Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-04-21
fatmer's Departmeut.
The Tricks Of Trade exposed,

certain class Of SPECTATORS and tradcSmen, and
unfortunately did much also to encourage, on
the part of young men with not over correct
and settled principles, a resort to trickcry and
deceit rather than to honest labor for the
acquisition Of competence aud wealth. Another
volume has Just appeared, * which iSadaptcd to
the popular necessity in this respect for that
the people need frankly telling how eSregonsiy
they are occasionally hgmbpggea, Is oaPPaicnt
to he denied
MANY of our readers were, We suspect,
afflicted with the disease so graphically describ-
ed by Mr.. Burnham during its prevalence some
two or three years ago. Beyond all question
the /" hen fever' was a contagious epidemic.
Which of us indeed entirely escaped the dis
order? To this day, too, many retain the seeds
of the complaint, the dormant symptoms Of
which awake into new life at the very mention
of Shanghaes, Brama-Pootras ChittagongS
Cochin Chinas, Black Spanish, DorkingS, and
the other multitudinous varieties of feathered
bipeds. "Grey Shanghaes" are even still
almost as powerful stimulantS of the disorder
as they were eighteen months ago. Indeed
and the reader may perhaps regard it as a
sympton of the still uncured diSorder-we are
disposed to think that in spite Of the eXccSscS
TO which the fever carried the majority of those
afflicted with it, the epidemic has not been with
out its benefit to the country. The stock Of
domestic poultry has undoubtedly been impr0y-
cd and though much money and time have been
very foolshly expended upon fancy stock a
taste for an agreeable, salutary, and properly
managed, profitable, employment OF leisure
time has been created from which beneficial
results will low
The following confessions we shoudSuppOSe,
for instance will check confidence in the pro-
cecdingS of certain societies, however much dis
credit they may at the same time reflect upon
the man who makes them Mr. Is. says that
the committee for awarding premiums at the
first fowl exhibition at Boston, in October,
1850 consisted of himself di0ne. He also wrote
the report of the exhibition, which OF course
was laudation of his own fowls, and list OF
first premiums awarded to them. The amount
of cash receipts was also set down at 5000 less
than it actually was. So with the report Of
the second exhibition, aud of others.
The fever increased, and the reports Of so
cictics, with the awards of premiums, all Mr.
Barnums own work, brought innumerable
orders for his "pue-bred Cochin China fowls y
and he obtained for them almost incredible
prices Now observe how he treated his custom
ers We follow his italics and quotations, as
they are important to his meaning.
| had already fixed price for the eggs that
were to be dropped by my " extraordinary and
superb Cochin China fowls. x x | had
the best fowls in this country or any other
| charged ticelrc dollars dozen for my
eggs. and never winkcd at it, x
During the Summer of 1850 | had dozens Of
II Int aptb IN
hen-fancers, who came to my residence for
Cochin China eggs, at one dollar each, and
who, upon being informed that | had not one
in the house, would quietly sit down in my
parlor, and wait two, three or four hours at a
time, for the hens TO Lay them a te'o. x x
| always had "bcttcr ones" That was the
kind always kept behind. x r ! rarely
sent away these better ones until they cried for
them | always had a great many Of the
chest" ones too. j. x ! looked
about the several apartments in the Museum,
tat the National Poultry Show, at the Ameri-
can Museum and satisfied myself who had
the best fowls there, quickly. Asit happened,
they were not inside my cages, by a long mark.
There were not a few choice birds
scattered around the rooms, under the benches
or in far off corners, which my eye fell upon,
and which my agent subsequently purchased at
very modest prices, and which found their way
somehow into my coops. Z" Tho people" now
stared with more earnestness than ever. BY
the evening of the second day my "purc-bred"
stock dM look remarkably we'll And when
the committee came round | found myself
the recipient of several of the leading pre-
miums for my magnificent" superb" and
extraordinary" contributions again. And
now commenced the fun and more in earnest.
Everything | sent to New York was quickly
bought up at enormous prices. Fifty, eighty, a
hundred and twenty-five dollars were willingly
paid" &c
We might multiply largely these indications
of sharp practice on the part of the author OF
the volume before US, but it suits not ou1
purpose. He cooIly tells his readers through
out that the whole thing was q prodigious
hum" through which he, enriched himself at
his dupes expense, and cleared out before the
bubble burst 1t must be admitted however
that the people" were as willing to be duped
rs he and his co-henologists were skilful in
duping them Some of his revelations on this
point provoke laughter, in spite Of the lack OF
principles and honor they betray. 4 chapter
of correspondence is Of this class. One man
who styles himself "a poor clergyman is
desirous to procure half a dozen purc Cochin
China eggs, SAY two male and four female
eggs" Another sends ten dollars for dozen
Cotchen Chiny eggs rite way, cause have a
hen that's been setting on some stones | put
under her now most a week" lie also wants
them half of each sex Another encoseS
twelve dollars for a dozen and desires to know
whether they will hatch under common hens, or
he must have pure blooded ones to hatch them
Another sends ten dollars for a second dozen
because the first did not hatch. Another, a
hundred dollars for two fowls, described in The
newspapers. Another, one hundred and twenty
Another $400 for lot Another, $l500,--
Another wants hens that lay three eggs,
daily he has some that lay two q day fire.
quently )" and not few complain that very