The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-13
REFUSED TO DIE.
4 Rooster's Marvellous
Vitality.
After Having Its Neck Wrung and
Being PluCked 1t Is Still Able
to Crow aud Eat.

1t is an old although ill-authentlcated
saying that a eat has nine lives, and accord
ing to legendary lore marvellous resur-
rectiOnarY powers were attributed to the
famous Arabian phoenix. but while preda-
tory felines have enjoyed such unmerited
distinction and the bird of flame has won
a fame which appears TO be immortal it Is
generally accepted as an indisputable fact
that other animals are built upon the same
plan as poor humanity, and must lay qui-
escent under the first touch OF deaths
clammy fingers.
1t has remained. however, for a plain,
everyday red-eyed fowl-a homely rooster
at that and a resident of this ety-to
prove that even one OF his lOwly tribe can
come up smiling after tussle with death
and after being apparently knocked out
in the first round. Although disfgured in
a manner which will preclude his appear
ance for some time to come in select ch cken
evening circles, the rooster is still able to
crow over his victory and announced his
satisfaction that he is still on this side of
the chickens heaven, and that his delicate
flesh escaped being digested by some
human gourmand.
1t all happened on Friday at the market,
1045 Market street. and at the poultry and
egg depot presided over by Charles
SpTake. 1t is MIR. Sprake's method to
visit the downtown markets in the early
hours of the morning, and make purchases
of live fowl which are taken up to his
place of business, and there dressed for
selling over the counter to his customers.
Among the chickens which he purchased
last Friday morning was a Tine large
speckled Plymouth Rock rooster, weigh
ing at least nine pounds. Its splendid a p
mt ifffI fQ0l
ings in the heart of the ruthless man
whose business il is TO kill and dress the
poultry, and the feathered aristocrat was
brought squawking to the fatal block.
AS he was about TO be operated upon he
gave one last plunge for liberty, and would
probably have escaped. but the willy ex-
ecutioner caught him by the neck and by
dexterous twist caused the rooster to
struggle in the throes of death. as he (the
executioneD thought
AS any one who has watched the chicken
executioDers at work knows there is little
time lost between the time of a chickens
death and its plucklng. so in very few
moments the fat body of the obstreperous
rooster was lying on the counter denuded
of all feathers, except becoming collar
around the neck.
Fully fifteen minutes passed and the
chicke n-dresser went on with his work and
Mr.. Sprake divided his attention between
plump carcasses laid out on the counter.
Suddenly there was a movement among
the latter. and TO Mr.. Sprake's astonish-
ment. the plump rooster wiggied out from
the nile of caTcasses and unsteadily raised
itself up on its legs. 1t staggered a bout for
awhile and then, bracing % its twisted
neck and bristling out the collar of feath-
ers, emitted a weak but still forcible crow
This done it blinked its dim red eyes at
! Mr.. Sprake as if it would say. Pm still
in it,"
After its effort it fell down as IL to regain
breath, and while Mr.. Sprake and the
| chicken-picker were recovering from their
wonder it began struttiDg along the coun-
| ter, Tapping its featherless wings, cluck-
! ing and trying wlggle tail which no
! longer existed. at times it would look
around at itself as though wondering what
had become of its feathers.
| Mr.. Sprake tried to catch the rooster,
| but it had now full possession of its facul-
| ties, and was in no mood to be caught. II
| gave another crow Of defiance, and fan
| ping itself upon the floor tried to escape
from the place. The chicken-picker was
alert, however. and soon managed to catch
the fowl. An examination showed that it,
neck had not been broken, and that out.
side of its loss of feathers 1t was as hearty
as ever it had been.
Never having heard of living feather.
less rooster before, Mr.. Sprake deter
mined to keep the fowl as long as be would
live, es ecialy as he did not seem to be
suffering any pain. His roostership de.
veloped a healthy appetite and sound.
ness of lungs when il came to Growing
that was remarkable. The loss of feathers
alone seemed to discommode him, as he
would occasionally shiver and then loob
at himself in a very surprised manner.
Mr.. Sprake had an overcoat made fol
him yesterday morning from an old blan
ket, and although at first that seemed tc
surprise him as much as the lack of feath
ers, he soon began to appreciate it and
consider il a fair substitute for the
natural covering which had disappeared
| in such q remarkable manner.
Yesterday the overcOated fowl was &C
| cupying large coop. was admired anC
wondered at by large number of people
Some poultrymen who saw him said thai
he cannot live, but last night the rooster
was as chip per as could be and as he filled
! lis crop with wheat seemed proud of the
fact that he had established chicken rec
ord in opposition to the nine-iived cat anC
| the tabled phoenix.
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