The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-26

distress. On their wheels they would
speed after pussie and ultimately re-
turn with her TO be nursed 10 health
or sent 10 painless death. ~
Miss Cording relates that she pene-
trated the yilest and most squalid see
tions OF the city ut, all hours and
searched warehouses NJ night and
regularly visited the church crypts.
| II was In the latter that she was most
literally rewarded. The most fruit
full place In the entire city was ST.
Luke's In Old-st A large part OF up
ward OF 1900 cats gathered In be-
tween Jan. ] and April /. 1918, were
found here. Most were starving and
all were ugly. Petticoat Lane was
another good hunting ground
II was early learned that many q
cat with kitchen for It's home got
nothing substantial to eat II the
kitchen were located In the poorer
quarters OF the city. The early ef-
forts were mostly directed to the
kitchens. III the occupants gave up
the cats, we'll and good: II not, the
felines were netted and taken, pro
testing, to the refuge. That they
were better dead than alive was the
theory on which the women pro-
ceeded.
or the halfmillion cats captured
less than per cent were allowed 70
live. At first II was quite an easy
matter to obtain comfortable homes
for them. After Q while the cats be-
came more numerous than cat lovers
and but one alternative remained, the
lethal chamber. What was done
with the bodies. save. that they were
disposed Of" IL nowhere divulged.
Only four of the half-million felines
remained permanent boarders at the
refuge. These were named respec-
lively. ABlackfriars.' George" THE
Old Man" and Hackney An adven-
ture attended the capture OF each.
To get one. Miss Cording climbed q
high wall; another came after q bat
tie. and third was nstted following
an exceedingly exciting chase. All
grew to ripe old age, and may be
living yet for all the record Shows.
Prior to Miss Cording's death the
Royal Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty TO Animals, headed by. the
king and queen. advanced money for
the extension Of the work, and aftsr
Miss Cording died took over the ref
uge. In her will Miss Cordipg be-
queathed everything she had, except
her sitting room furniture, to the go
ciety. and asked that her. two mot
toes, Deeds, not words" and LAB
orare est arare." be hung on the
walls.
Another claimant for the beouest
left by Miss Even Is the London In
stitute for Lost and Strayed Cats.
, During the commission hearings this
organization was represented by
learned counsel Il developed that
Mrs. Morgan is now head Of the In
stitution. She told great deal about
cat catching. she said her patients
|swere captured by men hired for that
purpose. She made. "a good record.
but was far outshone by Miss Cord.
ing,
The institutes annual report, at
tached to the papers, Is finely Illus
trated and contains much poetry In
tended TO make folks think OF stray
cats. One page Is devoted to the feed
ing of the waits. Like Miss Cording,
Mrs. Morgan doesn't think mice and
rats are good for felines. She insists
shat thcy uOn ike lucIu, 8lI0OOBu
when pressed they will consume
them. She points out that after a
cat has killed a mouse II refrains for
q considerable time from eating II.
Mrs. Morgan said that when she
met Miss Cording In 1898 she offered
to take all the cats she could catch
for 20 shillings year. but she was
soon tired Of her bargain The cats
began to come In at,the rate OF 20 a
week, and her place was soon over
run. SO, after time. she was forced
to tell Miss Cording that she couldn't
take any more. At one time every
post brought frightened. .sQualling
feline. which either had to be fed or
killed, or both. Like Miss Cording,
she charged no fees to the public.
Which society will receive the
$50. 900. or whether either will get 1t,
can not be decided until Surrogate
Fowler has gone over the Testimony,
which is voluminous.