The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-02-19
MIR, Phipps and tho Hon.

A few weeks ago my neighbor, MIR.
Phipps observed 4 yellow fluid of some kind
issuing from the water-spout of the smoke
house. Upon examining it closely lie as
ccrtaincd that it was the yolk of an egg.
For several successive days it continued to
drip from the spout, and Mr.. Phipps was
pcrplexcd about it. He had not noticed
that the weather had been raining omcette,
or that there was any particular quality in
the shingles of the smokc-housc ronf that
would be likely to induce them to indulge
in spontaneous production of custards.
lie determined to watch, and on tho follow
ing day he observed his Shanghai hen fly
up to the roof of the smoke-llousc, settle
right down over the aperture to the water.
spout and lay an egg. Mr. Phipps had not
the remotest idea what to do about it, so
he let the hen lay on for several days, while
he thought of a plan for discouraging her
from operating in that particular spot.
One day, however, when he went out, he
found the hen sitting Oh the top of the spout,
manifcstly with the impression that an earn
est effort would enable her to hatch out the
eggs she had dropped into the pipe.
This seemed to Mr.. Phpps 80 wildly un-
reasonable, that he resolved to prevent the
hen from engaging in such delusive under
taking. Accordingly, he tried to ''shoo" her
| off of her nest. She looked blandly down
at him, winkcd twice in a knowing way, and
| refused to bulge.
Mr.. Phipps' friend, Rogers, who lives
| next door, climbed over the fence and ad-
vised him to get a ladder and pull the hen
off. Mr.. Phipps did So and then Rogers
said that if it was his hen hc would simply
plug up the hole.
Mr.. Phipps drove plug in the spout and
descended. AS soon as he reached the
ground the hen flew up and began to try to
hatch out the plug. Rogers said that he
thought she might perhaps be scared Off, SO
he threw piece of brick at her, but it
missed the hen and went straight through
Phipps' dinlng-room window.
Then Rogers said that if he owned a hen
like that he would stop her If he had to blow
her up with powder. So Phipps got four
ounces of gunpowdcr and packed it into the
lower end of the spout, anil Rogers touched
it off with q match 1t merely fizzlcd out,
like young volcano, and set fire to Phipps
treuscr leg.
Rogers then said the powder ought to have
been ''tamped." So he put another charge
in the spout, and then drove white pine
plug in, leaving gimlet-holc for the slow.
match. The experiment was in degree sue
cessful. There was q fearful bang, and the
next minute Phipps' eccentric chicken was
sailing out toward the celestial constellation
with plug in her claws. She went up al
most out of sight, and then she came down
down, down, and lighted squarely over tht
spout hole, expressing, by a cackle or two
her surprise, but, on the whole, calm ant
sweet tempered, and as resolutely disposed
as ever to give her attention strictly to busi
ness.
Rogers remarked thatfor nero Shangha
chicken she had real genius. He said ther
was only one thing to do now, and that wa
to turn the garden hose on her. SO Phipp
got out the hose, and Rogers took the pip
+ and played half-inch stream directly o,
the hen. The hen seemed rather to enjoy 1t
for she cackled a little In a pleased way, an
Rogers told Phlpps to turn the water Of
while lie climbed on the roof to get bette
crack at her. 80, while Rogers was goin
J up the ladder, holding the pipe against bl