Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-07
New York Cat
Has an Eesy
Time Of II
The r ats Are SIN a ]
and Harmless
BY DAMON RUNYON

nv DstNtOAN NJ ~ Il OAN
ME SEE where the New York
w police reporters who make
their headquarters in the press
building on Center Market Place
are pluming themselves in the
public prints on the acquisition
OF cat called Rainbow. a mem
Der Of a feline family that lived
at the Aquarium. which is soon
10 be demolished.
II appears that Rainbow has
some local fame as a rat catcher.
though the accounts we have
read of his transfer TO the repor-
torial premises, all rejecting
considerable enthusiasm. fail 10
state his record. They just give
YOU the impression that Rain
bow is terrific rat-getter when
II comes 10 rats. without fur
nishing any details on that point.
However. we are willing 10
concede that Rainbow is cham
pion. or at least a title contender
in his own assembly district, or
even the entire borough, but at
that we cannot accord him any
extraordinary prowess. We have
seen some of the New York rats
and they are pretty anemic crit
tiers that a mere kitten ought TO
out-juggle without much diff
Guilty. They are nette- be -eeHa-
pared TO Sidney the Rat, whose
address is The Hermitage. on
Hibiscus Island, down in Dade
County, Florida.
For the reporter, sake we
are glad Rainbow is not in Sid
ney's vicinity or they would be
short pet. Sidneys hobby is
cats. We will never forget the
morning we found a panther
pelt tackled up on the garden
wall of the Hermitage. 1t seems
Sidney had been out in the
Everglades during the night and
had come upon a panther. He
mistook it for a cat and brought
add TO his al
ready extensive collection OF cat
skins.
CIDNEY hopes eventually to
~ accumulate enough skins TO
make coat for his girl friend,
but naturally he wants matched
skins and cats with the type of
skin he desires are rather scarce
in Dade County. Florida. He
has been known 10 pass up black
cats because that tinge does not
fit in with his color scheme. He
wants them a sort of a brindle.
but black cats must not presume
on Sidney's federation of them.
--=ftffet-c-tfsrt-to be a big black
cat by the name of Montmor-
ency living on hi Lido Island.
across Riscayne Bay from Hibis-
Gus Island, and this Montmor-
eney had bttift up quite repu-
tation on mice. IT seems he
had heard rumors Of Sidney the
Rat and one day he decided TO
challenge Sidney. Ut shows you
how cat can get decisions of
grandeur working on mice.) So
Montmorency came sailing
across Biscayne Bay Gin a cat
boat. OF course) TO find Sidney
sitting on the seawall Of the
Hermitage fishing for shark.
SIDNEY'S method of fishing is
~ quite primitive. He bats
the end OF his tail and drops it
into the water and when some
thing takes hold he just reaches
around with one paw and hauls
out his catch. We suppose you
are thinking that this involves
the risk of damage TO his tail.
but then you do not know how
tough Sidney the Rat is. Thou
sands of Barracuda are taken
from Biscayne Bay annually
quite toothlesS from biting on
Sidney's tail. That is how tough
he is.
"Ahoy!" cried Montmorency.
as he maneuvered his craft with
IN hailing distance of Sidney.
DO you want To fight?"
AT these words. Sidney with
drew his tail from the briny
depths with shark clinging 10
the bait, and twirling his APP
pendage, shark and all, around
his head like a laSso. suddenly
snapped il whip-faShion with
such force and aim that the
huge fish was shaken free of the
bait and thrown into Montmor-
enjoys boat. completely wreck
ing the craft The shark.
speedily recovering from his be-
Indictment took charge of
Montmorency and black cats
came no more to Hibiscus Is
land.
IN DARK blustery nights
" when. as you are aware.
spirits are abroad. we some
times hear weird mer-ouwing
coming out of the blackness DER
Blscayne Bay and while we
hope II is just the wind we
SILVER at the thought that it
may be Montmorencys ghost
swimming around out there in
the water.
Sidney the Rat never seems TO
notice this reminder of his deed.
We suppose that is because he
Is a rat.
copyrght 1871. King Features synd.. Inc
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