The Yale expositor., 1896-07-10

| M ~l6tU COCK muSL WituOut
| sEr5kSN doubt be awarded
HUSrU> the palm as being
SdG~SUS the most cOurag-
eous of all living creatures.
A game bull terrier will fight to the
death, but it is doubtful II any dog
would begin a fight with live coal
burning into his spine. The coal would
take his thoughts away from the other
dog and turn his energies to getting
rid of the coal. A live coal does not
affect a gamecock's ferocity.
A famous breeder of game fowls IN
Kentucky recently determined to as
certain If possible what amount OF pain
| would disconcert a thoroughly good
gamecock. He tried several measures
without avail before resorting to final
and supreme test.
This enterprising and unfeeling gen.
tleman selected two fine birds of equal
weight and put them through the usual
conditioning and training for battle.
During this period they were kept In
small pens, where they were in con-
stant view of one another, though un-
able to "get together"
| When they were fit to fight they
were first heeled with spurs in the
usual manner Then the experlmenter
| by means of leather strap with an
iron socket set in it strapped a live
coal to the back of each birds neck
at its base. They were then faced in
the pit and freed.
The Goals burned through the feath-
ers almost instantly. and the sizzling
flesh told they were quickly sinking
in towards the spine.
Neither bird, however, seemed to be
conscious of the acute pain which the
burning must have caused. With
rush they dashed at one another, strik-
ing viciously. They were both fast
fighters, and in less than three minutes
one had succeeded in delivering his
opponent a fatal thrust through the
brain. The wounded cock collapsed,
and, with convulsive tremor, died.
The victor, with eye out, badly slash
ed in the neck and breast and with
the coal still smoking in his back,
picked once or twice at the dead cock
and, lifting up his head, crowed a
|
life beautiful for game roosters was at
that moment experienced by this ex-
traordinary bird.
The coal, which was still hot enough
! to burn a mans hand, was unstrapped
and the wound dressed. 1t had, how
ever, eaten too deep and paralysis Of
the spinal cord resulted, which made
wringing the brave birds neck the
most merciful end of the cruel expert
| ment.
Although cock-fghting is a brutal
sport properly forbidden by the law its
| popularity is probably due to the fact
that the game birds give no sign of the
| pain they undergo. Thus their battles
| do not shock the sensibilities Of the
spectators as do dog fights. In spite
| of the authorities hundreds of cooking
mains come off within a few miles of
New York every year.
A chicken that has earned $4,000 for
his owner is the champion heavy
weight gamecock Defiance.
Defiance is 6 years and months old
which Is an advanced age for a game
cock, but he is still In the pink of con-
dition. having from youth up left whis-
ky alone and kept early hours.
Only three months ago Defiance won
the worlds championship by killing
Victorious, the talented Spanish pile
that previously held the belt This
battle came off at Blissville, where is
celebrated cooking pit.
Defance's natal egg was hatched at
Sayville, l.. l., in January, 1899, giving
him a good start in the stag class of
his year. His father was a much
respected Spanish brass-back cock of
blue blood, and his hen mother was
likewise Of an excellent Spanish brass
back family.
Mr. John Given of East New York, L.
l., was under the impression that he
owned the paternal Defiance, the hen
layout and all the chickens but while
Defiance, Jr., was still young cockerel
he cleaned out the ranch. At the age
of 6 months he discovered that he had
been born to fight and illustrated his
discovery upon his brother stays. AL
though his spurs were not grown, he
so completely discouraged several
young cocks that they were good for
nothing but potpie and had their
necks wrung in consequence.
Defiance grew very big and soon
made his professional debut in the Dit.
He developed quick, vigorous style of
fighting, which, If he was well heeled,
has never failed to put holes through
the other cocks head and neck in short
order.
His fighting weight is now eight
pounds, and he is as tough as he is
heavy. In the course of his many bat
ties he has cleared up about $4,000
for his owner. and so far as known
has never been arrested.
had Debts for Charity.