Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-04
THE GREAT COCK FIGHT.
Preparations for the Coming Main at
New Orleans.

Atlanta Constitutional
We had a short conversation yester
day with Colonel w. A. Brown. o
this city, relative to the great cock;ne
main next month, at New Orleans, be
tween the States of Georgia and Ken.
lucky. Colonel Brown, it is general,
known, will be the leading representa-
tive of the State of Georgia in the
main. He has recently returned from
Columbus, Ga, where he has been on
a visit to his brother, Mr.. Charley
Brown, who is resident of that city.
Colonel Brown says that already LOG
birds of fine plumage and in the very
best of condition, have been picked
out. From this number eighty of the
most superior birds in every respect
will be selected. These will be car
ried to New Orleans, where the fight
is to take place. The fowls have been
upon the walks of Macon, Augusta
and Columbus. Mr.. Charley Brown
is now in Macon, collecting together
such birds as he will need. As fast
as the chickens are picked up from
their walks in the various cities men
toned above they will be shipped to
Columbus. In a day or two Mr..
Charley Brown will commence han
ding his fowls and putting them in
good condition.
The handling will all be done in
Columbus, and each bird will be
spared so as to find outIwhich are the
fastest and best fighters. To prevent
them from hurting themselves, their
spurs will be sawed off, so as to leave
a short butt upon which will be fast
.ened buckskin muffs, similar to box
ing gloves.
The chickens, eighty in number.
will leave Columbus February Il, in a
special car, for New Orleans. The
birds will all be in coOps. and each
one will have a special apartment of
its own. Mr.. Charley Brown, with a
number of assistants, will also be in
the a for the purpose of giving every
attention to their pets. Upon the ar
rival Of the car at New Orleans the
birds will be carried TO the Louisiana
cock pit, one of the most noted in the
South, and especially in New Orleans.
where there is always a large amount
Of cock fighting going on. Here the
conditioning of the fowls will be con
tinued until the day of the opening
battle between the States that are
~cOntesting for the honors of the occa-
sion.
From the eighty birds the Georgia
party will show and fight thirty-one
cocks, and Kentucky will come up to
the scratch with a corresponding
number. The remaining birds, after
making the selection of thirty-one t.
be used in the main, will be fought in
various ways and for various sums Of
money.
1t is the intention of the gentlemen
who represent Georgia in the main to
fight or offer to fight every chicken
that they carry to New Orleans. They
have no desire to bring any of them
back home, as they have hundreds
still left in our State upon which they
can draw at any time. 1t is thought
that the fighting will continue for
several days, probably an entire week.
after the main is decided.
The first battle of the main will be
fought Thursday, February q. and
the fighting will be continued Friday
and Saturday. Sunday no battles in
GUIDED in the main will be fought.
Monday the remaining fights will
take place and the main will end upon
that day.
Each battle will be for two hundred
and fifty dollars a side, and upon the
deciding fight each side will wager two
thousand five hundred dollars.
In the main two and three-quarter
inch drop socket steel gaffs will be
used. The birds will be trimmed of
all useless plumage, so as to make
them fight as light as possible. and at
the same time to keep them from get
ting oyerheated when fighting. The
birds fought will range in weight from
four pounds ten ounces to six pounds
two ounces. These weights are o
sidered by cock fighters to make the
best fighting fowls.
Mr.. Charley Brown, of Columbus.
Ca, will handle and pit the Georgia
fowls. He has had much experience
in this line of business, and is said,to
have no superior. Mr.. Tom O'Neil.
OF Louisville, KY, assisted by Mr..
Tom Moore, of Crab Orchard. XIV.
will handle and fight the Kentucky
fowls. Each of these gentlemen. it is
said, possesses a large amount of expe-
rlence in the practice Of fighting
chickens.
The main will close the day before
Msrdi-G ras, and it is thought that the
sport will be witnessed by the largest
audience that ever attended a similar
entertainment in New Orleans. Those
who arranged the main to come of
just before Mardi- Gras have selected
an admirable date, as at that time the
city of New Orleans will be crowded
with visitors, and in consequence OF
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