A family went out to a meeting, leaving Master Tom, a favorite cat, in sole occupation of the house.
On their return the cat's actions led to an examination, when his feet were found to be blistered. The sitting-room served to explain matters. A live coal had been thrown out and set the carpet on fire. Puss had evidently clawed out the fire for a considerable distance about the spot burned, leaving nothing but a center of ends, charred and frizzled. All the circumstances indicated that the cat had put out the fire.
“Cats are very fond of valerian,” said Mr. Graham, “and I have heard of a woman in St. Thomas who turned this fact to practical use.”
“How was that?” queried Mr. Webb.
“She detected the odor of sewer gas in her parlor,” was the reply, “and as the landlord from whom she leased the house would not believe in the existence of the gas, she hit upon a device to convince him. She first poured a quantity of valerian down the pipe of one of the basins in the upper story. The odor of valerian presently filled the parlor below. Procuring two cats she turned them loose in the parlor. They immediately evinced delight at the odor, and ran to an adjoining closet where it was strongest. They finally jumped upon a shelf in the closet, and there, by their contentment, showed that they had traced the odor to its source. The householder sent for a plumber, who, removing the lath and plaster, discovered a leak in the pipe which communicated with the sewer.”
