The History of The Hen Fever Part 13

The Committee then allude to the _prices_ which were paid there for fowls, "_not because they advocate the propriety of keeping them up_"

(O, no!), "but rather to show that the welfare of the a.s.sociation is by no means derogating.

"The three prize _Cochin-China_ fowls were sold for $100. The two prize _Grey Shanghaes_, or 'Bramah Pootras,' were sold for $50. Three chickens of the same, at $50. A pair of Burnham's importation of _Cochins_, at $80; another pair, at $40; another trio (chickens), at $40. Six Black Spanish chickens (Child's), at $50. Six _White Shanghae_ chickens (Wight's), at $45. Three hens, of same stock, at $50--and several pairs and trios of other varieties, at from $25 each, to $25 and $30 to $40 the lot."

At a subsequent meeting of the Trustees, Mr. George P. Burnham, on the part of the Judges at the late exhibition of the Society, presented their _Report_, whereupon it was

"_Voted_, That the Report of the Judges on the recent show of poultry in the Public Garden be accepted."

And this was the end of _that_ ball of worsted! I rather have the impression, now,--as nearly as I can recollect (though my memory is somewhat treacherous in these matters), but I _think_ I sold a few fowls, just after that fair. "I may be mistaken,--but that is my opinion!"

The Report was duly accepted, in form, and I had the satisfaction of seeing my "extraordinary" and "superb" stock again lauded to the very echo, at the expense of the old-fogyism of the "Mutual Admiration Society."

The consequence was a renewed activity in my sales, which continued delightfully lively and correspondingly remunerative for several months after _this_ exhibition, also, where I did not enter the first fowl!

CHAPTER XX.

PRESENT TO QUEEN VICTORIA.

I have already alluded to the fine Grey Shanghaes which I forwarded to Her Majesty the Queen. In relation to this circ.u.mstance the Boston papers contained the following announcement, in the month of April, 1853; a circ.u.mstance which did not greatly r.e.t.a.r.d the prospects of my business either on this or on the other side of the water! The compliment thus paid me by Royalty was duly appreciated, and its delicacy will be apparent to the reader. This picture is the only one of its _kind_ ever sent to an American citizen.

"A COMPLIMENT FROM VICTORIA.--Some weeks ago, Mr. George P. Burnham, of Boston, forwarded to Her Majesty Queen Victoria a present of some _Grey Shanghae_ fowls, which have been greatly admired in England. By the last steamer Mr. Burnham received the following letter from Her Majesty's Secretary of the Privy Purse, accompanying a fine portrait of the Queen, sent over to Mr. B.:

THE QUEEN'S LETTER.

{ "Buckingham Palace, { March 15, 1853.

"Dear Sir: I have received the commands of Her Majesty the Queen, to a.s.sure you of Her Majesty's high appreciation for the kind motives which prompted you to forward for her acceptance the magnificent 'Grey Shanghae' fowls which have been so much admired at Her Majesty's aviary at Windsor.

"Her Majesty has accepted, with great pleasure, such a mark of respect and regard, from a citizen of the United States.

"I have, by Her Majesty's command, shipped in the 'George Carl,' to your address, a case containing a portrait of Her Majesty,[10] of which the Queen has directed me to request your acceptance.

"I have the honor to be,

"Sir, your ob't and humble servant,

"C.B. Phipps.

"To Geo. P. Burnham, Esq., Boston, U.S.A."

I caused a copy to be taken from this portrait of the Queen, and have had it engraved for this book; it appears as the frontispiece.

Immediately after this paragraph appeared, a new zest appeared to have been given to the Grey Shanghae trade. Orders came from Canada and from Nova Scotia to a very considerable amount; and during this season my sales were again very large. During the year 1853, I started and raised over sixteen hundred chickens of all kinds; but this did not supply my orders. I bought largely, and paid high prices, too, generally. But few persons were now doing any business in the fowl-trade, except myself, however.

The _N.Y. Spirit of the Times_ published portraits of the birds sent to the Queen, and remarked that "the engraving represented six of the nine beautiful _Grey Shanghae_ fowls lately presented to Her Majesty _Victoria_, Queen of Great Britain, by _George P. Burnham_, Esq., of Boston, Ma.s.s.

"These birds were forwarded by one of the last month's Collins steamers, in charge of Adams & Co.'s Express, and pa.s.sed through this city on the 24th ult. Their extraordinary size and fine plumage were the admiration of all who examined them. The picture is from life, engraved by Brown, and is a faithful representation of the birds, which are very closely bred.

"The color of this variety of the China fowl is a light silver-grey, approximating to white; the body is a light downy white, spa.r.s.ely spotted and pencilled with metallic black in the tail and wing tips; the legs are feathered to the toes, and the form is unexceptionable for a large fowl; this variety having proved the biggest of all the 'Shanghaes' yet imported into this State.

"The two c.o.c.ks above delineated weighed between ten and eleven pounds each at six months old; the pullets drew seven and a half to nine pounds each at seven to eight months old; the original imported pair of _old_ ones now weigh upwards of twenty-three pounds, together. In the existing rage for weighty birds, this variety will naturally satisfy the ambition of those who go for the 'biggest kind' of fowls!

