The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-04-17
MR.. DoDGE's SUCCESS.


that lie will not work ani his presence casts
such bAgh; upon chicken. tia; NJ white man
can pfDdtAb,y engage IN raising poultry in the
southern state. Mr. jaime. e. Dodge. who re.
Gently emisrstei from Na;ick. Mass. To- Laurel
Vile. Ala. has sisnally rsiaisi the popular south
crn estimate pf the colofsi man. and has succeed
ell not Only in keeping chickens. bat in inducing (
thirty four eoiorei men 20 work for him wi;hoa;
wages.
Mr. Dodge arrived a; Laurelyille las, spring
with the intention of cultivating a farm. The
local white population received him eSurieously Y
aud wished him every success. but thes uarnei
him that lie could not induce single coiorei man
60 work his farm sxeep; at prtposisrous wages.
When he casually introduced the subject Of chick
ems they assursi him that there an African
church within mile Of hi. ne~ly purchased farm.
and that he Nigh, well try 10 keep ieieles in .
hot house as TO raisc chickens in such nsighbor
hood.
Mr.. Dodge was a stubborn man. and. wiihal. an
ingenious one. lie determined 10 prove to the
Laurelvilleans that he could do precisely what
they said he could not do. Accordingly. he offer
ei to bet with Judge Slemon. that he would cul-
tivsie his new farm With col0fei labor. and that
he would raise chickens uithout losing . single
one BY eoored larceny. The bet was taken. and
Mr.. Dodge went 10 his farm and began operations.
With the aid Of the iauTclviile carpenter. Mr..
Dodge buiii = magnificent chicken house. with ac
eommod siions for Eve hundred feaihercd guests.
The windows were ~ small that NOT even . con
.umpiivs colorci bny could pas. through them.
and the door Of unprecedented thickness ani
strength. In one aide of the chicScn- house Mr..
Dodge required the carpenter. e. leave round
hole 81 about two feet in diameter. for = purpose
which he declined ,p explain. Much pity was felt
for hin, by hi. neighbpTs. on the ground that he
VA wasting ID. tnsney in vain aitsml; TO ',rus
gle against the chicken stealing genius Of the col
or@i people bu; Mr. Dodge 'Eussssi" he Was all
night. and ''cll'lated' that h. chickens wouldn't
be stolen {" any great extent When the rafpsn-
;cr- had sni.hed their work ami had gone home.
Mr.. Dodge unpackei large bundle which he had
received from the North. aud after dark he fllel
hi. chicken house With three hundred chickens.
and. locking IL securely. went 90 bed.
About d O'Clock that night leading eolorei
citizen of chicken proelivities made his Nay into
the chicken house through the hole which had
been left open. lie churklsi quietly d; the folly
Of Mr.. Dodge in locking the door. and at the same
time forgetting 60 close the hole in the side of the
chicken house. When he bad selected = doIen Of
the largest chickens he undertook 10 creep stealth
ily out of the hole but found hi. esrsss impeisd
by . series Of sharp ani projecting spikes. lie
then realized that he had been in a tap of the
same general nature as that pleasing variety Of
mouse s.iTap into which the mouse readily enters
through a wire lined passage. the pointed ends Of
which prevent him from escaping. The leading
eOioFcd ciiiErns estimate Of white intellect under
went sudden change. and he sat down giosmily
in the Of the chicken house 10 invent some
plausible tale which would s,count for his pres
enes when the inevitable moment 0; discovery
should cutne.
Half an hour later the minister of the eoiorsd
church entered the chicken house. and vas warm
~ greeted BY hi. predecessor. Who Was beginning
to feel very Lonesome. From midnight until dawn
the arrivals were almost ineessant. The fact that
three hundred chickens were in Mr.. Dodge's
chicken house vas known in every eolored cabin
within q radius Of two miles. and the oppressed
race had Fi,es as one man and resolved 70 have
those chickens. Al haif-pasi three there was
standing room only in the chicken house. and
gentlemen arriving after that hour were COM
PEELED 20 return home disappointed.
Aftsr . comfortable breskfAst. Mr.. Dodge took
hi. shot gun and the key of the chicken house.
aud proceeded TO ascertain ~hai luck his trap had
brought him during the night. To his great
pleasure. he found thirty four bodied eolorsd
men Ia the chicken house. and. after the most
careful investig legation. he aseertainsd that not .
chicken missing. lie put no unpleasant
questions 90 the eolorsd men whom be had caught
as 10 why they hal crowded into his chicken
house. bat be merely Informed them tha, he sup
posed they had come 60 assist him in planting.
and that he was greatly obliged TO them for their
kind assistance. AZ noon Judge Sieinons and
dozen white LAursivilieans arrived at the farm.
and gael with amaEement ~ the spectacle OF
thirty -four eplorsd men working energstiealiy IN
the field. When the Judge was esnvi vineed that no
chickens had been stolen during the night. be
frankly admitted that he had lOst his bet, and.
borrowing the money from Mr. Dodge. paid it on
the spot.
Since that day Mr.. Dodge has never lest .
chicken. lie has, however, only caught . feU
sporadic colored men. and has thus been obiigel
20 hire most Of bis labor. Nevertheless. he has
successfully refuisd the assertion that no white
man can keep chickens in Alabama. and has on Al
least sss occasion induced thirty -four eoiorsd
men 10 work for him without pay. Whether his
plan would be permanently sueeessful II tried IN
other parts of the South Is. Of course. uncertain
but there l. certainly good reason o. suppose that
Il would greatly increase the security Of chicken
prcperfy.-E. J.. Tines.