The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-15
A Remarkable Hen.
From, the Chicago Mail.

The hen is not usually credited with in
telligence. We are prone to include this
useful fowl among the stupidest of animate
things, but yet there are authentic instances
on hand to prove the contrary-to prove
that not only Is the hen not stupid, but is
possessed of extraordinary intelligence, re-
liable instinct, and powers that almost have
the faculty of reasoning. Mr.. Jonas ID.
Summers, of 6532 Woodlawn avenue, a
well-known dealer In cement in this city,
has hen which has performed some acts
that certainly place her in the front rank
of her class. Mr.. Summers has about forty
hens, for he is very fond of their care and
passionately likes fresh eggs. He finds his
hennery a profitable investment also, for
the neighbors buy all the product of the
hens which Mr.. Summers and his family
cannot use. The hen in question is large
blue fowl of the Cochin China variety and
has been called by the Summers children
Sumatra. She is now about years old and
her mother, a magnificent specimen of her
kind, is also alive. Mr.. Summers attention
was first called to Sumatra about year
ago. She was then laying about twenty
eggs at a time, and he noticed that the
twenty eggs were laid in lots of four in
different places Tie next day they were
laid in lots of five. The third day they
were laid in two lots of ten each, and the
fourth day tho twenty were all together.
Then the hen began laying about forty to
fifty eggs, and these were found reposing i'll
0eometrlc figures, triangles, squares, circles,
etc. At first Mr.. Summers said he thought
the children had been playing pranks, but
he accidentally came upon Sumatra labori-
ously tracing out comic sections with her
eggs. The next exploit of this hen was Of a
different and more difficult nature We will
tell it in Mr.. Summers own words:
II was about to crack a boiled egg at
the table one morning. he says, when my
eve was attracted by something on the
shell. It was blush mark, but Of peculiar
form. / didn't stop to examine 1t. The
second egg / took also had similar mark.
This time / looked more closely. 1t bore a
resemblance to mans heads l looked on
the other shells and they were clean. had
almost forgotten tho lcircumst9nce the next
day, when my little boy called my attention
to similar mark on an egg he had found
in the barn. He said IL was a picture Of
Thurman. though he was joking, but
when saw the egg / could clearly trace
on the white surface OF the shell very
fair outline of the old Romans head and
face.
"'Bob,' said. this is some of your
work. But he assured me that he found it
lust as il was. took it down town, but
the fellows guyed me so that / threw it
away. The next day, however, the cook
said she was going to leave unless ! killed
that hen. / asked her why, and for an
answer she pointed TO a dish pan full Of
eggs, on every shell of which was a plain
and unmstakable medallion picture of
Cleveland and Thurman. ! could hardly
believe my eyes, but there the eggs were.
/ was little nettled, you sec, for I'm red
hot Harrison man, and | helped to organize
a branch of the republican league in our
town. The boys were tickled and consid-
cred it a great joke on me. blamed Bob.
because he's demooral--just because his
fathers republican-but he said 1t wasn't