"The group represents this variety with accuracy, and are, without doubt, for their kind, rare specimens of the genuine _gallus giganteus_ of modern ornithologists. As Her Majesty has long been known among the foremost patrons of that agreeable branch of rural pursuits, poultry-raising, we do not doubt but that this splendid present from Mr.

Burnham will prove highly gratifying to her tastes in this particular."

Portraits of these fowls appeared in _Gleason's Pictorial_ for January, 1853, and the editor spoke as follows of them:

"The Grey Shanghae Fowls lately presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, of Great Britain, by George P. Burnham, Esq., of Boston, were extraordinary specimens of domestic poultry, and were bred the past season by Mr. Burnham from stock imported by him direct from China. They were universally admitted, by the thousands who saw them before they left, to be the largest and choicest-bred lot of chickens ever seen together in this vicinity. These fowls were from the same broods as those lately sent to Northby, of Aldborough, by Mr. Burnham, who is, perhaps, the most successful poultry-raiser in America; and while these beautiful birds are creditable to him as a breeder, they are a present really 'fit for a queen.'"

The New York journals alluded to them in flattering terms, during their transit through that city on the way to their destination; and the numerous orders that crowded in upon me was the best evidence of the estimation in which this variety of domestic fowls was then held, as well as of the determined disposition of "the people" to be supplied from my "_pure_-bred stock."

By one of the British steamers, in the summer of 1853, the express of Edwards, Sanford & Co., took out to Europe from my stock, for Messrs.

Bakers, of Chelsea, Baily, of London, Floyd, of Huddersfield, Deming, of Brighton, Simons, of Birmingham, and Miss Watts, Hampstead, six cages of these "extraordinary" birds. The best of the hens weighed nine to nine and a half pounds each, and three of the c.o.c.ks drew over twelve pounds each! There were forty-two birds in all, which, together, could not be equalled, probably, at that time, in America or England, for size, beauty and uniformity of color. The sum paid me for this lot of Greys was eight hundred and seventy dollars.

Of the three fowls sent to Mr. John Baily (above mentioned), and which he exhibited in the fall of that year in England, the following account reached me, subsequently:

"Mr. Geo. P. Burnham, of Melrose, sent out to England, last fall, to Mr.

John Baily, of London, a cage of his fine 'Grey Shanghaes,' which were exhibited at the late Birmingham Show. The London _Field_ of Dec. 24th says that '_one pair_ of these fowls, from Mr. Burnham, of the United States, the property of Mr. Baily, of Mount-street, were shown among the extra stock, and were purchased from him, during the exhibition, by Mr.

Taylor, of Shepherd's Bush, at one hundred guineas' ($500)!"

This was the biggest figure ever paid for _two_ fowls, I imagine! Mr.

Baily paid me twenty pounds sterling for the trio, and I thought that fair pay, I remember. The following brief account of my trade for the year of our Lord 1853, I published on the last day of December of that year, for the gratification of my numerous friends, and for the information of "the people" who felt an interest in this still exciting and (to me) very agreeable subject:

"EDS. BOSTON DAILY TIMES: In a late number of your journal you were pleased to allude to the sales of live-stock made by me latterly.

At the close of the present year, I find upon my books the following aggregate of sales for 1853, which--to show how much has been done by _one_ dealer--may be interesting to some of your readers who 'love pigs and chickens.'

"I have sent into the Southern and Western States, through Adams & Co.'s Express alone, from Jan. 1st to Dec. 27th, 1853, a little rising $17,000 worth of Chinese fowls and fancy pigs. By Edwards, Sanford & Co.'s Transatlantic Express, in the same period, I have sent to England and the continent about $2000 worth of my 'Grey Shanghaes.' By Thompson and Co. and the American Western Express Co., I have sent west and south-west, in the same time, over $1200 worth; and my minor cash sales (directly at my yards in Melrose) have been over $1000; making the entire sales from my establishment for the past year nearly or quite _twenty-two thousand dollars_ in value. Of this amount, $7300 worth has been sold since the 10th of Sept last.

"By the first steamer that leaves New York in January, '54, I shall send to New Orleans (to a single customer) between five and six hundred dollars' worth, ordered a few days since. I have also now in hand three large orders to fill for Liverpool and London, immediately; and the present prospect is that the poultry-trade will be considerably better next year than we have ever yet known it in New England. Wishing you and my compet.i.tors in the trade a 'Happy New Year,' I am theirs and yours, truly,

"GEO. P. BURNHAM.

"_Melrose, Dec. 30, 1853._"

I have offered these statistics and facts to give some idea of the amount of trade that must have been current, in the _aggregate_, when these isolated instances are considered, and for the purpose of affording the reader an opportunity to judge measurably to what an extent this _fever_ really raged.

Thousands and tens of thousands of "the people" were now (or had been) engaged in this extraordinary excitement, who were continuously humbugging themselves and each other, at round cost. And when these thousands are multiplied by the fives or tens, twenties or fifties, one hundreds or five hundreds of dollars, that they invested in this mania, the "prime cost" of this hum can be fancied, though it can never be known with accuracy.

[10] See Frontispiece.