The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-06-20
BUNTY HODGE SILL AHEAD.

who is finishing up a life OF usefulness and
unusual activity under the name Of Bunty
Hodge. The name Bunty was applied to
him by some waggish individual who had
keen eyesight enough to discover that he
was somew hat below the average height
and was a trile bow legged.
Hodges Christian man is John, which
fact would be quite forgotten were it not
for the reason that it appears on the side
of tho big wagon he uses. in connection
with his ayocation as a pretty well-to-do
farmer, to drive into Madison with occas-
s~ionally.
Two years ago thisS Spring Bunty Hodge
became possessed OF a technical poultry pub
LEGATION called the Poultry Monthly. 1t
was purely accidental That he should have
received such a work, but a friend y no had
embarked in The industry of chicken in
cubation mailed it to him in order that he
might peruse it's pages and become a raiser
of fancy owl Is and thereby add to the in
come til at as not as large as it once was on
account of the vicissitudes that ia recent
years have crowded the farming industry in
New Jersey down to an almost proftless
basis.
Bunty was delighted with the book, and
after studying its pages closely aud figuring
on the profits Incidental to fancy chicken
Producing into Chatham Township a new
and very desirable breed of fowls called
"Wyandottes." To expedite the industry
he cast aside the conventional method of a
and purchased an incubator advertised in
the Poultry Monthly, with a number of
credentials to indofse it. Then he for
warded a crisp ffty-dollar bill to an indi-
vidual out in Central New York, Who raised
"Wy andottes" as a specially in fancy
fowls, and for that large amount, as the
Jersey farmer views IL, received by express
ten settings, or two hundred and sixty eggs.
These he placed in the incubator and started
the machine on it's mission of Matching as
per directions. When the prescribed twenty
n days had expired Bunty was rewarded
with an output Of over four. fifths of all the
eggsset, which was a good showing. With
the exception of a few the fowls grew and
prospered, and Bunty was ~correspondingly
happy. 1t soon became noised around the
township that Bunty Hodge had the finest
fowls of any farmer in it, and he at once
became a prominent source of envy among
the other members OF the craft. Various
wealthy gentlemen who do a Wall street
business in New York and breathe their
nocturnal ozone in Madison and Norris
town, also heard of Bunty Hodges Wyan
dottes, and several purchases were made
at the prico of $40 for a cockrel and two
p~ullsts, which were added to the sunlptu-
Gus estates OF those gentlemen, more as
VIII imsical than anything else.
Elated by the success of his venture Bunty
held his rate up to the stiff fl yure of 50 for
two settings OF tWenty-six eggs, or one set
ting for $3. The township natives prompt
ly declined 10 acccde to the high rate.
Bunty VAS r~esolute and declared he must
get back the large outlay for incubator and
eggs. His scheme at the high figure failed
TO materialize SO last Spring he made up
his mind that if he could moi make fancy
eggs a source of local profit he ould sell
them at market rates per dozen as we'll as
ordinary K and TO attain that end pro-
ceeded down to Newark and arranged 18th
a dealer to ship so many dozen per day.
The scheme proved profitable, even at a
sacrifice for fancy eggs. This Spring hi
thought he could save sxpressaae by sell
lis eggs to the grocery trade, SO he entered
into an agreemeet with B.. NJ. Crane, the
leading grocer of Madison, to sell him all
the eggs he could produce. Mr.. Crane,
during the course of conversation, told of
his arrangements With Bunty Hodge. and
the news spread as though on the wings Of
the wind. The farmers saw the golden op.
~portunity OF purchasing the m~uch-coveted
eggs at the rate Of 20 cents for fifteea aud
patiently waited for the first consignment TO
arrive. Bunty heard Of the little ruse to
Illustrate his high rates, but he did not rufle
q OIL. NHch inc time arrived buuLY APP
peared before the grocery store of Mr.. Crane
With tive fine basketfuls of Wyandotte @ g
delivered them and received his compel "a
ton. He did the same thing every day for
three weeks, only to be told that three times
"a many could be sold If he could furnish
them. At the end of three weeks the sales
fell of abruptly. 1t then transpired that
those of the farmers that wanted to intro
duce choice Wyandotte fowls into their
bsrnysrds had arranged with Grocer Crane
to take all the eggs that Bunty Hodge
could furnish at the same rates as ordin-
airy eggs.
At the expiration of three weeks every
farmer in Chatham Township who had
placed a setting of Bunty Hodges Wyan-
dotte eggs under a hen vas ready to admit
that not a single one had Matched.
When Bunty put in an appearance after
the dismal failure on the part of his rivals
to beat him, he was informed by Mr.. Crane
that there was more disappointment in
farming circles around Madison than ever
occurred before.
a&Vha,.s AZ paatta,s1 oneriad Rnntv