The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1858-06-19

fhis tremcdons case is now bending
before judicial tribunal Of the State Of
Maryland and presents many remarkable
features OF the ingenuity and speculative
capacity Of the defendant in the case. For
the benefit of the legal profession and
gentlemen generally who may wish to
enter new field of speculation, will
give shor, history OF III. case AZ
heard it,
Some few years ago "A gentleman Of
Maryland conceived the idea that an i'm.
meiIsc fortune could be- realized by the
rearing of black eats for the sake Of their
skins. The principal obstacle to the plan
was the ilnpossibility of keeping the an
imals together and preventing them from
wandering on as their activity, assisted
by the penetrating qualities of their
claws, would enable them To defy any
enclosure; and at last, after much think.
ing, thu idea suggested itself To his mind
that water was the Gully barrier that the
eats would not pass. Being IN POSSES
sion OF an island that appeared to be-
just suited for the experiment, he found
all obstacles 10 the success of his plan
cmoycd. aud set about organizing the
affair.
He employed an agent, and pu, ont a
circular, Ia which he stated that he
would give so much "A head for every
black cat that could be got This ad.
vcrtlscment was circulated through all
the counties bordering upon the Chcsa-
peak bay. and the negroes got hold Of it.
IN very short time all the black cats
through those counties were stolen by
the negroes and sold to the agent. who
had depors established at different con
venicut points Old ladies missed their
tavofitc cats. and mnUrucd them as dead
but the negroes. melted by the price
offered spared none In this way one
hundred and fifty black eats were colIcc-
ted and transported To- the island. and
the agcu; took up his abode there like
another Robinson Crusoc. as superintcud-
eut aud guardian Of the cats Those an
luials appeared Ia enjoy themselves vast
~ when first pat ou the island, and spent
their time IN either playing with each
other or hunting birds or ground mice:
but % last their game failed them. and,
having No other supply Of food, they be-
came hungry and desperate and roained
about the island in large bands, yelling
for loUi They at last became danger
,,ys s,l ia. ,.rc,, ,gr,,,o ;, III. o,n,,I,y.
On, s,,t,,,ap, ~ ,hcse e,c,s arcnp,,,a.
Iu..l la "a rconest +, know how he was
f., Ccj th,,, IIn wrote hack far ,he
agent to set couple OF negroes to work
to catch and open oysters for the eats,
which order was carried out 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. a species
Of cholera broke out amonsi them, and
one-half died
This calamity drove the survivors mad
and they either committed suicide, or in
I "a 1T of desperation swan to the main
land. At any rate, they disappeared and
were never heard If more
( The agent then wrote again to his en-
( ploycr to acquant hiia with the result Of
/ THIS new treatment. which news was ac-
companlcd by modest request for the
/ payment OF his wagcs-~ior tins cat eS-
/ pertinent occupied space ui upwards
Of year. The latter was SO liaii.cua;;;
at the conduct Of both the agent and the
cats thai W. haiiN refused "h" ,hr g"
/ sequence "' ms feinaal was SUI
/ drought mY t'e agent Y" recover ms
wages ih'S SUIT mas p''h u'hhlvd '"f
some TWO years ana curing Us progress
nave become a'la"h'"n WIN 'he 'ae's'
As far as the theory 81 the speculation
went, II was magnificent idea. The
/ skin Of the black cat is worth in Boston
80 cents. The cats, am told cost the