The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-02-18
STORIES or THE CAT.

Legends and Facts Ahout the still but
Halt Tanned Animal.
There are few tales Of cat fidelity
aud many Of dog. yet one thinks no
worse Or the eatsfgr this says an OBJ,
server. .'His very independence conn
pels respect he walks by his wild
lone, varying his wild tail. through the
wild woods. as ahl inspired modern
writer has set forth. All the genera
lions have not served to tame him.
tand the most domestic OF the race VIII
revert sooner to wild life at the call
of the blood than any other friend ef
man It 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, teinpera-
ment have rendered averse from trust
ing their fellow creatures and who con-
sequently besto&l ALI their affections
upon the 1ireslde sphinx We are in
Eited to believe that the most famous
Of all, cats, he who brought fame and
fortune to his master, Dick Whiting
ton, was no four legged animal at all,
but merely the French word 'achat'
to buy and sell at profits and that the
great merchant made a pet only of his
merchandise from the very beginning.
Thus in later years do the idols Of our
youth topple about our heads.
But other legends-nay, facts--are
left US. Cardinal wolsey, for instance,
when acting In his official capacity as
lord chancellor is said to have had his
fayorite cat always seated beside him,
and another prince of the church, Rich
eliep, found his only relaxation in
keeping a number of kittens in his pri-
vate cabinet and watching their gam
hols during his spare moments. We
cannot really reckon RichelIeu as q
true lover of the race, however, for d.
rectly the kittens grew to three months
he had them sent away and replaced
by others. Lord Chesterfield left in his
will life pensions to his favorite cats
and their kittens. Victor Hugo's great
cat Chanolne always sat on large red
received his guests In state, showing
marked displeasure IL any one failed
to caress or praise her.
"Tasso wrote sonnet to his favorito
cat, and Petrarch had one he loved as
dearly, we are told, as Laura. No
doubt she was the conndant OF many
OF his trials and consoled him for much
OF the fair lady'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, a very
shy man, was always Ill 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. fs
Traditions respecting Icats 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 cat worship OF ancient Egypt and,
later, the Roman creed that the cat
was sacred to Diana speak of the one;
the wild charges of wltchcraft = or
concern in it-rife during the dark
ages Of Europe WIN 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.