The Great Cat Deception
A lonely Seattle resident is duped by his friends into believing a stray kitten arrived by express from Massachusetts.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
John P. Cole, feeling lonesome while his wife was away, was delighted to receive a crate by express purportedly from Williamstown, Massachusetts. He found a sprightly kitten inside and told his neighbors all about his rare pet. In truth, the 'rare' cat was a stray that had wandered into the telephone office. Edward C. Sharpe, the bookkeeper, had conspired with express agent F. P. Harlow to pack the cat in an old crate, stencil a fake destination on the wood, and play a cruel joke on the cat-loving Mr. Cole. Despite the deception, Cole has found genuine comfort in the kitten's company.
“It has not traveled 3,000 miles, nor is it of any rare breed, but it has its full share of the feline virtues.”
While a minor local prank, this story captures the domestic life and dry humor of Seattle's early 1890s residents. It stands as a reminder of how social connections were forged in the city's quiet boarding rooms.
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