The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-25

o felines, chant poems of thanksgivings
and praise for back yard fences and other
vantage points. Lift your melodious
chorus 20 hail your champion.
For friendly hands have pledged sup
port to your cause. have taken up the
gauntlet In your defense. have accepted
the challenge aimed al your existence,
have defied your traducers, and loudly
proclaim your virtues and your right TO
life and liberty and susttnance. all OF
which is to be provided for you. o cats.
Occasion for Gratitude.
Assemble, both worthless and hoi-polloi
Of the cat world. you from Persia with
the fluffy ruffies pelt. and you with the
Angora fur tiger with fancy stripes. and
the strumwelpeter kind. Dutch Delft cat
Of the blue porcelain tint. and Chinese
puss with the tain. hairless tail Con-
vene en- masse to-day, aye. every day.
and particularly every night. proceed 10
the peaceful aboces OF your defenders.
and there beneath their windows evil
dence your appreciation OF their devotion
TO your cause. and serenade them as
only cat can. Lift your voices in unison
and in tones strong enough 10 denote the
strength of your innermost and CRATE
full sentiments
Retreat never til your song be sung.
even though the night air be thick with
bootjacks. alarmclocks. hair and tooth
brushes. bottles. and other missiles. armed
by those who love neither your song nor
your being.
Thus will you grasp the glad NIT, ten
dered you by The Friendly Hand"
Friendly Hand IL Organized.
The Friendly Hand is the name finally
adopted by humanitorious animal friends.
and particularly cat lovers. who convened
yesterday afternoon al the New Willard.
with view to provide sufficient means
for the support and shelter OF stray cats
in the District, 70 find homes for them.
and to dispose OF MANNED. diseased. and
infirm cats in a humane manner"
z. J. Dimmick acted as temporary
chairman and Mrs. DAnmick took care
Of the minutes. After "A statement of tbs,
purpose OF the meeting there burst forth
an avalanche % eloquence ali i'm the
nature OF appreciation Of the species cat.
genus felis. The virtues OF the feline
tribe, according 20 the views given.
simply border on the sublime
Views of an Enthusiast.
Said one enthusiast: The only thing
for the ladies Of this meeting 10 do is 10
combine and 10 defeat any legislation d.
rected at the welI-belng OF cats.
THE women have done such things be-
fore and they are doing il now with that
viyisection measure. and have driven
Rockefeller 10 the tall timbers," urged
the belligerent adviser.
II am perfectly willing 10 do without a
new summer bonnet and fix I'D my old
one and wear winter clothes on the glo-
rious Fourth of July and spend the
money thus saved in this cause Tor the
protection OF our cats
Choice was the assortment Of names
suggested as the official title Of the body
before title was finally adopted. Stay
awhile was one of them. while others
were ..Bide-a-Wee." Animal Rescue
League" Cat Rest" Capital CITY Car
Club" 'Catacombs.' '-Catskin. - -Catas-
trophe." and other nomenclature OF cat
fish euphOniSm were proposed. The
Friendly Hand got the majority Of the
ballots and was chosen.
The Incorporation OF the Friendly Hand
was discussed The chairman stated in
this connection that the code of TIE Dis
triet permitted the incorporation OF a So
ciety of this nature as a benevolent, re-
ligious. or musical organization.
Bylaws Committee Named.
Ae tba latfar desi0Da+soy, r,,ygbt -. l.,
regarded as appropriate, it was deemed
advisable TO incorporate the Friendly
Hand as a benevolent society Members
Of the committee appointed TO draft by
laws are Mrs. Henry l. West, Mrs. john
son. Mrs. Dimmiek. Mrs. Louise Robin
son. and Miss Ethel Pitney.
Mrs. Dimmick, referring 10 the man
agement of the two batteries in this city.
said they contained about lbs specimens OF
all kinds, about equally divided. and their
support cost about $35 a month Mrs. Dim
mick said a number Of city hotels have
offered TO furnish scraps for the cats,
which would help some.
Mrs. Johnson suggested that initiation
fees should be charged Ito all new mem
bers, like the Masons'" She said she
had fed cats. dogs, squirrels, birds. and
=.
and that it cost her about % cents a day
TO do so.
The meeting organized by the election
Of the following officers: Mrs. Henry l.
West. president; Mrs. A. /. Barber. vice
president; Mrs. z. J. Dimmick, secretary
Miss NJ. A. Peet, treasurer. and the fol-
lowing executive committee: The officers
ex-officio and Mrs. George H Burpee.
Mrs. Johnson, and Miss Louise Robinson.
The latter said she was a member OF
five societies. but would accept this addi-
tional responsibility because she loved
cats"
The next meeting VIII take place at the
New Willard next Monday afternoon at 4
O'Clock. Thereafter the regular monthly
meeting will be held on the first Monday
OF each month. The annual meeting has
been set for the first Monday in March.
TJIT0 p0Vc, rTnpc FOpMEn