Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-03
was Mrs Kate

cats. I{& 49,
Her hus- Nh PTCKERiNG
band apparently didn't mind.
The Johnsons commissioned
Carl Kahler 10 paint the picture
and he il said To have devoted
three years 10 Sketching the
cats before he painted the final
nictIIre. a big thing. 6 feet tall
and over 8 feet wide.
Presumably, Mrs. Johnson got
SS4, 900 worth Of pleasure from
the picture and she certainly
must have adored cats because.
when she died, she bequeathed
$500, 900 10 care for her pets.
The picture subsequently was
included in some San Francisco
collections including one IN a
saloon. a collection reputed 10
have been worth Sl,500.O00 at
one time. but you can suit your
self about accepting that figure.
Pictures are like antique chairs.
There's a lot Of difference be-
tween the asking price and the
actual amount that you can get
in cash.
They say the cat picture ten-
titled MY Wife'S Lovers"
which may have been the hus-
bands subtle way OF saying he
didn't care for cats, at thaO
was one of five saved from the
collection in the San Francisco
fire.
Ultimately, II was purchased
by some New York art dealers,
some years ago. They since have
moved TO Detroit and run the
Julian Galleries and the AZ cats
now hang in the Penobscot
Building.
I asked how much the picture
was worth, thoroughly expecting
them to toss off some artfully
and outrageousiy high figure.
They didn't. though. They said
rather wistfulIy maybe-that
1--WE once refused $4,000 for II,
but that was in the palmy days"
But this extravagant $34, 900
picture has been of some use
in the world. purely aside from
the esthetc, and / should add
that cats are supposed to be one
of the hardest things in the
world to paint well.
The picture was displayed in
the West at 81 look and raised
enough money to build home
for hayward girls. (The home
burned down eventually. i be-
lieve.) Still later. il was exhi-
bited similarly for the benefit
of Belgian children in the last
war and some $1,000 was raised.
And all because a woman who
married a wealthy man had a
fondness for cats.
RANDOM NOTES: A woman
In Pennington already has
mailed all her Christmas cards.
She wrote on the back of each:
This In n Christmas card To
be looked Mt Dec. "a"
Now she is worrying:
"Will my friends think I'm
lust fishing for card back?
Won't you ask your readers tn
do the same, 20 1 won't feel 20
foolish ."
l think she is very sensible
and feel sure that her friends
will think the same. The post
office will love her to pieces.
Members of the Tip Toppers'
Club (no men under s feet,
1-inch. no women under > feet,
9 incbes) have gone dramatic
and are giving an old-fashioned
mellerdrammer called Love
Rides the Rails, or, Will the
Mail Train Run Tonight ," this
weekend. A number of people
have asked how 10 get in touch
with this club for tall people.
The chairman of the dramatic
group is Josephine A. Smith OF
1850 Infantry.
Another amateur dramatic
group in Detroit is earning a
fine reputation, the Catholic
Theater. At least four former
members Of il are now in New
York.
They are Terry Little Marie
Fritzley, Jim Crowner and
Rosemary Snyder and all have
had parts in plays or films
Little and Crowner in the cur
rent March Of Time film. Little
won the scholarship for The
most promising member of The
theater group last year He's
since been in JUNIOR Miss,
Stage Door" and others.
Irene Hawkins, our women'S
editor, just said we still had a
couple OF dozen Goodfellow
dolls 10 be dressed, 30 II any
body can manage to outfit an
other One-yOu know, the
GOOdfeIlows don't want 10 have
To give some little girl a doll
for Christ without