The History of The Hen Fever Part 6

"It seems, from reliable information received by members of the Committee, that fowls raised in New England, and exported South, attain to a much larger size, and are vastly more prolific, than in our colder climate. This is specially so in reference to the produce of stocks recently imported from the East, namely, the Shanghaes, Cochin-China fowls, and others of larger varieties. _So sensible have some of the most eminent Southern breeders become that such is the case, that they are annually in the habit of buying their young stock from the Northern States, and they find the system profitable._ In this way, New England bids fair to become the supply-market, in a great measure, for the South and West."

This was beautiful! "_Annually_ in the habit." I liked _that_ portion of it. And Southern buyers seemed to like it, too, judging from the manner in which orders poured in upon us, after this gentle hint from _such_ authority! I believe that the Chinese fowls really did better in the South than they did with us, this way. At least, I _hope_ they did!

CHAPTER XII.

MY CORRESPONDENCE.

By this time my correspondence with gentlemen in all parts of America and Great Britain had got to be rather extended. I took from the post-office from ten to twenty-five or thirty letters, daily; and amongst them were some curious samples of orthography, etymology, syntax, and prosody. I offer the annexed specimens--of course without names or dates--merely to show how the young aspirants for fame (in the poultry-trade) felt, about those days; and, also, to give some idea of the progress of the fever among us, as time pa.s.sed by, etc. etc.

No. 1.

SIR--MR. BURNHAM;

i red in Nu england poultry breeder that yu kep fouls an aigs for sail. i want one duzen aigs if tha doant c.u.m tu tu mutch. ime a poor mann an carnt pa a gret pris. wot can yu cend me a duzen of yure best aigs for. ansur by male and direck yure leter tu me tu mi dress.

Yr Respec'y, &c.

No. 2.

MY DEAR SIR:

I am a poor clergyman, and I have some leisure, which I can devote to raising a few good fowls. If your price is not too high for the rather limited contents of my purse, please inform me, by return of mail, what you can furnish me with _pure_ Cochin-China eggs for. I am desirous to procure a few; and I prefer that you would select for me,--in a half-dozen, say two _male_ and four _female_ eggs. I suggest this, because I am informed that your long experience in this interesting branch of rural economy has enabled you to decide (upon examining them) whether eggs will produce c.o.c.ks or pullets.

Your early answer will confer a favor on,

Sir, yours, truly,

No. 3.

MR. BURMAN:

I close you ten dolls. Cend me a doz. of your Cotchen Chiny eggs rite away--cause I hav a hen thats been a setting on some stones I put under her now most a week. You rote me that you would hav them about this time, you know. Cend them by ----'s Express, and tell the man who fetches them not to turn the box over, at all. I want half and half--that is to say, half c.o.c.k eggs, and half hen eggs.

You know what I mean by this. Them that has the sharp ends on to one side--them's the c.o.c.ks, and them that's round and smooth at both ends--them's the hens. Forwud immediately, and mark _with care gla.s.s this side up--don't shake this with speed_.

Yours, &c.

No. 4.

G.P. BURNHAM, ESQ.

DEAR SIR: I saw your beautiful Cochin-China fowls last week, in the paper, and am desirous to obtain a few eggs from them, if possible.

Will they hatch under our common hens? Or, must we have the _pure_ bloods to sit upon them? I am a novice, somewhat, in this business.

I enclose you twelve dollars (the price for a dozen, I believe), which please forward, at your early convenience, by express, and oblige

Yours, &c.

No. 5.

FRIEND BURNHAM:

Enclosed please find ten dollars for another dozen of your _pure_ Cochin-China eggs. The first ones you sent me (from some cause) did not hatch. I have kept a hen (a very good sitter, too) upon that first lot, _constantly_, for four weeks, now--and I don't believe I shall get a chick, you see! So, please forward these now, _right away_--because my hen will get tired of waiting, you know, if I don't keep her right along, steady. The $10 you will find within.

Yours, resp'y,

P.S. Can you inform me what is good for _lice_ on fowls? I find that my hen is covered with a million of them, now. Don't forget this, please.[1]

No. 6.

SUR--wen i c.u.m to boston nex weak i want to see yure poltry i am a ole hand at the bizness myself an I like to see good kinds of poltry every ware. i see yurn in the paper an i like them verry much can yu sel a hen without a c.o.c.k, i have sevral c.o.c.ks now of the _black dawkin_ pure bred and fine an i would change one of them with yu for a cochon chiner hen if yu say so. answer by fust male.

Yure in haist

Mr. P.G. Barnum,} boston.}

No. 7.

DEAR SIR: Yours duly received. I did not suppose that the price of the "Cochins" was so high--but I must have a trio of them, at _any_ figure. I enclose you fifty dollars for them, agreeably with your proposal, relying upon your known good taste in selections, and upon your proverbial reputation as regards the keeping only of _pure_ stock. Send them by Adams & Co.'s Express, in a roomy cage.

If they are prime, my neighbors will very shortly order from you, I am sure.

Yours, resp'y,

No. 8.

MR. BARNAM:

Them two fowls I bought of you, by seeing the pictur in the newspaper, and which I paid you $35 cash down on the nail for, aint what they're cracked up to be--not by a long short, sir. Now, what I want you to do is to sen me back my munney, or I'll prosecute you and put you in prizon for cheating people by false pertences. I was so mad when I took them out of the box that I'd a good mine to kill an eat em both on the spot.[2] I aint no _hen_-man, I'd have you to understan, an you can't come none of this kine of nonsense over _me_. Sen me back my munney, or I'll complain of you in tu days before a Justis of the Peas--a friend of mine, that'll give you _fits_ if you _air_ a big man. I don't keer for that. I want my munney. The fowls is both sick, too. Answer this tu once, or els sen me back my munney.[3]

No. 9.