Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-12-16
FED $500 CATS
AT her BREAD LINE
UTICA WOMAN FOSTERS NOVEL
SCHEME OF PHILANTHROPY.
REFUGE FOR HOMELESS
Strange Procession Founded az Md
night Is Under Absolute Cos
troll of It's Patron.

trOl OF Its Batr0n.
NEW YORK.-"The bread line for
cats" is what they call the unOstenta-
tious charity that for twelve years
has been conducted within half a mile
OF that other bread line-the one that
spells pity, suffering and heartbreaks.
Miss Anne d. Butler who came to.
New York from Utica and who has
been "a resident of Manhattan for 20
years, is responsible for TIE cat bread
line She has a kindly face. with rosy
cheeks, that would be euyiod by young
women many years her Junior. She
uas "a natural, welcoming smile and
manner inherited from family of cui-
cure and refinement 4 woman of rare
good breeding, she has devoted much
time 20 music and art, and now Occu-
pies almost her entire time with art.
How did J. come TO start a bread
F line for Cats2 Well, IL was queer"
replied Miss Butler when questioned
I al her home, NO. "A West Twenty
/ Ond street, the scene of tne bread line.
/ Il never had been fond or cats until
one morning / awoke and found cud-
died up at the foot of my bed a tiny
/ black kitten.
aNNAtANA AAAl cA~ANA AANA arg SUI Ne@tN
. Tor cats. We we've BOIlg ~ put the
ntue Stranger Out. but lue weather
was Wintry and the waii Struggled up
SO close 10 me and was 50 playful and
anecuonate tnat 1 cOuldn call myself
human III turned the poor thing into
the street.
we lived across the street then
and there were countless rats and mice
i'm the building. The kitten seemed 20
frrrrrlnl1fafrTr- Hlrnf nmmggaH
us and set 90 work 90 exterminate
them. Then it become case of hay
. ing rats or cat and We chose the lat
ter. That was eighteen years ago.
Ever since then 4 have been lover
b of cats"
b Her First Cat
BY the time Miss Buffers first cat
I was six years old her interest in cats
had increased wonderfully. 1t was
2 then that the cat bread line was
started.
{ Il used to so downstairs every
night" she said. and feed two or
p three stray cats that had gathered on
S the sidewalk. That was always early
l. I'm the evening AS / continued the
. practice. more cats came and 4 noticed
: that IL / wanted TO feed all the hum
y gry ones I would have to wait until
e late al night ! went little later
g each succeeding night. until now the
luur is midnight"
-- Asked Co estimate how many cats
n she had fed iu the course OF twelve
De- years in which the cat bread line had
been in existence. Niss Butler de-
Clarcd thc task ZOO much. Taking as
= au average twenty cats q night. the
By total number u the cat bread lire for
'i the twelve years would Doe $1,000.
The assembling of the cat bread line
is not one whit different from that
procession of unfortunate humans just
eleven blocks 90 the south. There is
- mo- great dash when the clock an-
i nouuces midnight NJ the kud-heart-
l. cd woman who feeds these nocturnal
wanderers comes down 90 the street
early in the evening they rush for
10 ward eagerly. but orderly. 20 greet
her. But they raise no cutlery.
word from hel and back they go q
the shelter of "a store door or 20 IA,
dark passages. But at midnight al
are again near their protectors home
rd The bread lire for cats never IA,
.ss been disappointed. IL never has known
an any other benefactor than the one VIII,
L. established IT, no other hand ha
ever handed out the welcome food
In summers sitting heat in spring
balmy nights In the heaviest rains. d
Do thunder and lightning. in the sleet an
he snow of the clustering Eastern winter
.ye Miss Butler has gone into the stree
IN and given warm food and gentle
ute strokes and kind words 20 the III
ite fOrtunates from whom no words {
ga gratitude or thanks ever come.
Often Miss Butler has been oblige
10 go 10 the mail box. almost a bloc
set away. early in the morning TO post a
M important city letter. on such occs
,re sions she is sure TO have an escol
ssi- OF cats who assemble almost as
by magic, even though it be only
half hour after they have been fe
or When their benefactor returns 10 h'
or home the cats disappear as quick
use and mysteriously as they came.
Rare Study.
nan The cat line Itself is a rare stud
my At the call OF Miss Butler the ca
hat assemble and, with heads lifted. tn,
'or- wait patiently until she has careful
sid arranged their table cloth. which
always a clean newspaper. Next pc
We tons OF warm. carefully prepar
NOT fresh meat are placed on the tab
ting which is. OF course. the sidewalk.
the One word from Miss Butler and {
mo- bread line Is in motion. There are
> OF subdivisions of this army into Re
mas and Blues. No plans of attack a
drawn by leaders. but, instead. the
81. ia an iu1no dfata cOncarted mass II