Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-07-23
From the Waskingtoa Union.
THE GREAT MARYLAND RLACK
CA.E

CAT CASE. sr..-.
II you meet black cat, shave him to the tall
This tremendous case is now pending
before a Judicial tribunal of the State OF
Maryland, aud presents many remarka>
BILE features Of the ingenuity aud specuIa
tive capacity OF the defendant in the case.
For the benefit of the legal profession,
and gentlemen generally who may wish
TO enter a new field of speculation, 1 will
give = short history of the case as heard
It.
Some few years ago a gentleman OF
Maryland conceived the idea that an i'm.
mense fortune could be realized by the
rearing of black cats for the sake OF their
skins. The principal obstacle to the plan
was the impossibility of keeping the ami
mails together aud preventing them from
wandering of. AS their activity, assisted
by the. penetrating qualities of their
claws, would enable them to defy any en-
closure; and at last. after much thinking,
the idea suggested itself to his mind that
water was the only barrier that cats
would not pass. Being in possession of
an island that appeared TO be Just suited
for the experiment, he found all obsta-
eles TO the success Of his plan removed.
aud set about organizing the aft .ir.
lie employed an agent, and put out
circular. in which he stated that he
would give so much a head for evey black
cat that could be got. This ADVERTISE
ment was circulated through all the coun
ties bordering upon the Chesapeake bay,
and the negroes got hold Of it. In "a very
short time all the black cats through
those counties were stolen by the negroes
aud sold to the agent, who had depo:s
established at different convenient points.
Old ladies missed their favorite cats, and
mOurned them AS dead-but the negroes,
melted by the price offered. spared none.
In this way one hundred and titty black
cats were collected and transported to
the island: and the agent took up his
aboLe there, like another Robinson Cru
soc. as superintendent and guardian Of
the cats. Those animals appeared to en-
joy themselves vastly when first put on
the island. and spent their time in either
playing with each other, or hunting birds
or grOund-mice; but at last their game
failed them. and. having no other supply
Of food, they became hungry aud despe>
rate, and roamed about the island in large
bands. yelling for food. They at last be-
came dangerous, and the agent wrote TO
his employer a statement Of these facts,
accompanied by request 10 know how
he was TO feed them. He wrote back to
the agent to set couple Of negroes to
work to catch and open oysters for the
cats, which order was carried cut. The
cats. having the alternative Of oysters or
starvation before them, very naturally
chose the former; but, not being accus-
toned to such unnatural food. species
of cholera broke out amongst them. and
Que half -di d.
This calamity drove the survivors mad,
and they either committed suicide, or in
fiL Of desperation, swan to the main
land. At any rate. they disappeared and
we're never more heard of.
The agent then wrote again to his em>
ployer to acquaiut him with the result OF
this new treatment, which news was ac>
eompsnied by modest request for the
payment Of his wages-for this cat expe-
rimeut occupied a space Of upwards of a
year. The latter was SO Indignant at
both the conduct of the agent and the
cats that he fatty refused, and the conse-
queuce Of his refusal was salt brought
by the agent to recover his wages. This
Salt has been defended for two years, aud
during its progress l have become we'll
acquainted with the facts.
As far as the theory of the speculation
vent, it was magnificent idea. The
skin Of the black cat is worth fifty cents
in Boston. The cats, am told, cost the
agent just that sum. 1t was supposed
that they would increase exactly ten fold
per aunum. Then say-first year. num-
ber Of cats, $50, second year, 1900; Sd
year, 5000; from which there could be
obtained 5000 toms for sale, bringing
So, 500. and leaving 10000 stock cats
remaining, which at the above ratio of
increase, would give the fourth year the
enormous sum of 100, 900 cats upon the
island. after which all the surplus over
and above the last number, were to be
caught in box traps. aud the skins sold to
Boston furIiers. This stock of 100, 900
oats were to produce 900, 900 per ann
9n: and the revenue consequently to be
derived from the island would be in the
nsighborhood OF $500, 900 per annum.
The principal drawback to the enter
prise was the utter inability Of the cats to
organize or band together for the nur.
pose of assisting each other, and thus IA
eilitatlng their hunting operations; so, af.
ter deep reflection upon the subject, it
was determined to import a couple Of
wild cats from South America, whose ad
mixture With his cats would not only add
strengthGto the body aud value to the
tur' but whose executive qualities might