Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-14
Died Happy
Surrounded Blu
FiffyCat
oNELINEss does many strange things to a man an

I Captain Abe Rice was no exception Until
- died, old Capn Abe known among seafarng
up the rugged Maine coast of the most
affable old salts that took fishing smack TO
But Mrs Rices sudden passing shattered his spirit for
he all alone in the world
Capn Abe who lived years Outer Island off the
mouth of Buehl Bay, had plenty of friends but with
his wife gone they meant little TO him. Often he took
long trips TO returning without catch and the
fsherfolk knew that he hadn't dropped a Many
tried cheer up old captain Others kdded him
with the remark that he needed wife But the old
skipper too lonely TO snap out of his apathy 10 the
world about him.
Then one day old Capn Abe disappeared AT first his
friends worried They thought that ne and his little
smack might caught in a stiff blow.
the captain had gone
spotted riding anchor of those
and barren little islands that dot the Maine coast from
New Hampshire TO Canada.
Sure enough Capn Abe the island. busly build
ing little home He going to into it, he :
said stay until his dying day And that's what he did
Year after year the old seldom ventured the
land Occasionally he put to sea, and when he made
good catch took his fish TO market Aside from that his
seafaring pals seldom him.
But whenever the skipper made trip TO the mainland
he'd pick up stray cat or two AS cats will do, the
captains feline friends multiplied the fresh fish he
hauled Of them. Before many years had
passed the old Cap'n had so crawling fighting
all the island and often not making the night
hideous with their snarls But the old didn't
to mind He had the animals all named claimed that
he knew every by sight -- and sound
Soon the fsherfolk dubbed his heretofore unnamed
Cattai Island and the years went by, and his
meowing coony grew. legendary tales spun about
the "cat of the Atlantic" long Winter nights
But the old skipper last In his 80 he
found friendship affection he had longed Then
last Spring the of ST. old Capn Abe fell i'll and his
felowshermen out in their boats to take him to
Harbor hospital Capn Abe, however. refused
leave the promised stop by daily
to and drop off fish for the cats.
At the hospital the old captain unhappy patient
who grumbled lot. One day coast missionary
called him
Aren't you comfortable Capn Abe ?" he asked.
"Oh yes" replied the old Il s'pose I'm comfort
able huff"
Don't they treat you well here? ?"
'Oh yes class, but-but -" he stammered
But what Cap'n Abe?" his visitor wanted 70 know
Then the old let loose.
IT'S them tarnal barths they give ev'ry day. Lord
/ amt that dirty and can't stand 'em and -"
"Yes, Uncle Abe, tell all about it."
And l want my CATS
The missionary promised to do what He
the doctors told them all about his
ton Why not he suggested send the od'man back to his
island and his cats?
tents only matter of time, they let him go
with a fisherman to stay with him-so that old
Capn Abe could have the comfort of his small Of
pets.
Back on Catail Island, Cap'n Abe pcrkod up, be-
long could sit up in bed and feed his animals When
esng time came, the feines would into the old skip
pers room climb all his bed squat the floor and
chairs tables that the literally
jammed with cats.
There the old skipper would sit chuckng and laugh
ing fish his purrng pets And that the
way died last Winter He had just finished feeding his
charges when he had sudden stroke.
His nurse hearing girgling cry came running into
the bedroom. The hadn't been there bat minute
when the old skipper passed away petng Weaherbeaten
old tom cat words Look out for my cats
days later, the fisherfolk came to Caail Island
TO pay respects to Capn Abeand stranger
funeral probably For as the minister
read the service gathered around the
casket all the place, meow1ng as though
they knew they had lost their master.
Capn Abes death-bed plea was never carried out Al
though many had loved the old man. no one would voun-
teer his large cat colony To leave his pets
on the island would condemnng them to starvation
so the day after several fishermen with guns
came back and the end of an all day hunt, put the
animals out of their misery.