The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-07-15
GOLDEN AGE FOR CATS.
Felines Were venerated by the Al
cienfa-Chan~a a. Ssa.ar

81 u i Il
Feiines Were Venerated by the Al.
cients-Change I'm Mfddle Ages.
That truly was the golden age Of
cats The slayer of cat in Egypt
was punished severely, but when the
felines died from natural causes they
were carefully embalmed and laid
away to become mummies. Herodotus
writes of great numbers OF pilgrims
on one occasion 100000 going annu-
ally to the city Of Bubastis to attend
the festivals Of the cats.
Even to-day inN Cairo there remains
. vestige Of this ancient veneration,
for money is appropriated to feed all
the hungry cats of the city, while the
pilgrims to Mecca do not fail to pro-
vide for the cats they encounter on
their journey.
The Greeks and Romans were also
fond of cats. When the rats migrated
from Asia and invaded the granaries
OF Europe relief from the plague was
found in the cats which were import
ed. Then, too, the Norsemen had their
cats, and SO we'll did they think of
them that they incorporated them into
their mythology. Two cats draw the
chariot of the goddess Fridja.
Then came change and in the mid
die ages, says the Baltimore Ameri-
can, the cat was looked upon as
thing of evil. The day of witchcraft
prevailing, every sorcerer or sorceress
made it point to be accompanied by
q cat, preferably black one, which
resulted in many of the little animals
being killed because they were so
feared.
In the Flemish town of Spires there
was Wednesday of Cats" in the
second week OF Lent, which was orig
mated in S62 by Baldwin Ill, count
of Flanders, On this day each year
1t was customary to fling cats from
the top ct a lofty tower, and many OF
the animals were killed. It Is said
that this custom continued until 1868.
The question as to the origin OF the
domesticated cat has frequently been
raised There is but little doubt that
the first race OF cats were wild, but
they were undoubtedly ven domesti-
Gated before the middle ages ana GER
tainly before they were imported into
Europe. At what period however, none
can tell, SO it h generally assumed
that the Egyptians, whose works have
been lost in the ages are responsible
| for giving the cat to the present time.
There are yet 'extxnt many races OF
wild cats, from the Nubian OF northern
| Africa to the bobcft of western Amer
| lea, bat the link between these animals
and the domsstfcated variety is din
cult to locate, III 1T does atsall exist
| Nor is the CIT considered as q Pct
alone. mt has a commercial value. tor
| the skins haw been found to make
excellent gloves for women, while TIE
hair or fur ;d1so has q value. White
dealing In ,catskins is not extensive
| in this country, 1t is = trade that has
grown to considerable proportions n
soufahsrn Europe, where cats are ecec
| for the .purpDse.
| Cxss are, primarily, siivided into two
| classes. the sbng-hafred and the short
haired. To the latter class belong
| muzn OF tho cats that one Sees anO
| they are kn0wn as just common" cats
! In ,fhe luug-haired oHass are the Per
| sinus and kngoras, the aristocTaSs OF
tine family, which Ere highly prazee
j beuause of their magnificence, then
pluzued tafk being Dne of their grcas
| est marks ri beauty
1 The raising Of tins breed OF caAs Il
extensively practiced in this COUNTY,
| H,a fhere7are dozens of batteries where
I the animals are as care1uily aAssn ~
] as though they Twere children. iney
have individual quarters, are srooIaB1
each morning, fed with the cno1cest
mursels :and their every action =
1 wvxtfrehad