Minnie Esso

Minnie, the cat which Standard Oil of New Jersey pays $3.20 per month to keep its Bayonne testing laboratory free of rats and mice (TIME, April 12), is on her way to becoming as valuable a publicity asset as Chesapeake & Ohio's imaginary "Chessie." Released to the press last week was a letter which Standard's president had written April 1 to Minnie's boss. Full text: "Dear Dr. Dean:

"That we may have the record clear, will you let me know what provision has been made for providing for Minnie Esso's declining years under the Social Security Act? And how are you handling her case in view of the decision to award a flat monthly increase of $15 to those employees receiving under $1.800 per year?

"Before settling the latter point, I suggest you look into Minnie's home life and seek to discover how many dependents she has.

"Very truly yours.

"W. C. TEAGLE.''

Replying last week. Dr. Dean assured President Teagle that Minnie's dependents, quintuplets born last month, were well cared for, that her salary would certainly be raised if inflation boomed the price of salmon and milk. A tawny, tiger-striped 4-year-old, Minnie has the liberty of the two-story laboratory, ordinarily sleeps wherever she feels like it but is currently spending most of her time in the shipping & receiving room, where a box has been fixed for her kittens. Well satisfied with her work in virtually ridding the laboratory of the big water rats which once infested it, no Standard boss has attempted to investigate what Minnie does with her private life outside the building. Since becoming a public figure, reported Dr. Dean, Minnie has received a proposal of marriage in a letter signed "Nicky." Describing himself as an elegant but lazy torn, Nicky declared: "As you have a good job with the Standard Oil I am sure we could manage very nicely."

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