator shaft they squirmed, while the old cats sandpapered their tender skin and applied another coat of anguish. Fifty-seven cats howled-small cats. great cats. thin cats, fat cats. cats of every shape and size, scratched, pulled fur and did the demon dance. The eleven kittens proved their mettle and stood It all. Buster better known as w. B. Lawly of Leeds, veteran of 100 secret or ders meowed Wall. darn 1t, by gosh, this is the limit. It beats 'em all!' while his red socks kept tanglng up with his ears. He was picked out as the main butt and was butted to a finish.
 After the chase across the roof the cats lined up and took a car for the Country club, mewing their yell ever 30 feet. At the club they found a banquet and pro ceeded to hide it as only cats can hide.
 Much to the disappointment of large number of the kittens the sparkling liquids were missing. Varied and sundry sI-.. .xt.sA and Ft sundry were the sneakings away from the banquet board to the rathskeler be- low for a sip of the sparkling gurgles; then a sneak back to the board and sneak away again in a few minutes. But the chef forgot to leave the tea out or the ice cream, and the sherry managed 10 get in.
 H. H. Shell, junior Hoo Hoo, acted as toastmaster. He spoke of the lumber manufacturing association meeting and thanked the members for holding the session in Birmingham.
 J. C. Williams president of the Ala bama-W est Florida Lumber Manufactuf- ers responded to the toast of Our Friends in Birmingham" In behalf or the association MT. Williams thanked the local members for the royal time shown them and gave slight sketch or the work being done by the association.
 John Raul responded to the toast of '"rhe Success of the Lumber Manufac- turer in Alabama" Mr. Raul warned the lumbermen to prepare themselves for, said he, though times now were very prosperous, the lumbermen were going to have to face the hardest period of their existence during the next twelve months on account of the overproduction. Let us produce in proportion to the demand If we do not do this we will demoralize the market. There is going to be less demand and we must tackle the proposi- ton in a buslnesslike manner or else number of mills will have to shut down.
 R. N Rhodes responded for the news papers and took issue with MT. kaul. He pictured the glory and prosperity or the country in glowing terms and said he couldn't see how the bad times could come.
 T. H. Johnston responded for the whole salers, taking occasion to say that Bir- rningham was the greatest city in the country, then changed 1t to the greatest city in the world. and then made 1t the center of the universe, because, said he, one could look out of his window and see that the horizon was the same distance away on all sides
 Sam Cowan of the Southern Lumber man; F. o. Wild, of the American Lum- herman: Allen J. Krebs of Birmingham. a brand new Hoo Hoo just chased across the roof last night, and mum Der of others also responded
 The kittens tortured into cats last night were: Homer N Kennedy. Sam C. Rankin. Allen J. Krebs, J. N. Hulse, Robert Fulenwlder. Harry Fulenwider, William H. Bell of Birmingham, w. B. IawIey. Leeds; Joseph Balfour. Gads- den; C. c. Marbury. Marbury, and J. C. Suttie. Wick. Ark.
 The following officers ofhciated:
 Shark Sibley P. King Senior Hoo Hoo Richard Randolph. Junior Hoo Hoo H. II. Shell. BoJun Charles II. Adams. Scrivenoter J. A. Rountree. Jabberwoch Frank w. Lathrop. Custocatlan A. W. Nelson, Arconojer W. A. Currie and Gurdon Charles H. Moreland
 The trade papers represented were; Sam K. cowan, Southern Lumberman Edward o. Wild. American Lumberman' George Guild and W. o. Saunders. Lum- Der Trade Journal. New Orleans; J. A Rountree Dixie Manufacturer.
 The cloister members present were Charles H. Adams. Grand Haven Mich; Sam K. Cowan, Nashville and J. H. Scruggs, Brmingh am.
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 Big Gain In Membership.
 New Orleans, October s.-Officers' re-