The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-07-25
HIGH-PRlCED CHICKENS.

Plenty of Cochlns Sold for Fifty Dollars
Backbone Pair of Gray Shanghaii Bring
Five Hundred Dollars.
A pert young salesman stood beside
a great coop of pigeons in poultry fan
cier's store yesterday, talking about the
merits of three handsome chickens in
small coop before him to another youth,
while white-haired old farmer from
Jersey stood by and listened attentively.
''These are genuine Cochins," said
the salesman, land they are an unusu-
sually fine lot. Cochins ordinarily sell
for $12 for the trio, but the boss says
that these must not be sold for less than
500. He is particularly pleased with
the matched colors of these, and don't
care whether any one buys them or not
l don't believe that as great a price
was ever asked for chickens before.
"You are wrong there" said the old
farmer. 81 can tell you story, and
it's true one, about prices paid for
fowls that are simply beyond ordinary
belief. In 1850 or whereabouts num-
Der of bright poultry raisers in England
undertook to increase the prices paid
for the stock they dealt in by pretend
ing to improve their breeds. They I'M
ported number of Chinese fowls and
pretended to accomplish results with
them far beyond anything that could
possibly be done. They issued learned
pamphlets which discussed the new va
rieties of stock, and printed long essays
in the magazines. The impulse given
to the business was clear beyond their
widest anticipations. There were
plenty of market breeders who were
really anxious to get variety of fowls
that would lay more eggs and would
weigh more when dressed for the table
than the old breeds that had been COM
mon for years. The Cochins from
China were the favorites. Wonderful
stories of the number of eggs laid by
them were told.
FINALLY, the ladies and gentlemen of
leisure, who are always on the lookout
for some new diversion, took fancy to
the chicken business. They cared moth
ing for the profits. They must have the
best fowls in the kingdom, fowls that
could beat the record and show pedi-
gree at the same time. The queen her.
self bought fancy fowls, and it then be-
came the fashion to take an interest In
poultry publications and poultry pedi-
grees. The prices began to soar.
1.-The increased demand for fine stock
brought out new varieties. White and
gray Shanghais soon competed with the
TOohinc ond Cbitto Oo, nrc with Copto,,
Chinese fowls, and heated discussions
over the relative merits of the breeds
were held on the street-corners, and
over the stiles in the hedges around the
fields.
"As soon as the mania was fairly
started, fairs were held for the exhibit
ton and sale of the fowls. Early in
1850 fair in Norwich, England, brought
out 1872 lots of fowls, one of which con-
tanned 10 Cochins belonging to lady.
The Cochins were sold and realized
f361 As. Cd, the highest price being 20
guineas for a single cock. Many single
fowls brought from f3 to 7G each.
THAT sale was the sole topic of con-
versation in all England for a month
thereafter. The excitement lasted, and
themania spread to America. In 1858
or 1854 Boston Yankee by the name
of Burnham, who knew good hen
when he saw it, sent out to a Birming-
ham, England, fowl show a cage of
gray Shanghais. A trio sold at sight
for 800, and at the end of the fair a
pair from this cage carried off the first
prize, and they were sold to Mr. Tay-
lor, Of Shepherds Bush for $500. This
is the highest price on record | believe,
for single pair There were plenty of
sales during 1858 and 1854 for from
$50 to ESQ per pair.
people think 80 per dozen is big
price to pay for pure stock eggs nova
/ days, but then single eggs sold from S.
to $40 each, and it's on record that hall
dozen chickens Just Matched sold al
[ $40 apiece" ...r
! "You said the mania spread to this
} country" suggested the salesman.
I Eyes, but the prices paid here were
never so large, Boston seems to have
| been the headquarters of the business.
/ Everybody wanted fancy chickens. The
: orders to the Boston importers came
: from Maine and from Texas, and one
: firm there sold in 1888 over 1913, O0C
: worth of fowls. There were single or
}, ders amounting to 81 200 to 81 800, anC
:. this firm sold one lot for S2,230,
"Good business, that" said the clerk
Certainly. 1t costs no more to hatcl
and rear fine fowl than one of com
mon breed; in fact, it cost less then ant
Q it costs less now to keep fowls of gooC
: breeds. Plenty of men made larg
sums of money out of the chicken
. while the mania lasted, and plenty VIII
Q came while the boom was booming 90
I caught in the shower. There were to-
J many people in the business and to-
q many poor fowls sold with forged ped
J, grees. People got disguised, and the
the eight-pound Cochin hens went int
potpie at 10 cents pound. When tn
o craze died out it left the country with
fina Stock Of fowls and tho rrevolano