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Advocate Archives
This week’s trip back into the Advocate Archives takes us to 1952 to a letter from a ramblin’ and rough cat and to 1966 when thieves made off with a treasure trove of antiques from a Truro home.
April 10, 1952
Old Cape End Cat Pens “Homer”
On the morning of the day of the death of Francis “Bossy” McGady, beloved columnist of The Advocate, a letter arrived at the office for “Bossy’s” philandering cat, Homer, whom “Bossy” had indulged and spoiled outrageously. It is a letter “Bossy” would have loved and chuckled over.
Here is the letter to Homer:
“dear homer;
how are you? I used to live in provincetown when i was young fry.
i read all aboutcha, homer, in the paper every week. you got the life, homer, you got the life.
i used to like it down there, too.
i was born on palm sunday, thirteen years ago. my name is george but it used to be bitsy. i used to like to sun over by cookie’s tap. they never chased me away but a sailor fell over me once.
homer, i am a tough guy. i had distemper, measles, chicken-pox, sore throat and rheumatism but i lived through it all. also i got shot once in the back and once in the leg, and i got peppered with bb shot lots of times, but i am still here. i busted my leg twice and my fist twice but i am still here. i am tougher, homer. all us provincetown cats are tough.
homer, wouldja believe it — i lived for ten years where it got down to forty degrees below zero. boy, did that congeal my whiskers. but i took it, homer, i took it. i had to go out on snow-shoes, homer, to meet my lady friends. and fights! them maine cats is tough fighters, homer, especially those that are part moose. i lost parts of my ears, homer, and a chunk of my nose, and one eye don’t work so good any more, but i came through, homer. us provincetown cats is really tough.
well, homer, i got to close and go help our gang tonight hunt for that brink swag which they say is swunk around here somewheres. we heard them say there was something fishy about it so we live in hopes. the cops can’t, homer, but us cats can. we go from garbage pail to garbage pail, every night, with missiles bouncing all around us, throwed by the desperadoes who don’t want us to find it.
i hope you will write and let me know how everything is down at provincetown. it use to smell grand down there some days when the fish factories was working and the wind was just right. i dream about it, sometimes, homer, and think i am in heaven.
when you get the next fish-head, homer, turn it north-west and give a good blow. so long now.
your fish and pen pal,
george”
April 14, 1966
Thieves Get Haul From Truro Home
Several antique collections are among goods valued at between $700 and $800 stolen from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bostock of Higgins Hollow Road, Truro, Mr. Bostock has reported to police.
The Bostocks, returning to their Truro home last Thursday from Lansdale, Pa., discovered thieves had gained access to the house by a second-story window and had removed the considerable amount of goods, presumably, Mr. Bostock says, via the front door.
In their haul the thieves took a valuable collection of antique pewter and antique bell glass, a collection of old powder horns, an antique lamp, an antique knife and a sabre of the Civil War period or earlier. Other goods were also taken.
Mr. Bostock estimates the break took place within a few days of his return since neighbors had checked the house only a short time before. Patrolman John Hurd arrived on the scene shortly after police were summoned and local and county police made an extensive investigation.
Mr. Bostock was particularly disturbed since the police, he said, had reported to them that the Ben Algase home, off Higgins Hollow Road, had also been broken into.
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Apr 10th, 2008