The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-13
A CHICKEN THIEF BY PROXY.
Retired Army Omcer Now Sleeps
Peacefully mt Night, But Is $25
From the Washington Star

BOOrers
From the Washington Star.
There is a dignified. quite elderly
gentleman in this town, of high mill
tary rank, who is nevertheless chuck
ling delighted1y these days-and more
particularly nights-over the fact that
he is, by proxy a chicken thief. cot
course" he says, in telling the story
TO his intimates, II was often, by
proxy, chicken thief during the Civil
War-although the foragers, in those
times, would have resented the appel
lation But 1 dare say that 1 am the
latest-operating chicken thief, even by
proxy, or any of my old comrades in
arms" But about a month ago ire
mendous calamity befell him. The peo-
pie living in the house with the yard
next door bought six large. clumsy
chickens of the Cochin China variety
five hens and a feathery-leggea lord
of the outfit. Since then the officers
life has been rendered miserable.
The rooster-pent up along with his
charges in the rear of the next-Goor
yard-immediately displayed a tenden-
cy to scorn to wait for the regular and
orderly growing hour of even the ear
Uprising members of his species He
began at midnight. And from midnight
right on until daylight he practiced
with his calliope voice without a
break Anybody familiar with the crea-
lures of the barnyard are familiar with
the vocal ability of one large Cochin
China rooster, standing at least six
hands, so to speak, on his plates, Of
muscular conformation fore and aft,
and with a basso vocal range of at
least Az octaves. Anyhow this elderly
retired officer, who is at best a very
light sleeper, wasn't very long in be-
coming acquainted with the vocal pow
er of this one particular Cochin China
leader of a small and select flock.
He spoke of the awful infiiction to
the people in his house, and they rec
commended him to send a written COM
plant of the brutal fowl to the District
authorities. But the officer, being a
man of the type who scorn to make
written complaints of neighbors, on
any grounds, shook his head at this.
The officer had a particularly bad time
of 1t from the neXt-door feathered
baWler one night last week. He awoke
in a state of ferocity at the call of the
rooster at little after u, half an hour
following his retirement, and from
then on there was no use in his trying
to get to sleep. He spent the remain
ing his mustache. Every morning at
9 a certain Thomas circle coachman, a
black man of old type, derives the Of
ficer in his ancient calash down to a
certain club, where the officer takes
his breakfast. When the elderly off,
Ger was about to step into the vehicle
on the morning after his bad night he
gazed ferociously into the big yard and
saw the clumsy Cochin China fowl
with the all-night voice strutting
about at the rear. The officer shook
his cane at the ROSTERS.
you devil" he growled at the roos-
ter in the hearing of the ancient
coachman, "Pd give any man that
wrung your neck $25"
(Which one, subj" blandly inquired
the officers morning-driving coach
man.
That internal beast of a Cochin
China cock in there" replied the off,
Ger, stepping into the old Thomas cir
Gle vehicle.
That night was the most peaceful he
had passed in his bed since the advent
of the chickens in the next-door yard
The officer marveled over it-until he
beheld the face of his old driver the
next morning.
DE old roostuh'll be too tough To-
anythin' but a potpie, but he aim be
powful good dat-a-way, suh," was all
the old driver said.
The officer gazed at the smiling face
of the old darkey and instantly COM
pretended. He pulled forth his wal
let before stepping into the calash and
good as his word, stripped SIS from his
bundle and paid the same into the
hands Of the black man.