Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-04-04

She said tha! depended on what
wanted, whether it was Plymouth
Rocks or Brown Leghorns or banties
OF what. So said Plymouth Rocks,
an she told me she would let me have
q dozen of them for $50.
II knew that l couldn't get that
much money, an I thought might just
us we'll buy eggs an set them under "a
common hen"
THAT was bright idea"
"Yes; Mrs. Mcclellan tolI me it
would be the best thing could do. an
then l could raise dozen chickens an
sell them for $50 myself. Ma gave me
the dollar to buy the EGGS an loaned
me hen what wanted to set. 1t takes
hen awful long time 10 hatch chick
ems, though. | used to go out most
every mornin an raise her up to see if
she had got any, an She Squawked an
pcclled at my hand. Gee. But it was
about three weeks before l got any
chickens, an then there was only three
of en-. That old hen wouldn't wait for
the others to hatch, an when broke
'cm open to see il there was any chick
ems inside of en- 1 wisht L had let 'em
alone. l guess that old hen knew all
right
What was the trouble"
Vance held his snub nose expressive
ly between his thumb and forefnger
II was slidin down the kitchen roof"
he continued, IAN | Knocked board
down, an it fell OH one of the chickens
an squashel it dead an the other two
was both ROSTERS. / wanted some
money one time an sold one of 'em
to the lady next door for a quarter.
That was all she'd give me for it.
told her it was Il bloodcd Plymouth
Rock, but she said she didn't mind
that, just so long as it would make a
good fry kept the other one all sum-
mer an then took it to Mrs. Mcclellan
an asst her what she'd give me for it.
SHE said that she'd trade me pair
of rabbits for it an could make more
money raisin rabbits than could rails
in chickens an the rabbits was worth
ST pair. So took the rabbits. One
of them was named Dick an the other
Lizzie. l used to like Dick the best.
Ma wouldn't let me keep them up in
my room, SO had to build place for
them out in the wood shed an keep
them there. except when | turned them
loose. They was awful cute. Lizzie
used to eat dough out of my hand. She
liked dough better than anything"
Haven't you got them still?'
mo. gave them away. l got kinder
tired of tendin 'em, an they didn't
have any little rabbits at all. couldn't
see how | was goin to make any mon
ey out of 'en, an when said anything
about it pa he'd laugh.
II asst Mrs. Mcclellan about it, an
she said that hers had had two or
three littcrs since she sold me mine, an
She couldn't see how it was. Pa said
they didn't have lucky names, at least
Lizzie didn't. He said she ought to
have been named Willie or Pete"
"Then the rabbit business wasn't a
succcss?"
"N'hul. I lost all put into it ex-
ccptin the quarter got from the lady
next door for the little rooster"
"How about your mother?'
"Oh, she was only backin me. She
knew she was talSin chances. 1 wisht
had that dollar back, though. 1 need
q dollar the worst way. Don't you
know good. easy way for a boy to get
Il dollar? don't want to have to wait
for 1T too long. I'd asst pa to give me
one, only asst him for one yesterday,
an he wouldn't give it to me. l amt
goin to asst him again" Chicago Rec
ord.