Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-09-04
SOCIETY COCKFIGHTS.
A Fad Among Certain Chicago
Circles.
ParIors and Billiard Rooms Turned Into
Pats Where the Guests Are En-
terta.ncd by battling
Csarlcbirds.

evening, on the corner of Michigan
/ avenue and Twcnty-third street, of a
coclzney coachman who was hurrying
| along with sack under his arm. The
| officer showed his badge, and the coach
man opened the sack and showed two
| game roosters, which were returned to
their roost by the officer
THAT coachman was going out on
| Wabash avenue with those birds to have
| main at some private residence" said
| .he officer of the humane society to a
4 Chicago Times reporter. 1T is a fad
/ Tor millionaires to have private cooking
mains in their dining or billiard
| rooms. Board of trade men are espe-
cially given to this form of sport. OF
course these mains are conducted very
| quietly, for, as n rule, these people do
not wish it generally known that their
tastes run that way.
"When n main is TO take place, the
word is quietly passed around To a Sc
| lect few and there Is gathering of a
dozen or perhaps more in the dining
room at the mansion designated. Some
times they arc invited to dinner, as was
the case on Wabash avenue, not far
from Twenty-ffth street, few even
ings ago. After dinner the ladies ad-
journed to the parlor. The gentlemen
remained below in evening costume.
The dining-table was cleared, the guests
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-table, and when
one OF them nappcd his wing and
crowed his defiance Il round of applause
shook the room.
1.-THE butler, an English cockney with
mutton-chop whiskers and an unspeak-
able accent, wore u steel-pen coat,
knee brooches, and low-quarter 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" J"
said the officer, in explanation. well,
as understand il, after few small
bets the butler took one of the birds
and the coachman the other, and the
feathers began TO fly Whenever o
his opponent, he would receive gem
erous burst of applause from his cham
pions. The host stood ut the head of
the table and acted as timer, or umpire
or Judge and as earnestly and as SOL
emnly as if he were about bulling
wheat or selling October lard short
Three or four rounds had been
fought and neither bird knocked cut,
and the interest in the fight was grow
ing intense, when the host took the
buffers place ut the table saying:
Let me fight this bird Mr.. -, take
the other bird, and we will have q fight
to the finish The other gentleman Is
q millionaire and has acres of real es-
tate and numerous blocks of buildings
in Chicago.
"Thc real estats, owner offered the
host bet of one thousand dollars and
champagne supper for the party that
his bird would win. The wager was
snapped up by the host, who declined to
let u certain large railway shareholder
In the deal At il the birds went.
The host proved to the satisfaction of
al his guests that lao was no novice IN
the business--in fact, he mannged
his bird so well as to prove that
he had had considerable experience
in affairs of this sort. His birtk
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 rounds-knoclsing his op-
ponent 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 cociing-mains," continued
the officer, "are very popular, and DC
coming quite frequent with some of the
wealthy class There are several aris-
tocratic mansions in Chicago which ut
times are private palatial coclspits.
The owners are not even suspected be-
cause OF their high social and financial
standing. They, each in turn, give q
main Just as socials are held at the diff
fercnt houses OF those Of n set by
this means this select cotcrie OF lovers
OF cocSing-mains have half-dozen or
more during the season. Each host
trains his own birds, and sometimes
there are two or more mains OF an even
ing The butler and the coachman do
the training, and frequently they are
selected with special view to their
qualifications in this line. These serv-
ants train the birds in the stable, barn
loft, carriage house, or yard, and often
test the mettle OF the birds, and con-
tribute TO their own amusement by
having mains Of their own. and perhaps
betting their wages on the result"