The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-02

down the hill through the groves of wateroaks to meet us He was a taii man. sturdy of frame. bY.~oent little like the aged oaks through which he walked, these old/oaks which For near
 ly century h1d passed the years In usefulness, in shading the lawn or ene old time Southern home, and nov oorS visible evidence of the weight or years. ..
 The Chicken Fancier walked with heavy hickory stick. which he used as a convenience, rather than necessity: About him were huttering mass oi white Leghorns. They were In ana out between his feet, and 1uttered hope fully and noisily In his wake through
 The strong and kindly face suited and harmonized with the rugged frame A bristling white mustache was out lined against the face, lined with the thought and effort of years but ruooX with unmistakable health. The well shaped head was matched with thlck white hair. It was no surprise to learn that this man of strength had in years past done big things in the out : side world. He was just the sort oI man. in his younger days, to have oulit railroads, to have made, lost and made
 We had passed from the red road that wound around the foot Of the hlil to the town of Gold Hill, three miles away. Tom, the faithful servitor. body servant Master of Construction and Assistant Superintendent of the chick en farm, had opened the big gate a hundred yards from the house and had given us an expansive smile of well come from beneath dilapidated wool hat He had been summoned rom ms task of constructing a new ch,ckeh, a, act of Southern hospitality, "openin de
 My guide and sponsor on this visit to the Chicken Fancier was a Judge or the the City Court of Montgomery. Half way to the house the Chicken Fancier met us and stretched out his long arm into the buggy and grasped the Judge hand with hearty words of welcome.
 Well, I am glad you've come, Willie, I certainly am. Sometimes we get Lonesome, me and the chickens. and we gre always glad to have our friends drop in."
 This to, the Judge, who had grown up in the hills and valleys around ana who was known to the older generation Get out, get out. I'm going to have some chickens slaughtered for you for dinner and give you the best dish Of it you ever tasted"
 of chickens, we'd certainly stay to din- ner But Colonel, you wouldn't kill single chicken for us or any other friend There's no doubt about the
 fine sinner Ss ySna give of yoar os OS ehioRens slaughtered. You might kill a beef for us, as you did for party of friends once rather than kill your chickens, but wei to expect any of them to appear | on the table," friendship gave my guide the assurance to say this It was was warmly ans, seSentsa yefeol | tion upon his hospitality. He reitera- | ted his firm purpose of having chickens fried piping hot. plantation style, TOT TOT his guests If they @ woulo grace was u,s later assured that the allusion to the slaughtered beef, for a party of guests | in preference to killing of his irving the picturesque Chicken Fancier. Re | gardless of this pleasant thrust rom | his old friend, our host was in word and deed the personiication or nos
 In this way I came to meet Colonel | William P. spratling. proprietor or the | Red Belt Poultry Farm and chicken 1 tancier par excellence. A few yards | filled with fine chickens. each variety l separated from the other. and each hay
 ing Its own chicken house in the rear | of its own pen. The house, six room | one storied structure, sat high aDoVe 1 fhe ground on a foundation Of white | native stone and cement The tier or 1 chicken pens to the right and rear oI | inc house formed right angie with l long This tier was only broken by the cree | ton of a spacious barn for the tne l lncubators. ,,.-, | lived alone spending his time In th' | care of his feathered pets. Ills haS | been a useful and active life. He had l built railroads in many parts or Ala
 bama. In the years ,good pa,st ne c"nstr1c was o., | tors within the confines or Alapana
 Much of the splendid road from Mont | Romery to Mobile was built under IT. l supervision. A thousand acres or th
 fine land of Chambers County are hi | and time was when his holdings Wer' 1 ten times as large His children nav
 left him for the outer worlo, WheI' | they have won no small measure O
 In the evening of his life the olt
 gentleman has, as recreation, as al | occupation, for his mind, turned to th' | care and raising of chickens.
 'Why shouldn't I raise chickensF | he asked, in a discussion of his enter
 prise. T haven't much to i've Tor aiI' an'
 certainly haven't anything to 0''
 Colonel spratling has found tha
 there is not only recreation in raislns | chickens, but there is money in 1t. H'
 may hesitate to kill his chickens, bu | he never hesitates to sell them. An | fine chickens, as well as fine eggs lint | a ready market, and remuneratiV
 We walked from pen to pen inspect
 ing his array of fine chickens At eacl | pen the chickens would rush notsily t
 the wire fencing and clamor hopetuil. l as though it were feed time.
 | We were in turn introduced to tn | large families of White Leghorns | Buff Leghorns. Brown Leghorns, Whit | Minorcas, Buff Oppingtons, Rhod
 Island Reds, as well as some Whit | Holland turkeys. The peculiarity, tn | excellence of each particular variety | were pointed out by our host, wh | knew his chickens as a father know
 his children. The enormous total o
 more than 5000 chickens were raise
 on the Red Belt Poultry Farm las
 year The total will be even highe
 The best layer of the whole busi
 ness" said the Colonel in his tour O. | instruction and demonstration, Is thu
 White Leghorn. Month in and montf out the White Leghorn beats them all This chicken holds the official record for egg laying. An official test showed that one White Leghorn hen laid 2S' eggs in one year. It would surpris' | vou to see one of these apparentlI small chickens dressed for the table l Dressed for the table one of theml vii
 size up nearly as large as Plymouth
 Now look at these oppingtons There's a fine chicken for you. It Ii
 a new chicken for this country but Il is certainly a fine bird. It Is an i'm ported chicken, coming over lately
 from England These chickens have l two speciaI advantages, first they art