MANY BLACK CATS HERE

Big Concatenation at Hotel Centralia Saturday Evening

100 HOO HOOS WERE PRESENT

Twenty-Three Kittens Became Full-Grown Cats in a Single Night

THERE were about one hundred Hoo Hoos present at the con catenation held at the Centralia Hotel last Saturday evening Black Cats were present from every city within, a radius of one hundret miles. Twenty-three kittens were rounded up, and were transformed into real grown-up cats. To join the Hoo Hoos a candidate is taken through all the processes a log goes through to become lumber. There is the big band saw, the trimmer, the dry kiln, etc. At least, that is what a kitten is given to understand, and before he gets through he begins to think his information is correct.

The dining room of the Centralia Hotel was decorated with about one hundred black cats, supplied by W. F. Toles. A large papier mache black cat was given the place of honor in the middle of the table.

The following officers presided a the concatenation:

Snark, W. B. Mack; Senior Hoo Hoo, George B. Birge; Junior Hoo Hoo, T. H. Claffey; Scrivenotor, W. P. Lockwood; Bojum, E. R. Ingersoll; Arcanoper, James E. Somerville; Jabberwock, Cal Welhon; Custacatlcan Mile Walton; Gurdon, J. M. Gray; Toastmaster, F. B. Cole; Medical Examiner, E. Clark Evans; Chairman of Torture Committee, T. M. Schields; Musician, Robert Adams.

The following kittens were sawed up:

Thos. P. White, S. E. Slade Lumber Co., Aberdeen.
Hoy Camp, S. E. Slade Lumber Co., Aberdeen.
Frank T. McNitt, Jr., F. T. McNitt Hardware, Centralia.
James Conner, H. B. Walte Co., Seattle.
Clinton P. Klinger, Chicago Belting Co., Portland.
Daniel Salt, Jos. Oldham & Sons, Seattle.
John F. Laughran, Palmer Lumber Co., Chehalis.
Martin L. Boyer, M. L. Boyer Lumber Co., Grand Mound.
Earl L. Francis, Lewis Hills Mill Co., Elma.
Morton M. Tuft, John L. Bullock, Portland.
Robt. T. Gillesple, Mill & Mining Supply Co., Seattle.
Frank S. Taylor, Taylor & Newlss, Elma.
Byrd H. Thompson, Lincoln Creek Lumber Co., Centralia.
Allan Candee Hempill, H. B. Woite Co., Seattle.
S. W. Porter, S. W. Porter, Evaline.
Frank S. Skakes, Mutual Lumber Co., Bucoda.
Harry N. Lipscomb, Blumauer Lumber Co., Bucoda.
Thos. W. Haywood, S. E. Slade Lumber. Co., Aberdeen.
Allan M. Logan, S. E. Slade Lumer Co., Aberdeen.
Chester W. Rainey, Harm & Brown Lumber Co., Tenino.
Frank E. Burrows, Grays Harbor Logging Co., Aberdeen.
K. W. Steinhart, Tenino Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Tenino.

After the ceremonies of the evening were over all present swore by the tail of the great black cat that one of the best concatenations had gone into history.

Source: The Centralia News-Examiner, 28 May 1909, p. 1.

Transcribed by Jenny Tenlen. She has never heard of the Hoo Hoos before, and learned from a New York Times article from 10 Sep 1897 that "The society of Hoo Hoo, or Order of the Black Cat, embodies the festive and social features of all the lumber dealers' organization of the country." Apparently, the International Order of Hoo-Hoo is still in existence. A short history of the Hoo-Hoos is here and here.