The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-02
.Faru,-@arnen -Nousebolo.


of Us are too young to remember the years Of the
hen fever, when everybody talked chicken and
Penusylvania Congressman began an address to
An agricultural convention with-"Ladiss and
gentlemen, next to beautiful woman and an
honest farmer, deem Shanghai Geek the no
blsst work Of God" twas one of the new turns
which the ever shifting fever for nonsy.getting
takes and its lessons are often repeated. The
Cincinnati Conmereial has these "reminiscences
of those days:
The fever began early in the year 1S49, in the
Asighborheod of Boston. An enthusiastic phys
icisn, BY the name Of Bennett, had the honor Of
starting it, by advertising an exhibition Of his
Example fowls Of the following breeds, namely !:
Cochin-Ch yellow Shanghai. black Spanish,
white Dorkings, Plymouth Rocks, &c"
This was the first exhibition Of the fancy poul.
try in the United Ststes, and the q udicious pub
lie" came, saw, and WAS conquered. Straightwsy
it became fashionable to buy fancy-colored chick
eAs, at preposterOus prices, for the Immense sat
isfaction Of breeding pure article. DR.. Ben
nets profits were nsiIed abroad, exciting envy
and emulation. Other shrswd Yankees, and no
tably one, George p Burnhsm, of Boston, entered
with zeal into the chicken trade The latter gen.
tleman seat TO Dublin, and afterward to China,
for specimens OF pure imported stock.
The press OF the Country was rife with graph
ic descriptions Of extraordinary pullsts, Of beau
tiful cocks, and enormous eggs, "laid on the
table of the editors poultry breeding and poul-
try shows became the rage; fancy specimens Of
fowls, presented to Henry Clay, Daniel Webster
and Queen Victoria, were paradsd with letters
of acceptance asd thanks; thirteen editions, en-.
bracing 10000 copies Of 3 single poultry book,
were sold in six months; lawyers and merchants,
senators sKi cergymen, farmers and physicians,
in all paris OF the country, were bitten by the
curious epedsMic To raise O chicken cock lit
tie heavier, larger or taller on the legs than some
body slses or to have "purebloodsd" rooster
that could outcrow all the vocslists Of the neigh
boring barnyards, became the ruling passion Of
hundreds of sober citizens.
Early in the history Of the mania, the modsr-
ate price Of ten ~ thrteen dollars per pair was
paid for fowls which had never hitherto BEEN
worth over fifty osnts to one dollar. These pri-
ces were denounced by the early victims 90 mon
strsas, ridiculous and outrageous I; vet the fever
spread 50 rapidly that fowls Of all species cane
to be in demand that far exceeded the supply.
Later in the development . rage for "pure
Chinese stock" sprang up, and was supplied by
impertations from Philadelphia, from Ireland,
and occasionally from Shanghai or Canton. Titles
became important; the "Gray Chittagong" was
rank number one; the Cochin China" the "Brah-
lay" followed the heels of the first sensation,
all bringing extravagant prices twenty-five dol
lars apar, for thrse-months-old chicks, bred from
the "purs" Chittagongs, was really paid Not
emily the trade in chickens but that in eggs also,
became enormous. The N. Z. Poultry Breeding
association at hrst moderately adopted two dol
lars dozen, afterwards rased TO three dollars as
the price for pure eggs for breeding purposes
But the speculations in chickens far surpassed
these figures, and the Cochin China eggs at
twelve dollars pei Dozen or ole dollar each, were
soon in such demand owing to widely.spread I'D
cdpdHdum advertisements in the newspapers
that the demand could not be supplied. One
dealer sold $500 worth of eggs in single sea-
sen. He was continually getting out, and was
30 pursued by enthusiastic hen fanciers that men
would actually 60 to his country place, and on
learning that ne eggs were to be had, would se-
tually sit down in in his parlor and wait for his
Cochin China hens to lay them.
This singular fever broke out at a time when
money was plenty, and when there was no 9TH
er speculation rife in which it was easy for ev-
cry one almost to participate. Hence it outlast-
ed many of tho ether speculative manias known
70 history, its period having been between five
and six years. The whole community, almost,
rushed to the breeding Of poultry, without the
smallest skill or knowledge OF the subject. Near
ly all lost money, while few shrewd traders
reaped handsome profits. These recklessly in
vested their twenties, fifties and hundreds, hop
ing that the bubble of speculation would last
their day, and enable them to come out with
snug little fortunes. But the bubble bsrst while
the majority were still experimenting. Collapse
and disappointment was the fate of the vast ma
jority OF tho hen spectators of the memorable
era from lS49 to 1855.