The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-11-07

NSgAAlltAuCu EARc Ay liver and attention that have been lavished on him.
 Six Lives Left
 or course a press room isn't the safest place for a small and mex. perienced cat to grow up and all has not always been milk and mice as far as Smooch is concerned. There was the time for instance when the first chilly night came this Fall. When Nurse Carey came in the next morning, Smooch didn't rush out to greet him plaintively miaouing as is his wont. So Fred started his morning routine by lighting the gas blowers under the stereotype furnace. He was nearly knocked over by the rush of feline fuzzniess which shot out from the combustion chamber once the first blast of fire shot in.
 That cost Smooch all the whis- kers on one side of his face.
 Then there was the other time when he was crawling through the press unobserved by the pressman who started it. Smooch took the shortest way out which seemed to be a paper web just below him. Through it he went, right down into the press pit but escaped un- harmed.
 Another time, we thought he de- served some delicacies to sharpen his diet and served up some fish as an aperitif. That diet was too rich and brought on some sort of physical and mental disorder which eventually prompted him to dash like 6 black comet out the back door and into the darkness of Canal Street. But the cat came back, to our great relief, and still has six lives left.
 How did he get his name? We're not sure that is his name for some of us call his Smooch, some call him Blackie, and many more just refer to him like the hero of the late worlds series, as simply 'The Cat"
 SmoOch and POOeh
 There's nothing high-hat about Smooch, either. Even though we know he runs the press room, he doesn't capitalize on his position and Tippy, the friendly little pup who comes in occasionally with his master, Jack Cahill, to help run off The Democrat Peach. always finds 8 warm welcome and a friendly caress from Smooch. A little cau- tious mutual nose-smelling, per- haps, but aside from that they set- tie down side by side tolerantiy indulging the foolishness of us hue mans who think folks like to have a newspaper to read.
 Smooch Is cocky, Of course, but what kitten isn't2 He just takes it for granted that eyeryone's lap is his to sit in regardless of time or place. So it was when Jim Moore came in on Sunday and amid the depressing quiet of a newspaper of- flee having a day off was concen- trating on profound prognostica- tions anent the coming elections. Suddenly. out from under his desk with no warning, a tiny black kite ten leaped into his lap. 6mooch weighs about six pounds soaking set but under those circumstances he looked hugs and terryfying to Jim. a temperate man not given to conjuring up visions of elephants or other wfid animals under nor- maj conditions.
 While Emooch boasts no pedigree. there must be among his ancestry somewhere Q trace of tree leopard for he seeks high places and ocn- stantly climbs as high on the press as his kittenish agility will allow. His favorite sleeping place seems to be on top of the roll of peach paper which is left always on the press. Every morning, there are the telltale paw marks. the spo0r of the untamed beast, aeros sthe top oi the roll.
 This has been e busy week for every newspaper man, what with elections and all. but smooch made it quite evident that inasmuch as this Is National Cat Week. he was taking no excuse for failure to set his highly exciting life down on pa. per. So here it Is. And to those Of you who have never had Q kitten for company, we simply suggest that one can be a lot of fun. Of course (and Smooch will kill us for saying