River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-08-20
AN AMBITIOUS ROOSTER.
lie Disturbs the SAUNDERS of His Fellow
Travellers.


When a Philadelphia boy returned
home last fall from his fathers New
England farm where he had been sew
eral months. he carried with him n
young game rooster which had been his
care literally alb ovo, for he had seen the
little chicken come TO life in an incuba-
tor. and had made 1t his pet from the
first. Carefully packed in basket,
young chanticleer began the journey.
His owner would trust him to no hands
but'his own. and deposited basket and
bind safely ia his state-room on the Fall
river boat. IN proper season he gave
his charge II ROSTERS supper, and at his
own bedtime, seeing that his pet was
well disposed for the night, went to
sleep to dream of the dear farm he was
leaving behind.
All went well till the first streak of
daylight appeared. Chanticleer was
not "house-trained," and being proud
of the lusty discordant crow he was
Just acquiring. nature commanded him
10 herald the dawn with true barnyard
vigor.
The first few peals fitted themselves
beautifully into the boys dreams Of
the farm. Soon particularly strident
crow walked him completely, and left
no doubt in his mind that his pet was
acting in very questionable manner
Growing on a farm, even badly, may be
a worthy accomplishment, but in the
state room of a sound steamer, before
the passengers want to get up, it is
quite another thing.
Evidently the rooster felt more at
home than the boy, for he continued
his clarion calls at frequent intervals
with increasing fervor.
The boy rolled out of his berth and
tried TO awe the bird by peering sternly
into the basket. For a moment Chanti-
cleer was silenced. but the boys eye
was not a lion tanners, and even as he
looked the bird crowed again. At a
rough count this was the tenth peal.
Murmurings of discomfort could be
heard from the surrounding state
rooms. Wiring that birds neck"
called out one sleepy traveller. A bet
ter-natured man was heard to laugh,
and more distant came the words, in un-
doubted Yankee twang:
'~yal, swan, if didn't think was
back in the state of Maine, and chore
time was here"
Strangulation seemed the only cure,
and that the boy would not have in
fiicted at the command of the captain
and all the boats officers. The rooster
kept on growing, and the funny side of
the affair struck its owner more and
more forcibly. As he chuckled, the
rage of his neighbors increased, and he
soon heard sounds of getting up, dress
ing. and indignant protests against trav-
cling with barnyard- The angry man
said:
TT res no more rest in this part of
the boat, and I'd rather shiver on deck
as we go through Hell Gate than to
hear such din"
State-room doors slammed. The
rooster had won the day. early as it
was. In the train from New York to
Philadelphia the Growing went on, and
when they reached the Broad street
station. the outburst showed the alarm
ing record of one hundred and seventy
seven crows.
II was not altogether bad fun" for
the boy, but il was after all somewhat
embarrassing. and he decided he would
not manage another personally con-
Quoted tour" with young rooster as
chief traveller Youths Companion.