District No. 2, that we shall consider next, is the city and region of Chicago, which is not placed second as a matter of its importance, but simply comes in in chronological order. The first show to be held there was three years after the first in New York, and was promoted and managed by Mrs. Leland Norton; and this show was such a decided success that a club was formed, called the Chicago Cat Club, which held together for some years, but was in the end dwarfed by its rival the Beresford Cat Club. This came into being in 1899, and grew to such dimensions that the club soon numbered over 300 members, and reached in January, 1902, to the highest place by far of any American cat club, having at the show in Chicago over 250 cats, which was at least 100 in excess of any show ever held up to that time in America.

A Reception Room In A Chicago Cattery (Photo: S.E. Wright, Chicago.)

Not the least important work done by this club was the inauguration of a stud book, which has now three volumes, and contains a record of nearly all of the cats that have been factors in the development of the fancy in America. No doubt a greater part of the success of the Beresford Club has been brought about by the energy and management of Mrs. Clinton Locke, aided by the corresponding secretary (Miss L. C. Johnstone), and it is 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 say 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. "Melrose 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 Romaldkirk 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 ladies who have been very prominent in cat breeding for many years we must not forget Mrs. Cratty, who built up a beautiful strain of whites from a pair she obtained in Switzerland twelve years ago. Mrs. Cratty has now given up breeding, finding the rearing of kittens too great a tax upon her powers ; but as a consistent and steady breeder, instead of simply a buyer and exhibitor of other people's efforts, she will be much missed.