West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-01-31
MIR. Phipps ana the nen.

A few weeks ago my ncghbor, Mr..
Phipps observed yellow fluid Of some kind
issuing from the watcr-spout Of the smoke
house. Upon examining it closely he as
ccrtaincd that IL was the yolk of an egg.
For several successive days it continued to
drip from the spout, and Mr.. Phipps was
pcrplcXcd about il. He had not noticed
that the weather had been raining Omcctte.
or that there was any particular quality In
the shingles Of the smOke-house roof that
would bc likely TO induce them TO indulge
in spontaneous production of custards
He determined to watch, aud ON tho follow
ing day nc observed his Shanghai hen fly
up TO the roof Of the smoke house, settle
right down over the aperture To the water
spout and lay an egg. Mr.. Phipps had not
the rcmotest idea what TO do about IT,, 80
he let the hen lay on for several davs, while
lac thought Of plan for discouraging her
from operating in that particular spot.
One day, however when he went out. he
found the hen sitting on the top Of the spout
maniicslly 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. Phipps 50 wildly un-
reasonable, tnat hc resolved 90 prevent the
hen from engaging in such deusive under
taking. Accordingly he tried 10 Shoe her
of of her nest. She looked bIandly 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-
viscd him % get ladder aud pull The hen
OF Mr. Phipps did 80, and then Rogers
said that if IL was his hen hc would simply
plug mp the hole
Mr.. Phipps drove plug in the spout and
descended. As soon az be reached the
ground The hen flew up aud began 10 try to
hatch ont the plug. Rogers said that he
thought she might perhaps be scared of. 50
hc threw piece Of brick at her, but it
missed the hen and went straight through
Phipps dinng-roOm window.
Then Rogers said that if he Owned a hen
like that hc would stop her if he had to blow
her up with powder. So Phipps got four
ounces Of gunpowder and packed IL into the
lower end Of the spout anti Rogers touched
10 of with "a match II merely hZIlcd out.
like young volcano, and set fire TO Phpps'
tr9uecr leg.
Rogers then said thcpowdcr ought 10 have
been 'fampcd. SO hc put another charge
iu lhe spout, and then drove a white pine
plug in, leaving gimlct-hOlc for the slow
match. The experiment was in "a degree sue
cessiul. There was fearful bang, and the
next minute Phipps eccentric chicken WAS
sailing out toward the celestial consultations
with plug Zoo her claws. She went up al
most ont Of sight, and then she came down,
down, down, and lighted squarely over the
spout hole, expressing, by % cacklc or two,
her surprise, but, on The whole, calm and
swcct-tcmpcrcd, and as resolutcly disposed
as ever 10 give her attention strictly 10 busi-
ucsa.
Rogers remarked that Tor % mere Shanghai
chicken she had real genius lie said there
was only one thing to DO now, and that was
90 turn the garden hose ON her So Phipps
got ont thc hose, aud Rogers took the pipe
and played half-inch stream directly on
The hen. The hen seemed rather % enjoy 10,
for she cacklcd little in pleased way, and
Rogers told Phpps 10 turn the water OF
while be climbed ON the ro1f to get n better
crack az her. SO. while Rogers was going
up the ladder, holding the pipe against hi'