Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-18
A HATCHED.OUT FORTUNE.
How Two Citizens Of Butte City Threw
Away Their Properly and Tur-
ned Their Backs on Fortune.

LlEU L HULL O0VAD V1 Va lUhbOo
There was q little town on the Atchison,
| Topeka e. Santa Fe railroad that is now a
| thriving, bustling metropolis, and the
county seat OF the rich county of Socorro.
| Ninety miles distant are the San Mateo
mountains, in which the celebrated Block
Range lies with it's former mining metropo-
liz called Chloride. Five years ago, at q
point midway between these then baby
camps, twO young men conceived
the brilliant idea of fortune and at
once put it into practice. On the side OF a
clear stream OF mountain water at the
foot Of a hill that shut off the cold winds
OF the north and was sheltered by the sur.
rounding hills on I'LL sides they built a
Near tubes or pipes, kept well-heated
by oil, they put in place 5000
eggs for incubation. During the
t%wenty-one days necessary for Matching;
they saw no one and avoided even the few
Indians who passed in solemn tile through
the trails leading across the range. At
night, like the milkmaid in the story, they
counted how many chicks they would hatch
without the mother hens, how many would
die and at what price they would sell the
remainder when large enough to broil, to
the hungry gold hunters, who, it was ex-
pected, would swarm the new towns OF So
corro-the terminus OF the ra%ilroad-and
Chloride, the future Butte of New Mex.
leo.
Every dollar these two pioneers had was
invested 10 their grub, a rude incubator
and many eggs, secured at great cost and
by various methods. They became ner-
vous as the 81 days passed One morning
one ran breathlessly into the cabin where
the other was wipiug the tin plates, used at
a ''fried sOwbelly" meal with an old pocket
handkerchief, and cried out:
They're coming, thousands of them are
coming. God in heaven, we're rich!"
Plates were dropped and to the spring
chicken machine both hurried. Sure enough
there they were. Little hens and little
BOOSTERS of very tender age. bu, SO bright
and apparently happy that the two boys
fairly danced and made the mountain hol-
lows ring with their songs. Hungry coyotes
skulktd off, wondering what the matter
was.
Well, these two men were busy enough
then. Ninety per cent. of their eggs had, by
the magic OF Oil and pipes, become IA brood
OF 6,4OO velvety little chicks that looked
to them for food, care and cover. It was
wonderful how in that wild land these little
birds thrived and grew. The percentage Of
loss was s~ingularly small. They became
vigorous out there in the mountain air,
where were no poisonous surroundings to
cause sickness and death. In a few weeks
the two friends had 5000 chicks that
within ten days would be ready for the no.
tel and restaurant tables. They sat down
and planned. They fitted up with GOODS the
wagon they had; they brought in the other
horse from the bills and made preparations
fnr fwn trims Uo0HIv nnn nj fo-%- Co. 81 |
to Socorro and return, the other of forty.
five miles to Chloride and return, each trip
going out to be loaded with "broilers'' or
'stews," and returning with %greenbacks
and gold. Never did two men feel more
ll~2ht-hearted and apparently with better
The 5000 chickens had cost them
exactly ~ cents apiece to raise, equal to
Sl,15O. They had expended several hun
dred i'll preparations for Matching, feeding.
etc,
The day for the frst-dav's marketing
One went with this first installment
the plaza OF Socorro, while the other re-
manned at home to watch, feed and house
Inc flock. Three days was the allotted
lime Tor a trip. Only ut the expiration OF
The fourth did the sad wagner return. He
had lost money on his cargo Of "sprine
Next morning, with 500 more.
The other partner, boasting his success at
bargaining, started for Chloride to be gone
'hree days. Promptly on the evening of
ne third day be returned, bringing the
chickens with him! There was not a hui
nan being in Chloride-even the cabins
ooked lonesome there. A council was
allied. 1t consisted OF the two men and
ne chickens. The last had little to
ay on the occasion. It was decided
one should go to Socorro and try 70
ontract the entire lot at cost, then with
heir original capital in hand, and swallow
ng the loss OF a seasons work, they would
strike out" for new fields. Early next
morning, mounted on tue faster horse of
ieacning Socorro be Saw that It S WAS un.
sually full OF people, and his heart leaped
'lth Joy. In ten minutes after his arrival, y
owever, he heard a crier yelling. kansas
n1ckens. only 40 cents a pair, or 20 cents
plece!" Inquiry disclosed the fact that y
ne Kansas people. where fowls are crown 9
most without cost. had shipped carloads n
that market. The partner spoke not a a
ord to a Socorro man. %emountine he s
ode back to the "oil hatchery" A short =
insulation was held. 1t was determined :
hurry out OF the country lest somebody
lould come and take their horses. And l
zen tnese young men turned loose j.
those mountains 5000 fine, fat spring |
'lckens, ready for the table, to become "
% Tor coyotes, hawks and foxes! ii
made their way out by degrees. d
he writer met them months after in the So
.wn OF Albuquerque, Bernalilio county: a
New Mexican metropolis afterward and Il
wv: They were saddened but not sub a
led. Both went to work for Charlie "
lger, one OF the best known and most G
lccessfui men in that country. They are y N
I'm to-day at work in Butte, and doing s.
I'll: The Centennial Brewery shooting "a
lair, three nights ago, reminded the writer al
ms true story, for one OF those .'old 10
.tcners' Is VOL who shot Miller. The to-
her is O'Neil. who keeps day watch u