A Sliding Scale of Cats.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 268, 17 November 1874, Page 7

A Sliding Scale of Cats.

The General Clerkbf the Court of the Appeals, when "at hoiip," resides at Jamaica, on Long Island. been famous for its mmense crop of cats. Each year's crop beatdts immediate predecessor, and the multiptaity of cats is fearful to behold ; almost as jarful, in fact, as the fearful concerts to wjch the people are nightly subjected. Foipome reason or other Mr Perrin was favouredith more than his share of these free concits, much to his delight, of course, and th\ disgust (of course) of his less fortunate neihbours. At length this favouritism uendurable, and Perrin hit upon a happy tpedient to return the compliment with invest. Some snow remained on the roof,_ ancperrin pretended to wash it off by sluicing free or four tubfuls of hot water over t\ shingles. The consequence was that in anWir the entire roof was as slippery as a<-t inner in this world can be. That night, \ lue Perrin was sitting at his bedroom windoWazinsr out into the moonlight, he saw a ca| lK ldenly dash downward through the ail With a paw si-retched towards each point ftthe compass its fur elevated, and its lungs uitfriacr a terrible ycll._ Iu a minute down W another. Then a third went sousing pas\ AlK i before it reached the ground a fourth \ m p. pel tin" down, and then a fifth, doubled \ ana c { an ° ing at the other and 'the fAOoWifc for a hold, and so on until about 150 Id d scended. Then Perrin thought it anU f,?r, lA +. n investigate the phenomenon. HAgceiuled to the garret and looked through\] 1H trapdoor. There he saw a procosaion \{>')) ■,„■ 700 cits, reaching in single file fron\ ie y ara up over the shed and the back bn\,; r ,' r) . <-,, the crown of the roof of the hou3Q 'flier were all miiving ; and as the cat at fc \ l(i;u \ of the pro(.ession reached the peakf y lO roof, it would look around for a mini . m( \ wonder where its had gene>j ien its feet would slip. It would clut u c\ inr | claw and grab at the ice ; but still it l,|,j go sailing down with increasing spoed vn \f_ reached the edge, when it would shynutj-,, space and dash off towards the was interesting to Perrin to obssrvo the j_ i cession. He never before raalised the heal I i>f the law of nalurQ which attracts bodies If he earth.