The Atlanta constitution., 1896-09-28
GIANT eFIeKEFs.
They Were Not Afraid of Han
or Beast.

or Beast.
san Diego. Cal. September e2--fSpecial
Carresg gaudence-l-A chicken thirteen feet
h.Eh IS a toi-rabls sized chicken even in the
'faud 81 sunshine where vegetables and
utrer ErpNsLg things nA out 10 sizes that
are surprising 10 Hativcs iu other parts OF
tae l-ui where severe winters and other
climatic sethacks 30 not allow things 10
Eruw as readily as 40 tAe conditions OF
southern California
Tie giant chickens n the Pacific coast
are not now found alive on amy Of the
ranches in California nj any rate. but the
BONES ~ these bipeds are occasionally found
and from these ulds the uatursllists have
built ug bird II truly astonishing proper
tious TO even the most enthusiastic IOul-
try fauCier ~ ths or amy other land In
Gays gone hy an. giant chickens held iorth
all fhe way from California down 10 cape
Horn. and. according To tie uaturalists-
these fowls were the cocks of the walk
wherever they cared TO tai. "a hand Boo the
same. with almost any other two or four
leEsed thug that then walked the earth
\ chicken with skull nearly three feet
long ought to have been able g. 10 "a power
fal lct os thinking. and when that skull was
several LuChes tAiels ID was NOT ~ -Teat d'iii-
EeT of being eke,i very readily in "a cock
febt- Compared with one cf the largest
living Os,riehes al taIE! q Ga-lt ciicAeh
was a monster. uos only in slze but also "a
ferOelty 81 temper. and its eXtrsme rea'i-
ness 90 euEa-e .u combat az the drop OF the
lat. 20 10 speak. made it greatly feared 10y
al h.rLs aul animals in any way It's inie-
l1or iu Illes or lshlius qualities
N1turlIi=rs who have found the homes oi
these @art chickens .u caves ia remote and
alsa0-t iuae-e=-.hl- portions of the Andes
mountain a.- elsewhere along the faeilc
coast have terrI the-e evidences 5Aii these
remarkable hirls were the tunqu rors. aot
ollg Ok ut.eE L-ze birds ANA beasts. "u-
ulsu % the early races uf iaer, wi1 were
feo4aartE enough fw attempt fn tt4 70 Up
hattie wsth these Niutl f.-.-lerel monsters
u these der~ ~ tns r.aut chickens have
been uuearthe.i the bones of man and OF
beasts and ruare So. ms 10 be uo question
E4z Whar the carE-.t lruus llrsiS lr1-ttl
tier victims or rather the CcrtS-s % ttefF
victims Co. rhc caves wherein tneN Fte-urir
ana il these charlel houses tAsE dcsplred
tEe.r sutfnas az theIr l-I4lra- Deductions
hsve been made with care from fae remains
of tEe big rhal seus. ami DO Is estimated
rhzretr1ru tiaL tu. fectn-ss uf these BIRDS
was p.ler1-u..la.t- Like the ostrlrh. their
tfulby wings were ~ no use Iu ryins or
IN combat Their great power was iu the.r
enormous af-~- These legs were i've or >iA
feet long They were armed Nith terrible
tees. which reese mhle the toes of the mo1ern
ostrich. Llt much longer and thlcker and
ths toe nail was sharp enough auI hard
enough ta pierce t51- toughest skinned 1t-
taArr.ist anna usually intiict a fatal wound
before IS sight ceased
Ar1ra.r means or defense ami Of ofteuse
v.sl tllee chickens was the hili. or be.l-
1- ae. 81 trr.taIIe meat hook when il came
fa r-. au enemy and drag tne hai'ltss
ra-.m rr i.s wreth 90 death The sku4l
Itna "a .au- ur.. usually about thirty SIX
freres. eaye unusual power to tins hoohed
q sr T1e h.fs a9ui4 alrlkc several teet on
sr side with this hoax. and when D. MT
rssh cr hone .- ul.se things iy- The pow
sr .F tl.s teak B. eVil. COL 81 iy marks on
rf. t.r,s ef rhe victims found iu tho caves
sf tf.-. creatures In some inS .ances tine
h-4 .a.v where tice htll- has radH a
ra.. rrt.-.fv tbrrr-h trc part struck. even
tf.sr r.uffrtflra the flesh uf me Nictim-
T-st outside rn.. OF tlt chicken caves the
rea1a -s 20 tve ~ tEe giant chickens tNAl
EeE e.t-..rlv ter.slesi iu a duel. a. i-
v.r- haze tsea found. ami these relics
are frrrtfr evidence ~ the aWfulmfss Ol
tFrs- Jury when eura.cd- One Of the skulls
q Tie I,ruuet chicken has a large hole IN
sire Le % it evidently made by tie ue'tA
~ tfs antagonist The lex bones oI L'-A
t.-s-= were broken. one of the huge he;il1s
vas sa'lt iu half Tn fact each birds oe'ii.s
were s1 Thoroughly broken up from one
another attacks that death must nav"
scou clsucI after tue iEnt-
Their manner u fighting was much Ike
ff.a- nr the ostrich of today Here in south
rru California there are hundreds ot os-
Shes Eld a fight on one II the farms re-
Gently was doubtless much like that Le-
tween ths giant chickens 81 long ago u
vas 4 terribly earnest hight between TWO OF
the farresr cock ostriches in the flock %
thirty ~ forty birds. The fighters weigh
"a nearly three hundred pounds each. End
trev were evenly matched. very plucky ana
did their hest 10 XIII each other
There is q novelty about an ostrich hsh.
Tire no-.Icrous birds are quick as cats They
use their feet more deXtrousiy than pi-
rflisf uses his fists. and with Tar more dea1-
~ effect one of these birds can thrust his
t0ny. pointed toe through an men Do'iId
Nth very slight effort such a blow i
enough 10 XIII an OK With single Kick
cue 81 these ostrlehes would eisenhower a
nan Instantly
The feht started over the division OF cab
hare leaves which the keeper had thrown
20 the hungry birds Seldom have Two nl-
rrFs fought with more desire - Xii thAh
dsI these ostrsches. And royal hSht y
vs. IN the ayes Of The keeper as he saw
rlusnos worth SO each soar from the boIy
a z bird TN response 20 the kick OF an enc
nv and fan crumpled and worthless INTO
the dust Feathers didn't count for nluch
IN the flashing eyes OF the ostriches- IheE
wanted blood. Nothing but pure gore would
satisfy their sense of honor Blood th"y
did get and enough TO satisfy Governor
WaIte ere the hattie ceased With a deep
hiss auL outstretched wings Ostrich jim
fora down on colonel like a forty-fOoter IN
a gale sheered 10 the right. end caught
Colonel on the left thigh. ripping the thick
hide OF the hare leg and causing Il TO hieei
freely. colonel retaiiated. and almost Grip
r.ed Jim's wing with kick that nearly
cHpsIzed him. Then they spared with feet
and beaks. picking and kicking ieathe1s
fror, one another until Colonel dealt a ter
rfffc blow on Jim's stomach. which scerlet
to literally lift him from the ground Only