Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-07-21

N''' w '"ul'.H hloht OUT among them, and
one.half died
This calamity drove the survivor, mad,
/ ana The either committed suicide. or I'm q
. llt OF desperation, swan TO the main land.
7 Az any rate, they disappeared, and were
nercl heard OF more
Tho agent chen wrote again to his em-
ployor to acquaint him with the result of
this new treatment which news was &C
panied by the modest request for the pay
ment ofhis wGges-for this cat experiment
occupied space of upwards Of year.-
The latter was so indignant at the conduct
oi both the agent and the cats that he flat
~ refused and the consequence of the re-
tusal was a suit brought by tho agent for
. bls wages. This suit has been defended
Tor some two years, and during its progress
! have become acquainted with the facts.
/ As far as tho theory of the speculation
went, it was a magnificent idea. The skin
/ OF the black cat is worth in Boston so cents.
The cats, am told cost the agent lust
that sum, 1t was supposed they would
/ increase exactly ten fold perannum. Then
say, first year. number of cats $50: second
year, 1900 third, Is 900 from which there
could be obtain 5000 toms for sale. bring
ing $500, and leave 10000 stock cats re.
main, which, al the above ratio Of increase,
would give the enormous sum of 10000
cats upon the island, after which all the
surplus, over and above the last number
were TO Lee caught in box trap, and the
skins odd "a Boston tuwirrs This stock of
/ l0U'JJ eat were tp produce 1000 600, per
auuum. amt thercyenuc constantly tpbcde-
rived from the island would be in the
neghJorhood of five hundred thousand
/ dollars per annum.
The principal drawback TO the enterprise
was the utter inability Of the cats to organ
izc or band together for the purpose Of as
slstlnG each other, and thus facilitating
/ their hunting operations; so, after deep
| reflection upon the subject, it was deter
mined TO import a couple Of wild cats from
south America, whose admiNture with his
cats would not only add strength to the
body and value to the fur, but whose eX-
! CCutlyc qualities might be brought to bear
in organizing the original settlers into hun
ling packs-and thus enable them to sue
ccssiuly pursue the squirrels and ground
mice with which the island abounded-
and, IN TACT to teach these unfortunate
animals, who torn from the comfortable
/ tIre-lde, were, "l course, Ignorant Of the
necessity OF savage life, the mysteries of
the chase. lie readily found friend will
ling to procure him the new cats, ] Gm
afraid this friend regarded the whole mat
ter as Joke, but at any rate hc was faith
iui to his promise, and as soon atDor his
arrival in Rio Janeiro as possible, he set
some native hunting, who caught Two
Young tlgar cats of extraordinary ierocity
which he placed IN cage and shipped to
Baltimore.
When he had almost forgotten the mat
ter he was surprised by 10y the receipt of q
letter apprS!ng hun OF the arrival of these
wild beasts, and was requested ''to come
forward, pay charges and take them away
lie hurried TO town and found these young
tigers about the size of medium setter
dog, and bill OF charges Of several hun
dred per cent. more than he anticipated
He paid it, and ordered two negroes to
convey .t" beasts IN cart 70 his country
home, tor Ho wished to exhibit them be-
!orc he sent them down down to take COM
mond OF the island cats.
o. thoroad out to his place the cats gIar-
ed and spit at the negroes in such a fen
dish manner that to get rid oc them, they