The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-07-13
A Talented Rooster.


The reporter was looking up an item,
and while walking along the road he
came to Smiths place. Smith was
standing in the yard feeding his chink-
ems. l.s...,.4, e. ..... ..s. .,,
"Perhaps you never noticed that
rooster" said Smith, pointing to a
chicken on the fence between his yard
and the next one; ''very likely you
wouldn't have observed him; but /
don't care in what light you look at him,
the more you study him the more tai
ented he appears. You talk about your
American iggles and birds of freedom,
and all such slusha as that, but that in
Misunderstanding chicken yonder kin
give any of them twenty points and
pocket them at the firstTshot. i pledge
you my word that that rooster has fine
traits of character that'd adorn any
walk of life. / don't say any thing
about his voice. Although if you're 60
ing to alldde to that subject, | just want
to mention that as far as growing is
concerned he Kin begin earlier, knock
off later, and reel off more crows in a
minute than any other rooster in the
State. And when he does try to spread
himself on vocalization he kin infuse
emotion into it that'd almost bring tears
to your eyes. ,ais .HL .IalAc.
"Most chickens are kinder stupid /;
but what [ like about him is, that he is
sympathetic; he is feeling. / know
last fall that my Shanghai hen was Ia
ken sick while she was trying to hatch
out some eggs, and that rooster was
so compassionate that he used to go
in and set on that nest for hours,
trying to help her out so that she
could 90 off recreating after exercise.
And when she died, he turned right in
and took charge of things; seemed to
feel that he ought to be a father TO
those unborn little orphans, land he strad-
died around over those eggs ever so
long as GRACEFUL He never got much
satisfaction out of it, though. Most OF
them were duck eggs, and it seemed to
cut him up when he seen those birds
after they Matched ought. He took ii
to heart, and appeared to feel w-spir-
tied and afflicted. He would 90 off and
stand by himself-stand on one leg in
corner of the fence and let his mind
brood over his troubles until you'd pity
him. 1t disguised him to think how
the job turned out.
"He is splendid fighter, too, just as
he stands. Why, he had little sorte1
fuss with Pitman's Poland rooster here
some tine back, and instead of going
at him and taking the chances of getting
licked, that chicken actually put him
self into training, ate nothing but corn
took regular exercise, went to roost
early, took cold bath every morning
and got a friendly pullet to rub him
down with a corn cob. 1t was wonder
| full, and in q week or so he was all bone
and muscle, and he flickered over the
fence after Pitman's rooster and sem
him whizzing into the next world or
the fourth round.
"Now know you'll think it's ridicu
lous when tell you, but it's an actua
fact that every day my daughter was
playing the 'Star-Spangled Banner or
the piano, and that rooster when he
heard it came scudding into the parlOr
and after Tipping up on the piano he
| struck out and crowed that tune Just as
natural as if he was an educated must
clan. Positive truth, and he beat time
with his tail. He didn't crow like any
other rooster. Every morning he works
off selections from Beethoven, and Mo,
Fart, and those fellers, and on Sundays
he frequently lets himself out on hymn
tunes. Why I've known him to set on
that fence for MORN an hour at a time
practicing the scales, and he nearly
kicked another rooster to death one
day because that rooster crowd fiat.
saw him do it myself. And now l really
must be going. Good morning."
We are going to send out and kill
that rooster at the first opportunity. We
want him to have one thing less to lie
about. He has too much variety al
present Philadelphia Bulletin.