San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-18
"cAT AND MONKEY TIMES"

A big blue macaw, that swore fluently
in Spanish, the pet and property of a
German woman from South America, an
Angora cat belonging to French wo-
man, and Belgian dog kept in tow by
stolid German frau produced a "cat and
monkey time" at Ellis Island the other
night. Tact and diplomacy saved the
situation, but even those conciliatory
elements for a time seemed unavailing
The blue maeaw preening the feathers
of its bright orange breast and swearing
affectionately in Spanish, sat on the back
of chair in one of the women's dormi-
tories in the Immigration Station when
the cat approached stealthily. The raucous
shrieks of the blue macaw, and French
and German slung angrily like brick
bats, brought the matron running. The
macaw, its owner proudly explained, was
pet and did not possess a cage, but
put in its day tied to the back of a
chair. This made it easy for the cat,
which was pet also, and should not
be submitted to the indignity of being
tied.
The night superintendent was called.
He removed the cat and its French
owner to the next dormitory, alter much
talk and palaver, but this scheme proved
imprac ticable too. In this dormitory
was the German woman with the Belgian
dog. Strange animal noises. mingled
with more French and German volleys,
halted the night superintendent before
his office was re-cntered.
Dogs. however. are an old story at
Ellis Island and have often been helped
to comfortable quarters in the cellar but
not this dog. The German frau would
hear of no such thing. Because a French
woman had cat was her pet dog to be
forced to retirement in the cellar? Not
so long as she had breath and strength
to protest, and six other German fraus
in the same dormitory added their sup
port The French woman. likewise
strenuously objected to being moved
again. Everywhere she found German
women with Objectionable pets.
But after lengthy arguments and ca
joleries and tactfully expressed COM
mands, the Belgian dog was introduced
to the blue macaw. Nothing happened
Then the German woman who owned
the dog agreed to vacate her dormitory
and move into the other where the
macaw sat on the back of the chair. Her
six compatriots were persuaded to wei
come the French woman and the cat
And finally all the other aliens who hat
,promptlv taken sides in the three cor.
inered fight managed TO settle their diff
ferences and retire for the night.
In taking stock of the row afterwards
the superintendent decided that the onl,
intelligent suggestion he had received
i'll the midst of it was from an English
man who proposed that the cat be lef
to finish the bird. Then the dog was t.
be "sicked" on the cat, and an end made
to the whole matter by throwing thu
dog into the water He did not sa.
what was to be done with the owners
but in that, perhaps, conscience was t.
be the guide.
1t must be admitted that direct actor
always has the greatest appeal. II you
lneiehbor's cat offends you by yowin'
on the back fence in the the snug hour
If the morning, why not "sick" on you
dog? The only disadvantage to this
that while it may end the cat. it neve
ends the controversy, whereas diplomac.
has beer known sometimes to succeed
But too much confidence cannot be place
Icven in that, for there are those cat ant
r,Onlev times" 70 he ,Veathered no mat