The Penn's Grove record., 1894-04-06
CHURCHTOwN's UNwRITTEN
HISTORY.

Mr.. EDIToR:-
n C more take up the
implement of my craft to give to the
public a bit of unpublished history con-
corning the unassumning but historic
village of Churchtown. AS q stranger
sails past its wave-kissed western
boundry he little dreams that one of its
inhabitants has a national reputation as
a grower of birds that are little less
illustrious than the noted early tomato
grower. Already the t~ruck-loying Will
m~ingtonian forgets that the succulent
shad is here and goes down to Third
street bridge and watches for the ia.
miliar form OF Billy who usually man.
ages to get tomatoes In the market even
before the chilsome winds Of spring
cease to sing the songs Of frost and hail
and try to out rival in volume of sound
and sweetness Of tone the voice Of
Billy's gentle and good wife Sarah.
William at one time felt gloomy and
CdSI uOWu iOk HO oEChlCu w LlllLih kuaV
the days of his favorite bird Reddy were
very few. Prominent scientists were
called in to analyze the symptoms and
give unto the severe affection of Reddy
a name and Drs. Callahan, Miller and
Atkinson, of Pennsville, pronounced it
paralysis, but Prof. Dan. Myers, of the
Vetino-M edico University Of Dogtown,
N. J.. pronounced 1t most vehemently
the spring-halt, superinduce by over
taxation of the muscles Of the stomach
and the supply of gastric secretions
having been absolutely exhausted. 1t
happened 10 be my luck to see my old
friend as he stood looking at the invalid
and out of sympathy 1 thought for a
| moment how to keep him out of the
depth of his dependency ard grief. 1
said 10 him "Colonel can you take a
| pointer?" "Yip!" came the prompt
reply. CONTINUED and said, 'you have
a most beautiful chance to raise poultry
cheap. Every school boy and girl too
will deem 1t great fun to see your chick
ems catch corn. Just tell them that
they can have all the fun they want if
they will furnish the corn." Billy
winked his off eye In q knowing way
and says II have it," He told me last
fall that, regardless Of the Democratic
prices he had received for his poultry,
he cleared more money on 1t than he
ever did before. SIT is just charming,
but / don't want Hance and Charley to
get onto my little racket" Reddy is
better and able to 90 through the regu-
lar routine of business again.
By peoples throwing the chicken
pebbles and other substances that were
not coDgenial to Reddy's palate, Billy
discovered that the fowl possessed the
capability Of swallowing and ejecting
like d pigeon does. Billy gave Reddy
a pointer or two and then told his
neighbors how the bird could catch
money, quarters, halves, etc. After the
exhibitions of Reddy's skill he would
give Billy the wink. Billy would ask
the guest into tue house excuse himself
and meet Reddy around the southeast
corner of the house, where he would
invariably have the coin in his beak
ready to deposit In Billy's hand. ]
stood talking with Billy n day and he
gave the pocket that he had had made
especially for Reddy's cash, a vigorous
shake and there followed a loud jingle
of numerous pieces of silver, brass but
tons, pocket knives, etc.
Once Billy bet a prominent politician
who had gone to get Billy to TURF
| C%hurchtOwn out on election day in solit
Democratic ranks, q V that Reddy
could swallow a silver dollar. The
politician produced the dollar, Reddy
swallowed it and Billy made Sc by The
deal, but he said it was too risky to re
| peat as he had to cut the birds crav
open to get the dollar. AS Billy sur
yey ed the bird with pride he remarked
'that is too valuable a bird to loose
Let us count the money in Reddy's de
partment." We counted and thu
amount was S13, exactly. I shook m!
head for death or misfortune seemed tt
be lurking under that fatal and myster
, ious number and to get my mind off o
, it, we walked out and looked at Billy
tomatoes and eggplants which are in
very promising condition.
There is much more that would b
interesting to your readers that l viii
have to omit at this writing as l fear
have already taken more than my shar'
!, of space in your popular and Influential
sheet. SCRIBE