The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-01
Nems fire
~ Fluent GaZkens

r~"~~~~~~~S~~r>NS~S~~es
Ben Austrian. the noted painter of
chickens at Reading, Pa, has trained
birds which pose for him, and, after a.
good deal OF investigation. he has be-
come convinced that hens taM among
themselves.
Tho hen is a more fluent talker than
the rooster" he said recently "Her vo-
cabulary Is greater. The cackle of the
hen is used for distinct purposes Indi-
eating love. fear, pain. triumph. cheer
fulness and eontentment, or q cry Of dis
tress. She even sings lullaby song to
her brood when she bushes them to sleep
1.-THE little fluffy chicks understand the
mother tongue. Every little chick knows
its protectors call. 1 have often imi-
tated the low sounds of the mother hen
and held the little fluffy ones in my hands
or put them under my studio blouse They
understood me and soon fell asleep
II found, after painting my first hen
picture that 1t became necessary to train
my hens to pose. 1 experimental by
keeping the little chicks isolated soon
after they had been Matched. I now
have several trained chickens. feed
them hemp and bits Of raw meat.
allow them TO run around on the floor of
my studio. ofthme picking them up and
warming them in my blouse. They be-
come very tame and follow me around
the studio. 1 initiate the language of
the mother hen when I cali them. They
gather about me, some fly up on my easel.
others Oh my lap. and thence to my shout
der
''They become fluent takers. and thor
oughly understand me when I initiate
their language. When I give the call of
alarm they cease feeding, and, with neck
elongated. look and listen carefully about
the room. My posing hens are Julia, a
Brahma; Pauline. a Plymouth Rock, and
Coal Black Lady, black Wyandotte.
I'm posing them for picture, 1 prefer
to have them alone, so they are all at
tentien. In my studio I have q number
of different kinds Of chicken coops, old
rusty dish pans, rusty wash boilers, old
fashioned bread baskets, half barrels and
boxes. I use these for models place
Dame Pauline, for instance. In an old
rusty dish pan. filed with straw, which
serves for a nest
NOW Pauline, with proper light eff
fects from a side window, is ready to
pose. I may require the look of alarm
for the picture. 1 initiate the hen Ian
quage, and Dame Pauline will stretch
and ruff1e UP her feathers on her neck,
incline her head. open her beak and
breathe fast. She will rise somewhat
uneasily from her nest and look inqutr-
ingly for the intruder who disturbed
her. She will remain in this position
long enough for me to get my first out
line and sketch.
when she becomes stubborn use the
end Of my maulstick, which has a nickel
plated bali tip. holding 1t in front Of
her beak for moment She will then
remain in position and become more
composed, allowing me plenty of time
to sketch and paint her In the position
require. A stroke over the head and
back will cause her to pose like the
broody hen There is such a thing as
individual expression in hens. In my
painting of Motherhood, the mother
hen has look fun Of love, devotion,
tenderness, utter forgetfulness OF sell
In Set to Raise the mother hen has the
expression Of contentment.
little chicks will pose If they are held
| by something unusual. In the corner OF
| my studio 1 place them on a stand IN
| front of me and throw a lighted cigar
| cite In front OF them. They VIII huddie
I together and look in wonderment at the
smoking object, as much as to say
| Where there is smoke there is fire. A
| fly, spider or piece Of raw meat drawn
| down with a thread will also hold them
| They remain in position long enough FOL
| me to get first outline and mental I'M
preston OF their position find 1t neces-
sary sometimes to place them in bas-
| ket, give them a few swings in the all
I and then place them in front Of me. That
| makes them giddy, and they then remain
| in position until L have sketched them
| ! paint chickens because love them.
Mr.. Austrian is best known by his pic
| lures of hens, among them being Moth
| erhood," "a Broody Hen" and Where
| There is Smoke There is Fire"