The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-09

7 sideration q frontage of ESQ feet which
| could sell any day for $1,000 a foot.
| Most of this valuable real estate in the
heart of the metropolis is converted into
q vegetable garden of the country type,
| where the pumpkins serenely mellow
and the grapes purple in the autumn
| SUM-
1t Is on the third floor of this stately
pile or stone that the arts tocratic cocks
are cooped. AT great expense Mr..
Mackin has fitted UP the place with all
| the improvements known in the cock
| kingdom. 1t Is a sight familiar to the
| fashionable residents Whereabouts to see
| light at night in the upper story.
| The ball room Is not filed with gay
| dancers, as the uninitiated might sus-
pect, but the liege lord and a few Of
| the fellows" are looking at the prize
| pets in the hennery.
In the day time the cackling OF the
hens can be plainly heard by the pass
erby, who has begun to regard the
| Mackin mansion as an interesting ad-
| junct to the menagerie In Lincoln park,
| just across the way. In fact, since this
sporting secret has leaked out in the
neighborhood the whole place is re-
garded with the same curious interest
that attaches to a haunted house.
DEFENDS THE SPORT.
John Macktn vigorously defends the
sport of cock fighting
''The fighting of BIRDS" he declared,
with the enthusiasm of Ia man talking
of his hobby, "has been the amusement
of nearly every nation, from the Ro-
mans, who used to fight quails, to the
Chinese, who still fight sparrows.
Cock fighting is not as cruel as
horse racing, for this reason: A horse
is dashed when he is doing his best,
while the fowl is in a frenzy when
fighting and doesn't feel the punish
ment. If the fowl is cared for properly
after its little encounter-that is, pro-
viding it is not killed outright as some
times happens-the bird suffers no in
jury Whatever.
and I want to tell you another
thing. Cock fighting is a sport enjoy
ed by the leading men Of the country.
Why, men like Clay and Jackson
have pair Of spurs, by the way which
were once the property Of Clay. And,
speaking Of sports generally, the big
gest dog fight ever held in Massachu-
sets was in Gov. Russelps barn"
AT HIS COUNTY, HOME.
Though most Of the cocks are kept
in the city home, some are housed at
Mr. Mackin's country place, in Lake
county. Here he has a large farm Of
fuHblooded animals, from Angora cats
to Jeanette Pyle cocks.
At an expense of $4,000 he has fitted
up building for the cocks. 1t is most
ly Of glass, like a conservatory, and OW-
ing to the ferocious fighting traits Of
the birds, each one has to be kept in
a separate run" which is compart-
nlent boarded up four feet on each side
Should there be the slightest opening
between the runs" so the birds could
see each other, they would peck at the
opening until they dropped dead from
exhaustion.
One Of the interesting evidences Of
Mr.. Mackin's pride in his pampered
pets is that he has a painting of two
favorites, named Richard and Brigham,
which birds he values at $500 each, done
in oil by Harry Lyman, a Chicago ar
tist This picture hangs in one of the
richly appointed rooms of Mr. Mackins
mansion to remind him there is some
thing in this life besides "a million al
mighty dollars. 1t reminds him there
are about eight hundred cocks and
hens, which are valued at thousands of
dollars themselves
Mr.. Mackin's wife does not sympa-
thize with the sport, and will not con-
fess the birds are kept in the house.
There are women, however, who enjoy
cock fights, and 1T is not an uncommon
sight to see members of the fair sex
with sporting prOclivities simply as
spectators rather than spectators at
these so called select cock fights.