Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-22
NO. 37.
From the Washington Union. The Great Maryland Black Cat Case.

" II you meet black cat, shave him to the tail."
 This tremendous case is now pending before ajudical tribunal of the State of Maryland, and presents many remarkable features of the inge- nuity and speculative capacity of the defendant in the case. For the benefit of the legal pro- fession and gentlemen generally who may wish to enter new field of speculation, I will give short history of the case as 1 heard it. 1 Some few years ago gentleman of Mary land conceived the idea that an immense for tune could be realized by the rearing black cats for the sake of their skins The principal ob- staces to the plan was the impossiblity of keep ing 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 af termuch thinking, the idea suggested itself to his mind that water was the only barrier that the cats would not pass. Being in possession of an island that appeared to be just suited for the experiment, he found all obsiicles to the success ot hl, plan removed, and set about organizing the affair."
 lie employed an agent, and put out circu- lar, Tn which he stated that he would give so much head for every black cat that could be got l ms advertisement was circulated through out all the counties bordering upon the Chesa- peake 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 and sold to the agent, who had depots established at different convenient points. Old ladies miss ed their favorite cats. and mourned them as dead-but the negroes, melted by the the price offered spared none. In this way, one hun dred and fifty black cats were collected and transported to tine Island; and the agent took up his abode there like another Robinson Crusoe, as superintendent and guardian of the cats.-- Those animals appeared to enjoy themselves vastly when first put on the island, aud 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 and desperate, and roamed about the island in large bands, yelling for food. They at last became dangerous, and the agent wrote to his employer statement of these facts, accompanied by a request to know how he was to feed them. He wrote back for the agent to set a couple of negroes to work to catch oysters for the cats, which order was car red out. The cats, having the alternative of oysters or starvation before them, very naturally chose the former: but not being accustomed to such unnatural food, species of cholera broke out amongst them, and oue- half died
 This calamity drove the survivors mad, and they either committed suicide, or, in d fit of desperation, swan to the main land. At any rate, they disappeared, and were never heard of more.
 The agent then wrote to his employer to &C., quaint him with the result of this new treat ment, which news accompanied by mod est request for the payment of his wages-for thls cat experiment occupied space upwards of year. The latter was so indignant at the conduct of both the agent and the cats that he 4 n
 tially refused, and the consequence of his re- iusal was a suit brought by the agent to recover his wages. This suit has been defended for some tw" years, ant during it's progress l have become acquainted with the facts.
 A far as the theory of the speculation went it was a magnificent idea The skin of the black cat is worth in Boston 50 cents The cats, l am told, cost the agent just that sum- It was supposed they would increase exactly tenfod per anuum Then say, first year. num- Der of cats, l50; second year, l,5OO; third year, l5.OoO; from which there could be obtained D. OOO toms for sale, bringing S2500, and leaving 10000 stock cats remaining, which, at he above ratio, of increase, would give the fourth year the enormous sum of 100000 cats upon the island, after which all the surplus, over and | above the last number, were to be caught in | boX-trapS, and the skins sold to Boston furrers | This stock ot 100000 cats were to produce L. | OUO,OOU per annum, and the revenue consequent 1 by derIved from the island would be in the neigh borhood of $500OOO Der annum.
 | l he prlnclpai draw back to the enterprise was the utter inability of the cats to orgarize or band together for the purpose of assisting each other, and thus facilitating their hunting opera tons; so, after deep reflection upon the subject 1t was determined to import a couple of wild cats from South America, whose admixture with his cats would not only add strength to the hody and value to the fur but whose execu- tive qualities might be brought to bear in or sanlzlng the original settlers into large hunting packs-and thus enable them to successfully pursue the squirrels and ground mice with which the island ahounded-and in fac.. to | teach these unfortunate animals, who, torn from the comfortable tireSideS, were, of course ig- moran. oi the necessities of savage life, the mvs- ter!ts oi the chase He readily found d friend | wlllng to procure him the new cats. Pm afraid this trlend regarded the whole matter as joke, l 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 extraordinary ierocty, which he placed in cage and shipped to Baltimore.
 When he had almost forgotten the matter he was surprised by the receipt of letter ap- prisng him of the arrival of these wild beasts, and was requested "to come forward, pay charges and take them away" He hurried into town and found these young tigers about the size of d medium setter-dog. and a bill of charges of several hundred per cent. more than he anticipated. He paid it, and ordered two negroes to convey the beasts in a cart out to this country home, for he wished to exhibit them | before he sent them down to take command of his island cats
 On the road out to his place the cats glared | and spit at the negroes in such hendish man. her that, to get rid of them, they turned the cage over the bar side, whereby one of the cats smothered
 The survivor, being deprived of his mate, be. came more ferocious than ever, and it became question whether 1t would be safe for the cats upon the island to turn it loose among them- The owner was very much worried until his ne- gro man suggested that they should try the ex- pertinent by putting tame cat into the cage.
 The idea the very thing. cat was | procured and introduced into the cage In 1 about two minutes 1t was torn into shreds and utterly devoured. Of course it would have been madness to turn the beast loose on the is- land-so the idea was abandoned, and 1t has been kept ever since as small menagerie att tached to the gentleman's house, with the ex- cepton of perodical visit to the agricultural fair in Baltimore, when it is placed among the poultry, and causes the hearts of the chickens to die within them.
 This is short history of the great black cat scheme and the suit arising from it. Whether there is legal ability in the State sufficient to settle the matter IS more than am able to say.
 Annapolis, Ill., May 3, 1858.
 
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