The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-12-10
EFFECT OF ~CoNNEcTICUT'S
HEN LAW.

A Danbury Comm correspondent of
the New York Sun writes: That peculiar
hen law passed by the last Legislature
at Hartford has had a disastrous effect on
a well-known Danbury farmers hennery,
and has caused the dissolution of ties of
friendship which have existed ever since
the two farmers were boys and fought to
escort the same girl home from singing
school. Darius and Stephen are the front
names of the two former friends.
Stephen is a man who devotes his time
to raising garden truck. After the hen
bill became a law last June he had a field
OF tine sweet corn, which wa coming
along nicely. Hens would get into it,
however, and one afternoon he found a
large patch of the corn ruined. Return
ing to his house he took down his shot
gun, loaded it, and calling on Darius, he
began patting his gun significantly:
"Darl, eff | see eny more O. your chick
ems in my corn I'll dispose of EN- to
wunst, an the law'n uphold me in it, too.
I'm goin' fer 'em every time I see EN-"
"But, Stephen" began Darius in
an explanatory tone, but he was shut off
Uy lis VINO SalO:
CHOW, I don't want any words. Eff
you don't keep your chickens outen my
corn III shoot 'em on the spot, and the
lawu uphold me in it."
The next morning the report Of the
gun was heard in Stephens corn field,
and in a few minutes that party ap-
preached Darius house and threw over
the fence as sleek and plump a rooster as
ever scratched up corn hills for a numer-
Gus harem. Mrs Darius went out and
picked up the fowl, and at noon the
family enjoyed a chicken potpie. For a
week every morning Stephens gun was
heard, and one or two and sometimes
three hens or roosters would be thrown
over into Darius yard. His wife picked
them up, dressed them, and, like all
country housewives, dried the feathers
under the stove and slowed them away
for further use in cushions for Darius
armchair or pillow for the lounge. What
Darius family, which was a good sized
one, could not eat of the fowls were sold
to the market men when they came
around, and the good wife already had a
nice little SUN of money laid by in a
broken blue saucer on the pantry shelf,
( W1AS1 SI4C GA pCOlCO ~ oOfObO ~ POANAoONC
when she went into town again.
Finally Stephens wife remarked to
him n evening that her chickens were
disappearing remarkably fast, and she
couldn't understand it.
81 reckin that blamed fox is around
again." said he, "and I'll lay for him
with my gun I'm getting to be quite a
shot" and he chuckled as he remembered
how he had filled Darius hens with bird
shot. The next morning he started bright
and early for the corn-feld with his
trusty gun. There was the flock scratch
ing away as usual. Stephen singled out
a fine rooster and laid him out cold. Pick
ing up, he proceeded as usual to take him
to Darius yard and throw him over the
fence. Mrs. Darius was in the yard as
the rooster struck the ground.
THANK you, Stephen she said, as she
picked it up and started for the house.
Mrs. Darius, how many chickens O
yourn hev l killed in the past ten days 2
asked Stephen.
"Chickens of ours? Why, Stephen,
we never kept a chicken in cur lives"
said the woman, while a suppressed smile
crept into her eyes, though her face was
SOUCI OAOuSH'
"Gret Christopher Haint themyour
hens I've been shooting all this timer
"They were not, Stephen, though we
have felt grateful to you for your exceed
ing kindness 10 giving them to us. We
haven't been obliged to buy any meat in
two weeks, though I must confess we are
getting kind O. tired Of chicken, having
had thirty of them"
Stephen sat down on a stone and re-
fected. He remembered his wife's re-
mark about the disappearance of her chick
ems and, rising, he took his gun and
brought it down with q vim across the
top rail of the fence, breaking the stock
off and bending the barrel. Then he
threw the ruins away and went home. He
met his wife in the yard and told her the
story.
I've made "a consumed old fool Of
myself. I thought I vas mighty smart
to kill them hens, for them fellers over TO
Hartford passed a law sayin' l could.
Gosh dang it, there's thirty hens as fine
as ever was raised in Fairfield county,
and I've killed 'em and gin 'em to Darl
when he hadn't no more right to 'em than
he has to Gabriels horn. I'll 60 to town
to see a lawyer, and il the State Of Con-
n~actic1t don't nav ma far rho N hens then