3io 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



impossible to compute the work they have 

 done. The mass of information collected in 

 the stud books will always be the basis for 

 the future, and on this may be built the stud 

 book in use by the whole of America. 



The vicinity of Chicago has been the centre 

 of the cat fancy in America, and in this city 

 and its vicinity there have been more steady 

 breeders and more people who have selected, 

 bred, and reared the best cats they could 

 obtain, so that, of course, the shows have 

 been the biggest and best ever held in America. 

 The one striking feature of the Chicago shows 

 has always been the white long-haired cats. 



Of late another club has started, called the 

 Orange and Cream Club, which may be said 

 to have had Chicago for its birth-place, and 

 this club flourishes and prospers. 



We can best gauge the Chicago division by 

 looking over the breeders and taking a glance 

 at the shows, and as I was judge there at 

 the show of 1901 and also in 1902 I have had 

 the opportunity to make acquaintance with 

 many of the owners and many of the cats. 

 If we turn back to the Beresford Cat Club 

 stud book we find among the officers of the 

 year many of our best known breeders, and 

 I commence with Mrs. Clinton Locke, the 

 president. It must not be imagined that 

 this was her first attempt at cat breeding, 

 for she had been a breeder of long-haired cats 

 for years, and I must sav I had heard of 

 Mrs. Locke many years before I ever had the 

 pleasure of meeting her, and her cats were well 

 known before the advent of cat shows. Mrs. 

 Locke has made a name with several colours 

 and breeds, and has imported and bred 

 Persians, Siamese, Russians, etc., and the 

 last two shows displayed the fact that she 

 held a strong hand in most of these. ' % Mel- 

 rose Lassie" a blue sent over in 1900 from 

 England by Miss Frances Simpson, and who 

 developed into a beautiful quality cat with 

 lovely orange eyes was the best at the Chicago 

 show in 1901. This cat the next year was 

 not shown for competition, and the premier 

 honours went to her kennel mate " Lupin," 

 and these two when mated together have 



produced several winners. " Lupin " was bred 

 by Miss Beal, and is by " Romaldkirk Mid- 

 shipmite " ex " Daisy Belle," by " Romaldkirk 

 Toga." " Lupin " was selected at Romald- 

 kirk by myself when a promising kitten of 

 six months, and to say that he fulfilled his 

 promise is sufficient, for he grew in size and 

 stature, and retained his beautiful golden 

 eyes. He is now owned by Mrs. White. 



The winning kitten of the 1901 show was 

 from the two ("Melrose Lassie " and " Lupin"), 

 and Dr. Ottolengui's two winning queens in 

 1902 "Lady Lola" and " Isis " are bred 

 from the same two. It is curious to watch 

 how blood will tell, for in the winning blue 

 male at Washington, December, 1902, we 

 had some of the same blood again in " Lord 

 Lossie," by " Lucullus " ex " Dollie Dutton," 

 who was by " Persimmon," " Lucullus " being 

 a son of " Lupin " ex " Lucy Claire " late the 

 property of Mrs. Falconer Sinclair, and known 

 in England as " Baby Flossie." Among other 

 celebrities of Mrs. Locke's cattery were " Lord 

 Gwynne " the white imported from England 

 through the kind offices of Mr. A. A. Clarke 

 and this cat at once made a name for himself 

 as the sire of " True Blue," " Mars," " Prosper 

 Le Gai," and many other good cats. " St. 

 Tudno " and " Blackbird " were two blacks 

 that did well for Mrs. Locke, and " St. Tudno " 

 sired the winning black in 1902, who very 

 nearly annexed the prize for best in show. 

 The " Beadle," another of Mrs. Locke's blues 

 that must not be forgotten, was a cat bred by 

 Mrs. Dean, and he did yeoman service in 

 his time, and has left many promising young 

 ones. Mrs. Locke has been the owner of 

 good Siamese, and from " Siam " and " Sally 

 Ward " she bred " Calif " and " Bangkok," 

 who carried all before them at the Chicago 

 show of 1902, and were the best pair I have 

 seen this side the water, and would have 

 given a good account of themselves anywhere. 



Mrs. Locke's Russians " Blue Royal " and 

 " Schuyla " were respectively obtained from 

 Mr. Towlerton, of Wakefield, and Mrs. Carew- 

 Cox, and have passed into other hands after 

 winning many prizes. Among other Chicago 



