Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-06-14
WORLD-FAMOUS CATS.
MANY GREAT MEN HAVE SHOWN PRE-
OBJECTION FOR FELINE PETS.

One of the most pleasing traits /
Dr.. Johnson's character was his fond
ness for his cat Hodge Boswell ad
mitted that he himself did not low
C Its, and experienced some discomfor
in their society. a sensation he share
with other and greater men. But,
writes he, Il never shall forget the in
diligence with which he johnson
treated Hodge, his cat, for whom ht
himself used to so out and buy oysters
lest the servants, having that trouble
should take a dislike to the poor crea-
ture,"
Nor was Dr. johnson the only liter.
ateur with fondness for cats. Victor
Hugo had a great cat named Chanolne,
which always sat on a large red otto
man in the centre of his salon and re
ceived the novelist's guests in state
What Is more, Chanoine showed mark
ed displeasure if any one failed to caress
or praise her.
Many famous Frenchmen, by the
way, have shown prediction for
cats. Richelieu found his only relaxa-
tion in keeping number of kittens in
his private cabinet and watching their
gambols during his spare moments,
while Baudelaire, the French poet, a
very shy man, was always ill at ease in
any new house he entered until the
family cat was brought up and intro
duced to him, after which, with the
cat on his knee, be was perfectly hap
py In his silent poet fashion.
The greatest cat champion was
Frenchman, namely Chateaubriand,
the famous author and statesman.-
When Chateaubriand was made Sec
retary to the Embassy at Rome the
Pope. Leo XII, gave him. as the most
acceptable gift be could offer, his own
Micetto, a big cat of grayish red.-
Earlier, when in exile in a London,
Chateaubriand boarded at the house
of an Irish woman. Mrs. O'LarrY,
whose rooms swarmed with cats, big
and small, IN the welfare of which the
good woman's lodger took an even
keener interest than herself.
United by this common interest, "
he writes. I'VE mourned together tn e
of losing two lovely she
cats, as white as ermines, with black
tips to their tails" Often Chateau
briand said that before his death be
hoped to advocate some works of God
despised by man." and Of these the two
chief were to be the ass and the cat.
Coming down to more recent times.
it might be mentioned that the favorlte
pets of Mark Twain are two cats, which
be has named Satan and Sin, respec
lively. Satan is black cat, while Sin
is of the tortoriseshell variety, and
both are the best of friends.
If the society one keeps is a sign of
then the most distinguish
ed cat of modern times ia the Marques
Of Haddock, or White Heather, names
which have been bestowed upon the
black feline favorites of Miss Jan0tha,
the famous court pianist. This cat
has been introduced to more mem bers
Of royalty than probably any other pet
in the world, for the Marques has
,,oop Misc Japotho @ ooncto pt cornuan>
len during her travels.
At the Berlin court the MARQUES is
known as Othello, having been SO re
christeaed by the Emperor on account
of it's Moorish complexion. Miss Jano-
tha' IS pet is such a well-bred cat that
even Queen Victoria made friends with
him, although Her Majesty did not
care for cats.
Mention of Marques s travels calls
to mind that the mascot of the White
Star liner Majestic is Jennie, pet cat
which boarded the vessel at New York
several years ago without a passenger
ticket.
Jennie is probably the most Travelled
cat in the world. She crosses the At
lantic about once every week, and as
a weather prophet she is considered to
be head of the meteorological Office
When she is seen making her toilet it
is a sure sign of fine weather; if she
runs about uneasily and squeals, a
storm is coming on and when she
mounts the foredeck and her tail swels
to the size of a broom hurricane is as
hand. These signs are so infallible
that the captain is said to pay no little
attention to Jennle's tail.-Tit- Bits