The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23
AN INTERNATIONAL HENCOOP.
Barrow Feeds His Hens in Mexico and
Gets Their Eggs in Arizona.


Amasa Barrow has chicken ranch not
far from Nogales on which he has divided
matters between conscience and thrift with
true Yankee ingenuity. Barrow Is from
Massachusetts, and he has an eye that
magnifieS the main chance by many dam
eters and a Puritan conscience that would
have shone resplendent on the Mayhower
itself. Barrow's local nickname is OLD Hon
esty and those who know him best do not
hesitate to declare that he wouldn't take
advantage even in horse trade. He is
survival of the severe old Puritan morality
which held that to take a pin is as bad
as to take a pocketbook, and he governs
his daily life by its principles. But that
does not hinder him from being as anxious
as the next man to get hold OF good
chicken ranch near Nogales, he saw at
once the big advantage 1t would give MN
to grow his chickens across Ine me tha IN A 0lo
IONA trade, and to pay duties would cut up
But to Yankee ingenuity the thing was
easy enough. Barrow just built an inter
national henhouse. American money
changed into Mexican money means nearly
two dollars for one, while the cheap prices
for labor and products increase the adVan5
tages for the buyer. But his chickens and
eggs would command far higher prices on
the Arizona side of the line. II ne nought
his grain and other feed for his chickens
in Mexico. he would get for 1t tor ABOUT
half what it would cost him in Arizona: But
Amasa Barrow would not smuggle chicken
feed across the boundary That Would De
the same as stealing. SO he bultt long
coop or pen half on the Arizona sl HIe,i ana
the other half extending down into Mexico
He buys all his supplies on the otner sue
and stores them there in sheds. Never
grain of his chicken feed is carrle6 across
the border When he wants TO feed his
chickens he opens the gate between the TWO
parts of the pen and drives the mock INTO
Mexico where they fill up on Mexican
grain When they have eaten their MI he
shooes them back to the other end, where,
under the folds of the stars ana strlpeS'
they lay their eggs and hatch their young.
ErinanciaIIv the scheme works beautiful
w and if it were not for the errant nature
and perverse disposition OF the common
harvard fowl Amasa Barrow would nave
easy profits as we'll as a clear conscience
Every one of his hens is possessed to lay
the Coolest houses and the softest and most
comfortab BILE nests for them on the Arizona
side. But they will waste most or thelr
time and much of their flesh hunting
around for chances to slip over into Mexico
and hide out their nests under the RUE OF
President Diaz. This gives conscientious
itor to his ranch the other day Barrow
told what a life his hens lead him
do you see that specified cr crit pros nis
pectin' along the fence yonder? he SAID
''Wen she's lookin' for place 10 get
through right now. But she won't find any.
I've fixed 'em all so there ain II a crack nn;,
eldest fool you ever saw. She's the tarnaton-
list one in the hull lot. She's got nice big
shed. But she don't lay in it: No, sir; she
hikes off into Mexico and hides her nest
out in the sage brush and cactus every
chance she gets and keeps me busy tryin
to chase her back before she lays Gosh
all mighty there she goes now"
The speckled hen had found crack she
could squeeze through, and with demufe
but anxious air was hurrying off into the
land of MonteZuma. Barrow gave chase
and the hen. taking immaculate alarm nan
ter rushed off at top speed They ran ana
ran. and the hen doubled and turned and
lodged around cactus clumps and scooted
lunches
we'll ahead of her pursuer and sometimes
barely slipping from under his hands
You dad gummed old fool" painted Old
Honesty. making a dive for the speckled
hen "Kuh tut, kuh-tah-kut. gasped the
hen taking fresh wind and darting around ma
a cactus bush, leaving Barrow clawing the
air in the effort to keep his balance. You
gol darned Mexican greaser OF coyote
Shoe back there, now Amt the United
States good enough for you to lay in?"
"Kuh-tut kuh-tut, kuh-tah-kut," from the
hen as she again slipped from under ms
gosh dinged fool. I'll wiring your carajo
neck for you. Dad gum you to blazes, you
blamed old idiot, shoe back there, l tell
you. or Tll-Oh. Lord, she's gone and done
it," The speckled hen with proud and de-
faint cackle, made flying rush from under
clump of sage brush. where she had a
moments rest and started back toward
the chicken pen and the Arizona line kuh-
tah-kutting at the top of her voice; She
came the proud parent of an egg on Mex
lean soil Barrow shooed her back 70 the
Enclosure without dlfnculty, heaplng upon
her meanwhile all the Yankee and Spanish
epithets of derision and contumely Of
which his timber tongue was capable. Then
he made a little heap of grease wood and
sage brush around the egg and set it on
fire.
We've got to eat that egg down here in
Mexico" he explained to his visitor. i
generally get EN- chased back to the United
States before they lay, but ii any OF them
dog goned critters get ahead OF me | roast
the eggs and eat EN- down here, cause L
amt smugglin' eggs across the line, no sir
If | can't make money honestly l don't
want to make il all.
Old Honesty hauled out from his trousers
pocket little tin box containing pepper
and salt. which showed that he was pre-
pared for Just such catastropheS, and then
sat on the ground across the Mexican Dor
der and ate the egg which the speckled hen
had insisted on laying on Mexican soil
And then Amasa Barrow came back into
Arizona with his conscience at rest. He
had struggled no eggs and would not be
the richer by the perVersity of the speckled
hen.