The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22

Temptations In the shape OF hneubntoN|
and Other Appliances Put Berore Ther,
on Their Hond to the Ferry - Jersey
mans Tale OF u Vain Attempt 20
RnIsr Good ItroIIcr- FOR Market.
"fn the spring n liyoiicr iris changes on the
FURNISHED dove. In the surlug n young mans
fancy lightly turns tu thoughts of loves" but
dil you ever notice the trade evidences OF how
the approach Of the sun to the spring solstico
affects the thoughts Of the r l. lar commutcr
on the suburban railroads Now II the time to
make observations, aud the evidences are To bo
found most conspicuously in such streets as
Fulton. Cortland, and Liberty. nloi.s v.-~I
the dwrllcrs in Thompsonvill NJ he-lIailroa
or Smith Park .on-thc sea wcnd their way daily
10 n ferry. Does the mere matter of weather
have any effect upon the Kind " spring mad
ness here referred tuy Not the SLIGHTEST. March
winds may howl, and bring with them slect,
snow. rain, ar temperatures such rs belong
moro properly 10 milwiutcr. but once the sun
gets fairly high in the heavens nothing can pre-
vent The thoughts OF the commutcr from turn
Ing 10 the subject Of chirkcp,.
Well do the dealers know this, and long bo-
fore even the most rash pull"t would begin to
think Of starting n nest and going into tho pro-
pagating line upon her own account, the shop
keepers begin operation. to profit Us what they
know is the inevitable. The first sign that
they have recognized the coming of the spring
malady Is the appearance upon the sidewalks
outside of their doors IT rolls Of woven wire
cloth, with coarse mCsh's, known in tho trade
~ chicken wire. Then In Windows there sud-
denly appear beds Of cotton wool. and pretty
soon upon these iluCKs uf newly latcl ed chick
ems. II you watch these evidences you will
see a few days later that iucubntors, artificial
mothers, and such things ARE being shipped
away. rs we'll as rolls Of chicken wire.
The sacrifice of the suburhanitr has begun.
II l. already well uudcr way this year. IL
was only II day or two ago, when the streets
were covered with slush. that a SuS reporter
caught II Loncsomevillu man stopping In the
chilling blasts of wind. pulling his fur cap
down close to his scalp. and siding close up to
u shop window To watch IN" p]crpiug chickens.
Caught in the act, rs It were, the comuutcr
began to confess.
Its Just the sam now. he declared. las
1t was twenty years ago when | first moved
out into the country and got II house with a
yard big enough to have sunshine in II all
day, long, Never does the spring sun begin
10 draw tho sap of the trees out Of the roots
that | do not hive Il craving to raise n crop uf
chickens and to keep hens. Then these fell
lows bait YOU on. They pat out n roll of chicken
wire marked nj such n, rid icuiously low price
that you Immediately begin u mental cHlrr-
lntion as to What a chicken yard would cost.
pcricnce when | first gave way to the tcmpta-
tions thus spread IN my way; and severe ms
sist the inclination tn. stop and watch these
chickens. and ] know | am liable to give wnv
any spring and build another hen yard and 10
s]pooking about for fancy settings of eggs.
There Is only. one form Of this mad craze
of which ] think am cured. That Is the in
cubator fever. | had that three years ago,
just as many n poor fellow will hive it this
H Hf' iis SH World ! dl"pP p1 an oy nninc ES"f mo %msi, TIE w END
inside one of these shops whore pocping
tpntlnra "a = rtInDfpp ulnput in "a uiplp,u "a
p%arentIy enjoying the new life that had just
come 70 them. There / GOT II lot of printed
IL. my brain, already atirc with the spring
madness. saw visions of untold wealth rising
went to raising hroilers. There was an endless
market for hroilers at 81 II pound or more,
n mors " e good At ,,'I = tim imeuo f. }T t W%Gld in h9lG d 600 "mo %" OF
the papers | got | was warned that had eggs
wouldn't hatch and that even, with we'll
per cent. between the number Of eggs | put into
the MACHINE and The number of broilcrs which
l get IA bigger machiney
We'll: set at work ana altered part of the
In II slopinG sash on the south side, and en-
closed the yard outside of that for the chick
I ! I '4 foHsIt my a. in ,"GS too. and e% io artid FiIeii
mother. and the rest Of it and began TO work,
M Vt f9It me me S SG9nt oS Sl 90 10 'ip., st %5icn viz" 1T rhi GEt
ems poy for THAR I found that eggs just at
that time of year were IA triile dear. as it was
cents apiece which ! had TO pay ,didn't seem
much when / was sure of getting $3.50 for the
half product that | was counting on from 500
eggs. bought the eggs and set the machine
ut work. All il needed wac a supply Of kero-
sonc oil, for uthcrwise it was The best machine
there wa. and it was self regulating. 1t
couldn't get too hot or too cold or too dry or
too moist. tho vendors said, SO long as you kept
the lamp alight.
so day 10y day | watched it. | fed the lamp
every morning bcfor" ! sprintad for the train.
and every night before | went to bed. Three
weeks seemed u long time. hut they passed Mt
last, and then the eggs began to hatch. For
two days was a happy man. In that time
twelve. chickens rickcd their why into tho
world in that incubator. ] took them out ten
derry aud, transferred them to the 'muthcr.'
and waited for II ore, but no more came. Then
i cracked the iSS eggs that were left and found
no grounds for hope. | concluded not to try
$50 worth of eggs light away. but 10
raise and market the twelve chickens first.
It WIS we'll. one by one they all died within
u week except the worst looking one Of the
batch. ! lave got him vet. ! haven't the
heart TO kt.l him, although hc regularly de-
stToyS my flower beds. and my UCighhOrS won't
XIII him, Gl.huUgh | lave begged Them to do
so instead of aCHGiu; In bills to me for the
damage he does.
IF you want nm incubator and u 'mother,'
come to my house and I'll give YOU one. and
yon can have Billy with ii, but | advise you
not Ia take it,"
There was pain In the Jerscyit"'s voice NJ
he finished his narration and started Oh Il run
for the last boat.