North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-09-11
How . Fowl Fortune was sraao.

One of the places in this city where the
people en- mdsse, surge and tide through,
is Fulton market, and in the midst of that
labyrinthian maze of stalls. stands and ia
bles, the famous Mr.. A. Robbins keeps a
chicken stall. 1t is very easy matter to
find his place of business-direct your
steps towards the centre of the market,
stumble over q mass of unsavory pickle
tubs, pass by sound as of scraping tripe,
mediate between long rows Of freshly
ner by some golden cheeses as large as the
new moon, smell the ar INA of the country
and the spring-time in the rolls of yellow
butter at your left hand, and the moment
any game comes in sight, ask for Mr.. Rob
bins, and, although he deals in; robins,
yet out Of pity, or for some other reason,
he calls them pigeons. '1'
Mr.. Robbins is much younger looking
man than one expects to find, when he has
been told that he has made couple mil
lion dollars selling chickens He is the
famous chicken millionaire, and though SO
very rich he attends to his own business.
He has been in the poultry business IS
years, 81 of which have been beneath the
leaky roof Of Fulton market. His stall is
not a large one, and yet he sells upon an
average 1000 day the year through
which would be equal to 73O, 600 year.
Ills business amounts to several hundred
thousand dollars year. There is very
cosy little Office in one corner of his stall,
ornamented with full length portraits of
some of the wild game in which he deals,
which literally is not large enough to swing
cat in. On the handicapped counters
of Mr.. Robbins chicken arrangement may
be found ducks, geese, turkeys, English
snipe, woodcock, prairie hens, English
pheasants, black grouse, wild pigeons, ven.
ison, roasting pigs, sweet breads, etc. Ev-
erything which has wings, that man is
fond Of eating, can here be found, with
some II to 70 men to wait on ..ustomers,
and attend to the business. Besides Sup
plying the public, he has orders for hotels,
ships, restaurants, ETC., and is in fact the
largest chicken dealer in the United States.
All parts of the country are laid under
contribution to supply his stalls with game.
Partridses come from Maine, Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island, Long Island and the
west; the best canvas-back come from
Havre do Grace, Sandusky, o., and Missis-
sippi; the mallard ducks, and wood ducks
the only ducks that light on trees-ure
caught at the Great lakes, while the black
ducks and broad bills come from the sea
shore. In winter the canvas-back ducks
are the favorite game with the people !;
just now woodcocks, chickens and part
ridges are the best and most popular. d"
Bridget is not always sent to market to
do the buying for the family. Many
American ladies attend to their own
household duties. Mrs. II. w. Beechcr
can often be seen in Fulton market, with
chickens or wild game of Mr.. Robbins
the face of Mrs. G. S. Robbins, who took
SO prominent . part in the soldiers hOspit-
ais during the war, is another of those
familiar to the denizens of Fulton market.
Although Mr.. Robbins has accumulated
such vast fortune that we might suppose
he could afford to retire, yet he prefers,
and does, personally attend to his own
business. He has an elegant brown-stone
residence on Remsen street, in Brooklyn,
which is valued at $3.50, 900, and the fur
niture inside of it is said to have cost q
fabulous sum. Going up a broad fight OF
stone steps, you pass beneath an arched
doorway into vcstibule where some elab-
orately carved marble vases, standing
almost as high as your head, attract atten
ton. The halls and drawing-rooms of the
house are large and lofty, beautifully cary
ed overhead in panels, and frescoed. Mr..
Robbins does not stop to take his breakfast
at home, but leaves his house for the
market every morning between the hours
Of or O'Clock. Some of his men get
there rs early rs 2 o'clock. He is an ex-
pert salesman, and can pick out chicken
"to q dot" let you call for whatever size
you will, In personal appearance he is a
medium-sized man, rather stoutly built,
with full face, and black hair, slightly
sprinkly with silver. He has deep hazel
eyes, and wears chin whiskers. He leaves
the market at Il o'clock NJ, and the rest
of the day enjoys life, riding out with his
family, or a few friends. He makes the
most Of each day as it passes and leaves
the morrow to take care Of itself-N, r
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