The "Boston Post's" latest "Famous Cat of New England" features a teetotaler kitten and his buddy the alligator:
Tabsy Owl's name is a whole story in itself. Being the official club cat of St. Joseph's Total Abstinence Society in the West End, the "Tabsy" was bestowed on him as an abbreviation for the total abstinence part of it. The Owl came because of his propensities for staying up late with the boys at the club. While there's a late stayer there Tabsy Owl is right beside him.
Then there's Sport, the baby alligator, that Frank Gaffney, member of the club and also one of the star men on the Post sports staff, brought up from Jacksonville, Fla., with him about a month ago. Tabsy Owl has adopted Sport. Tenderly as ever mother cat watched over her kittens Tabsy Owl watches over Sport. The scaly hide of the little chap is carefully washed off every day by the pink tongue of Tabsy Owl, and the little fellow loves it.
The cat and the alligator occupy the centre of the big table when the boys gather around each night. Tabsy Owl stands for a good deal of rough-housing with the boys. He can box back and knows all the strangle holds and defences and feints of the game. He obeys all rules. But let one of them try to tweak the tail of Sport and Tabsy Owl rushes at him.
~January 8, 1921
At least Tabsy's decendents aren't eating people in the subways.
ReplyDeleteOmg. People were publishing regular cat features in newspapers? How did they do that without internet?
ReplyDeleteTabsy washed off Scout's hide every day? Did he ever get tot he chewy center?
ReplyDeleteI hope Sport continued to be a 'good sport' with Tabsy as he grew older. And there were probably no forms to fill out in those days when they brought Sport up from Florida.
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