Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-29
From the Washington Unon.]
The Great Maryland Black Cat Case.
of you meet black cat. shave him 70

/ = [From the Washington Union.
The Great Maryland Black Cat Case.
"lf you meet black cat, shave him to the tall"
| This tremendous case is now nend;ne be-
fore judicial tribunal Of the State of Ma
ryland, and presents many ren,arEable fea-
tures Of the ingenuity and speculative ca
oacity Of the defendant in the case. For
the benefit of the legal profession and gen
tlemen generally who may wish to enter
new fell of speculation, will give short
history Of the case as | heard it.
Some few years ago gentleman of Ma
ryland conceived the idea that an immense
fortune could be realized by the rearing Of
black cats for the sake of their skins The
principal obstacle to the plan was the i'm
possibility Of keeping the animals together
and preventing them from wandering off,
as their activity, assisted by the penetrating
qualities Of their claws, would enable them
to defy any enclosure; 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 pos
session Of an island that appeared to be just
suited for the experiment, he found all OBJ
Istacles to the success Of his plan removed,
and set about organizing the affair.
lie employed an agent and put out cir
cular, in which he stated that he would
give SO much head for every black cat that
could he get This advertisement was cir
culated through all the counties bordering
rpon the Chesapeake bay, and the negroes
get hold ct it. In 2 very short time all the
black cats through those counties were sto-
len By the negroes and sold to the Agent,
who lad depots established at different con-
genlent points. Old ladies missed their IA
vorite cats and mourned them as dead-but
the negroes melted by the price offered,
spared none. In this way one hundred and
fifty black cats were collected and tEanspor-
ted to the island; and the agent took up
lis abode there like another Robinson Cru
soc, as superintendent and guardian Of the
cats. Those animals appeared to enjoy
themselves vastly when first put on the is
land, and spent their time in either playing
with each ether, or hunting birds or ground
mice: but at last their game failed them,
and, having 30 other supply of food, they
became hungry and desperate, and roamed
about the island in large bands, yelling for
food. ahey at last became dangerous, and
Che agent wrete to his employer statement
Of these facts, accompanied by a request to
know boy be EEas to feed them. He wrote
baek to the 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 accustomed to
such as,naturas food, species Of cholera
This calamity draya the survivors mad
end they either committed suicide, or in a
fit of desperation swan to the main land
At any rate. they disappeared and were
never heard Ct more
Tie sgent then wrote again to his en-
p'oyer to acGuaiat aim with the result Of
this new treatment, which news was accom-
panied BY a modest request for the payment
Of his wages-fof this cat experiment occu-
pied space Of upwards Of a year. The
latter was SO indignant at both the conduct
Of the agent and the cats that he fatty refu-
ssd, and the consequence Of lis refusal was
a suit brought by the agent to recover his
wages. This suit has been defended for
two years, and during its progress | have
become acquainted with the facts.
AS far as the theory Of the speculation
went. il was magnificent idea The skin
Of the Mack eat is worth in Boston fifty
cents. The cats, | am told, cost the agent
just that sum. It was supposed that they
would increase czaetly ter fold per annum
Then say-irst year, number of cats, $50,
second year, 1900; third year, $4,000
from which there could be obtained 5000
TOMS for sale, bringing $4,000, and leav-
ing 10000 stock cats remaining, which,
at the above ratio Of increase, would give
the fourth year the enormous sum Of 1O0,-
900 cats upon the island after which all the
surplus over and above the last number,
we're to be caught in box trapsand the skins
sold to the Boston furriers. This stock Of
100 200 cats we're to produce 1000, 000|
per annam, and the ereynue consequently
to be derived from the island would be in
the neighborhood Of $500, 900 per annum.
The principal draw back to the enterprise
was the utter inability of the cats to orga-
nize or band together for the purpose of as
sisting each other, and thus facilitating
their huptirg operation 50, after deep re-
Election upon the subject, it was determined
to import couple Of wild cats from South
America, whose admi4ture with bis cats
would not only add strength to the body
and value to the fur, bnt whose executive
qualities might be brought to bear in orga-
nizing the original settlers into large hum
ting packs and thus enable them to sue
cessfully pursue the squirrel and ground
mice with which the island abounded
in fact, to teach these unfortunate animals,
who, torn from the comfortable freside,
were, Of course, ignorant Of the necessities
of savage life, the mysteries Of the chase
He readily found a friend willing to procure
him the new cats. I'm afraid this friend
regarded the whole matter as joke, but at
any rate he was faithful to his promise, and
as soon after his arrival in Rio Janeiro as
possible he set some natives hunting, who
caught two young tiger cats Of extraordi-
nary ferocity, which he placed in . case and
shipped to Baltimore.
When he had almost forgotten the mat
ter he was surprised by the receipt Of let
ter apprising him of the arrival Of these
wild beasts, and was requested ito come
forward, pay charges, and take them away"
lie hurried into town and fouaa these
young tigers about the size Of a medium
.settcr-dog, and a bill of charges Of several