The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-21
SOCIETY CoCKFIGHTs.
A Fad Among Certain CHICAGO
Circles.
Parlors and Billiard Rooms Turpo, into
Pits Where tho Guests Arc En-
tertaincd by battling
Ganeblrtls

Gameblrds.
"Coachy, where are YOU po;ner with
the rooster?" asked q man tho other
evening, on the corner of Michiron
avenue and Twenty-third street. of n
cockney coachman who was burrv;ng
along with n sack under his arm. The
officer showed his badge, and the coach
man opened the sack and showed two
game ROSTERS, which were returnod RI
their roost by the officer.
That coachman was goinp ont on
wabash avenue with those birds to bovo
q man Ut somo private residence" said
inc o1hcer OF the humane society to Il
chicago Times reporter. 'It is a fad
1or miilionaircs to have private cooking
mains In their dining-rooms, or billiard
rooms. Board of trade men arc cspe-
clally given to this form of sport. OF
course these mains are conducted very
quietly, for, as rule, these people do
not wish it generally known that their
tastes run that way
When main is to take place, the
word is quietly passed around to a Sc
lect few and there is gathering of n
dozen or perhaps more in the dining
room at the mansion designated. Some
times they are invited to dinner. as was
the case on Wabash avenue, not far
from Twcnty-iifth street, few even
ings ago. After dinner the ladies' adj
Journed to the parlor. The gentlemen
remained below in evening costume
The dining-table was cleared, the quests
ranged around the room in circles. and
the master of ceremonies summoned
the coachman, who carried two fine
game roosters. They were placed on
the mahogany dining-tablc, and when
one of them tapped his wing and
crowed his defiance u round of applause
shook the room.
Tho butler, an English cocl1ncy with
mutton-chop whiskers and an unspeak-
able accent, wore a steel-pen coat.
knee breeches, and low-quartcr shoes
with silver buckles. The coachman
wore the regulation pantaloons, high
top boots, etc. There were no gaffs
used. Now, am telling you this as it
was told to me, for / know nothing
about it of my personal knowledge"
said the officer, in explanation. 'sWcll,
as understand it, after few small
bets the butler took one of the birds
and the coachman tho other, and the
feathers began to fly Whenever 4
bird got in lick, or rather kick, on
his opponent, he would receive Il gen
crous burst of applause from his cham
pions. The host stood at the head of
the table and acted as timer, or umpire
or judge, and as earnestly and as SOL
cmnly rs if he were about bulling
wheat or selling October lard short.
Three or four rounds had been
fought and neither bird knocked out,
and the interest in the fight was grow
ing intense, when the host took the
buffers place at the table saying:
Let me fight this bird. Mr.. -, take
the other bird, and we will have fight
to the finish The other gentleman is
4 millionaire and has acres of real es-
tate and numerous blocks of buildings
in Chicago.
THE real estate owner offered the
host bet of one thousand dollars and
a champagne supper for the party that
his bird would win. The wager was
snapped up by the host, who declined to
let a certain large railway shareholder
in the deal At it the birds went.
The host proved to the satisfaction of
all his guests that he was no novice in
the business-in fact he managed
his bird SO we'll as to prove that
he had had considerable experience
in affairs of this sort. His bird,
however, was not quite so game,
or, rather, less scientific than
the other, and the real estate gentle
mans rooster was victorious after seven
well-fought mountaineering his OPP
poncnt off the table. The butler called
time, for he was now timer in place of
his master, and the victory was given
to the real estate ariStocrat.
Private coclking-maius," continued
the officer, "are very popular, and be-
coming quite frequent with some of the
wealthy class. There arc several aris-
tocratic mansions in Chicago which at
times are private palatial aockpits.
The owners are not even suspected be-
cause of their high social and financial
standing. They, each in turn, give n
main just rs socials are held az the diff
fercnt houses of those of set BY
this means this sa3cct cotcric of lovers
of cocking-mnins have half dozen or
moro during th. season. Each host
trains his own birds, and sometimes
there arc two or more mains OF an even
ing. The butler and the coachman do
the training, and frequently they are
selected with a special view to their
qualifications in this line. These serv..
ants train the birds in the stable, barn
loft, carriagc-honse, or yard, and often
test the mcttle- OF the BIRDS. and con-
tribute to ther own amusement by
having mains, of their own, and perhaps
betting their wages on the result"
Captured tho Kaisor.