The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-06-21
STORIES OF THE CAT.
Legends and Facts About the Still bet
Half Tanned Animal.

Half Tanned Animal.
There are few tales OF cat fidelity
and many OF dog. yet one thinks no
worse of the cat for thiS,~ says an OBJ
server. His very Independence COM
ptlS respect. lie walks by his Wild
:nne. waving his wild tail through the
wild woods as an inspired modern
writer has set forth. All the genera
tons have not served to tame him.
and the most domestic of the race will
revert sooner TO Il wild life ut the cell
of the blood than any other friend of
man. 1t is thus scarcely surprising to
find that the most famous cat lovers
have been drawn from the ranks OF
politicians and poets. those whom rea-
SONS of state or sensitive tempera-
ment have rendered averse from trust
ing their fellow creatures and who con
sequentIy bcStOw all their affections
upOn the 1irCSide sphinx We are i'll
vited II believe that the most famous
of all cats. he who brought fame and
fortune 10 his master Dick Whiting
ton, was no four legged animal at all.
but merely the French word 'achat'-
10 buy and sell ar profit-and that the
great merchant made pet only of his
merchandise from the very beginning
Thus in later years do the idols Of our
youth topplc about our heads.
But other le-cnds-nay, facts-are
left us Cardinal Wolsey. for instance.
when acting in his official capacity as
lord chancellor is said to have had his
favorite eat always seated beside him,
and another prince of the church. Rich
ellen. found his only relaxation in
keeping 4 number of kittens in his pri-
vate cabinet and watching their gam
bols during his spare moments. We
cannot really reckon Richelieu as
true lover of the race. however. for di-
rectly the kittens grew to three months
he had them sent away and replaced
by others Lord Chesterfield left i'll his
viii life pensions to his favOrite cats
and their kittens. Victor Hugo's great
eat Chanoine always sat on large red
ottoman in the center of his salon and
received his guests in state, showing
marked diSpleasure if any one failed
to caress or praise her.
''TGsso wrote Il sonnet to his favOrite
cat, and Petrarch had one he loved as
dearly. we are told, as Laura. No
doubt she was the cOnfidant of many
of his trials and cOnSOled him for much
of the fair Iady's disdain. and when
pussy died the poet had her embalmed
in the Egyptian fashion and carried her
mummy about with him everywhere.
Baudelaire. the French poet, 4 very
shy man, was always i'll at ease in any
new house he entered until the family
cat was brought up and introduced to
him. after which. with the cat on his
knee. he was perfectly happy in his
silent poet fashion.
Traditions respecting cats are. of
course. legion. From time immemOrial
they have been regarded as somewhat
uncanny. Omens of veal or woe. beings
to be either conciliated or crushed.
The eat worship of ancient Egypt and,
later, the Roman creed that the cat
was sacred to Diana speak of the one:
the wild charges of witchcraft - or
concern in it-rife during the dark
ages of Europe will attest the latter.
But there is another popular belief de-
serving also OF mention. that which
sets forth the Old maid as the cats
only friend. legend arising in the
medieval nunneries overrun with
mice. where one or more cats were
always kept and were no doubt much
petted by the good nuns" - Chicago
News.