Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-06-25
MIS- CELLAN NY.
A GREAT SPECULATION

The following account which il taken
from u recent number Of the Washington
Union. isa sample Of great many Of the
spcculations Of these latter ycars:
TnE GREAr MARYLAND BLACK Car CAsE.
"If ypu NEE, a black cat. shave him to the tail ="
Thi. tremendous case !. now pending be.
fore a Judicial tribunal Of ,hc State OF Mary
land, and presents, many remarkable fca-
,urcs Of the ingenuity aud speculative ca.
pacliy Of the defendant in the case. For
the benefit " the legal profession and gen.
,lemen generally who may wish to enter a
new field Of speculation, will give a short
history of the cas-, a, I have heard It.
s,mc years aso gentleman Of Maryland
conceived the idea that an immense fortune
could be realized by tho rearing II black
cat. ror the sale u their SKINS. The rrinci
pal obstacle TO the plan was the imp's.ihil.
ity ofkrrpinc the animal. together and pro.
venting them FROM wandering otT. rs their
activity, assisted by the penetrating quality
n thclr claws. would enable them TO defy
any enclosure; and at lat. after much
thinking, the idea suggested itself to hi.
mind that water was the only barrier that
cat. would not pas Being in possession
of an island thn, appeared to bc just sui
tcd for the experiment, he found all oh.,a-
clc' to the success Of hl' plan removed, aud
.ct about organizing the affair.
H. employed an ag'n, and put ont cir.
culir IN which he stated that he would give
50 much head Tor every black ca, ,hat
could be got. Tins advertisement wa' cir.
culi,cd through all the countl'. bordering
on the Chr.rcakc by. and the negroes got
hold Of IL. In short time, all the black
eat, through tho, coun,i'. were stolen by
the nrsroc. ani sold to the agent, who had
depo,s established az different convenient
points. Oh lalic. missed their fayoritc
cat. and mourncd them as dcad-but the
negroes. melted by ,he price offered, spared
none. In Chi. way, one hundred and City
black eats were collected, and transported
to the island AMI the agent took up hi.
ahul, there. ike another Robinson Cru.,,,
rs superintendent, and guardian of the cats.
Those animal. seemed 10 enjoy thcm.cl,rs
vastly wl.n fret put ON the island, and
.p'n, their time in either playing With each
o;hr. or hunting bird, or srruul mira /.
hut nt la,, their ,mr f,ilrl them, and. h,y.
us no other SIMPLY Of onl, they b.ram,
DESPERATE. and rpnmci ahpnt thr island in
large hand. yelling or food. They At last
became dangerous. aud the agent wrItc o.
his employer q statement of these f,ct', ac.
c,mrni-l hy request - know how be-
W.. {, feed them H. wrote hack 10 the
agent 10 so a couple Of negroes to work to
catch aud open oysters for the eat, which
order was Carried out. The cats. having
the alternative of oysters or starvation, be-
Cor' ihcm, very naturally chos, the former;
but no, being accustomed :, such unnatu-
rnl 01i, species or cholera broEo out
among them and one.hall died.
Til. calamity drove the survivors mad,
anil they either committed suicide Or in "a
i, Of desperation swan :, the main land.
At any rate they disappeared, nnl were new
cr heard % more.
Tho agent then wrote again to bis en-.
plny,r to acquain, him with The result of
this new trcltmcnt, which new. Wa. ac-
comrinied hy modes, r.quc't lor lhe pay
mcnt ol hi, wages The latter was 50 in.
dgnant at both the conduct ,f the agent
and the eat. that hcfatly refused, and the
consequence Of the refusal was suit
Trough, by tie as Mt TO recover bis wages
Thi, ,ui, has been defended Tor .,mc tso
years, and during it'uogrc.s | have become
acquainted with tie facts.
81 laras the theory Of tie speculation
went It va, a magnificent idea. The skin
OF black eat is worth. ia Bcston, CITY
CENTS The eats aln told cost the agcat
just that SUN. IL was Supposed that they
would increase exactly ien.ioId per annum.
Then s,y--frst year, number OF eats, 100 /;
second year. 800. third year 5000 /;
from which there cluli be obtained 5000
TONS for sale. bringing $500, and leaving
10 900 stock cats remaining, which, at the
"a soye rate of increase, would give, the
fourth year, the enormous SUN of lOO, 900
cats upon the island alter which all tho
surplus, over and above tho last number,
werc to be caught IN box traps, and thor
skins sold 10 the Boston mrriers. THIS
stock of 100000 eats were To produce L.
600 .OOO per annum, and the revenue conse-
quently to be derived from the island would
be in the neighbjrhooi OF $500, 900 per an
mum.
Tie principal drawback to the enterprise
was the utter inability Of the eats to organ.
izs or band together for the purpose Of as
sl,,ing each other, and thus facilitating
their hunting operations 80, after deep re.
lection upon the subject. it was determined
to import couple Of wild eats from South
America. whose admixturo with lis cats
would not only add strength to the body
and value TO the for. bat whose executive
qualities might b. brought to bar N or.
gauiIiug the original settlers intn large han
TIM pack.-and thus enable them to more
successfully pursue the squirrels AMI ground
mice with which the island ahoundcd-lnd.
in fact. a. teach these unfortunate animals
who. torn from their comiorta hle fresldes,