The New York herald., 1879-02-25
COCK FIGHTING
The Great Main Between Georgia
and Kentucky.
TRAINING AND FEEDING THE BIRDS.
Kentucky Wins the Open
ing Fight.

The mode now pursued in training cocks for
main differs very materially from the old English sys
tenn. In the latter things were followed which
were of no earthly use. extremely ridiculous
and absolutely hurtful to the birds Upon
careful training the whole issue Of fight too often
depends. and it is therefore Of prime Importance
that this is carefully looked to. under improper
training the best blood will fail In the old sys-
tenn physic constantly resorted to to reduce
the weight of the cocks. This in modern training s
great deal of caution. In the early part of
long keep-and some Of the cocks now entered for
the coming main have been up for more than two
months-the superfuous fat is taken of with little
calomel. After that. if possible. medicine is dis
pensed with and diet and exercise used instead
The birds are exercised in several ways, each way
on alternate days. At time they will be rted at
one another, the trainer will run them around
ring very much in the manner of circus horses, and
at another they spurred with mufs or gloves.
These are good soft pincushons, covered with buck
skim which securely fastened by leather ties over
the stumps of spurs. The mouths of the birds. if
any injury received during this battle. are
carefully sponged with brandy. No vinegar is now
used They are generally exercised about six O'Clock
in the morning. and receive their breakfasts usually
about eight.
In the matter Of food, which is given three times
q day. everybody appears to have his own ideas,
and fixed rules seem to exist among chicken
fanciers Captain Moore tells me his dish is always
hard corn and water. Nothing he thinks.
we'll. Mr.. Brown uses mixture Of cracked corn.
wheat and white of eggs. spoonful three times
day Hard corn is sometimes given as change of
Diet and sometimes little meal is added. AS stood
looking at the cocks this morning, while they were
being summed, Mr.. Brown passed along the coops
and offered them some bananas. Several ate the
fruit apparently with great relish.
THE STAKES.
The present great main between the birds Of Geor-
gia and Kentucky is to be fought for what may be
considered quite respectable The stakes put
up are $3.50 on each fight twenty-one in ALL and the
difficulty of matching the Georgia birds is assigned
as the reason why there not more say thirty
one as was originally contemplated). and this, with
81, 800 the odd battle, makes total of $7,75O.
State PRIDE well other considerations, 1t must
be remembered. goes into the contest. and this.
doubt, will make the outside betting lively
The show this morning was decided by a toss. and
won by Georgia. So the Long Leaf Pine has the
weah It d desires fo9 the s h which y
| supposed to convey some Of the advantages which
are believed to accrue from the inside track in
horse race Having won the toss it Is thought that
Georgia will put up her best bird first. If this Is
| whipped some guesses may be made as to the Anal
the first fight will affect the betting stili it is by
no means safe to the beginning for the end of
results after ALL and the best bird may not be put up
first. in order perhaps. to catch an offer Of odds.
and so entrap the unwary After this first fight the
heaviest. Consequently the shake bag comes last.
Now here we are seated at the pt and the sport is
about to begin. Before 1t commences, however. we
will take look at the spectators. Here. tier above
tier rises over u.s. and around and above is q solid
mass of heads Of all types. nationalties. colors and
characters. There is the refined cultivated gentle
| man. and lust beside him sits a specimen or the
uha ella
highest position socially and intellectually among
State dignitaries. aud the other--well he might
be a thief. Still there is distinction always OBJ
| served, notice. and that Is in color The colored
element, ss general rule. always sits by itself.
| other color under the sun, may bet the
white. The judge may accept the offers of the boot
another thing in this betting here which think
must be somewhat peculiar. The winner of u bet Is
pnt to the trouble Of looking up the loser The
haps in this respect. to every other debtor in the
| world.
Yet with all this mixture Of color. race and creed
you will find the gravity and dignity of the audience
almost unexccptionabe. The rules of this main re-
quire it. In the Spanish game, which is usually
fought here, the other hand. very considerable
license is allowed. The birds are taken up by the
nursed, caressed and dosed with brandy and
water. During the fight the audience yells.
and the handlers dance around the pit at every ad
| vantage gained and howl like the veriest madmcn.
| screamed every
! language under the sun. and some which the best
Lnguist in the world could scarcely understand.
Captain Moore: an old cocker remarked to me yes.
terday in speaking of Spanish main that he thought
that he had seen things in this world. but he
had never seen anything like that before
| OPENING BATTLE
The game is about to open. The handlers step
the pit which, by the way. is entirely free
from sawdust. having instead hard. firm foor of
dirt well beaten down. and the birds
held up to the audience. Tho Georgia repre-
mach will hand me tha
Kentuckian q dark red. low comb, blue legged,
Huddleston. The betting opens wildly. 1t is at first
and afterward $50 to s3s on the Huddleston before
the birds faced. II Is evident some Of the
knowing ones have not yet settled how to bet. In
the first fly Georgia seems to catch old blue grass
full upon the wing. In the next he hits him In the
Up to s & & to ss
| stands up and pounds away sending back blow for
blow good and hard but after the third fly Georgia
to be badly touched somewhere about the legs
He painfully and slowly and staggers forward.
| and and anon falls prostrate upon his breast.
Now he gives two loud shrill crows, If he still
IN INT to bid defiance to anything and every thing
| that might be brought against him. With rush he
from some ad%rer n the crowd o n
Georgia. never mind; you are 2 dutSer anyhow"
hurt with all his pluck and $40 to 81 is put up
| upon the Kentuckian. One heavy blow for old blue
grass sends the Georgian whirling in the pit.
and kentucky, after delivering this. deliberately
| turns and sits down upon his enemy. shout goes
up both hong and loud in honor of the favorte. Aud
| Kentucky continues 10 st anu slt anu SIT. linen
after lapse of full ten minutes. IL Disguised, he
slowly stalks away Az he does the Georgian RISES
apparently with great difficulty, and plants q blow
| into Kentucky Just under the wing, and old blue
grass goes tumbling head foremost into the pit The
audience shouts, Nov. work IL into him, Billy, you
are not dead YETI Hsh OLD blue grass to feel
that for he quickly picks himself up and puts feccr
| into the others breast which sends him down again.
as he had done before. The odds offered hitherto do
70 change. but tho hackers of the Kentuckan
| now appear to get very much disgusted with him.
Thp cry zoe nm IL ave ther
| bird; that fellow don't know how to hQht." Georgia
lies upon his breast apparently paralyzed. He is still
game TO tho last and Kentucky gets up, he puts
blow into Kentucky breast with all the little strength
he has The favorie evidently gives back In return
as good he receives and Georgia goes down again
The birds face to face Georgia completely
done up and rests, stretched out upon his Breast
and the blue grass bird continues to stand up pick
ing the dust before him. Evidently the latter don
| know how 10 fight, and tho audience begins to be un