Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-15
FRANK PL.A|STED'S
GREAT DIPLOMACY.
How the Assistant General
Freight Agent Of the Short
Line Maintained Peace.
STORY OF BIG CHICKEN COUP.
Delicate Situation Handled With Acu-
mcn-Polnter for Distressed House
holders Adverse To legal Tactics.

did you ever keep chickens. Plat
sted"' was a question put to the assist
ant general freight agent of the Oregon
Short line this morning during an i'm
promptu debate upon the idiosyncrasies
OF poultry generally which had its or
isin In the story Of the battle with
chicken thieves told in the News last
night
AS Frank II. Plaisted has gone In for
most things that run the gamut from
a Boise baseball nine To the annexlng OF
several hundred carloads of machinery
IRON under rivals nose, his answer
occusloned no great surprise.
Yes, J kept chickens once, he ven
turcd In an oHhand manner Then az
I'm afterthought lac added, they we're
my nalghbors'.'
Now boys he nterjected with hls
characteristic eaInestness, Il will tel,
yer Ger story Of me oifc. Listen care
iul!y and take a leaf out OF my book
and II you are bothered with the neigh
bors fowls, take a tip from me-
There was a time wnen prded my
self on my garden and my thoughts ran
ilotously I'm the direction of prime ber-
AA'' tAAlA wv chAAiltAll lucHlfIIA. Al
great Expense and by the aid Of an eN-
press frank ! imported some fine plants
from prize eastern nursery As those
berries dourished they became the op-
PIE of my eye. They We're the pride Of
the family
Just when things We're coming along
nicely my neighbor's chickens broke
loose and came along nicely, too. After
roasting on my prime fruit they would
saunter on 10 my porch, wipe their feet
on the heretofore immaculate boards
ana, 1t perchance. the screen door We're
left open, thy would inspect the house
unless headed OF with a broom.
I have the reputation Of being long
suffering and peaceaole, or course.
there Is a law governing the trespass Of
chickens, but who wants to 20 to law
with his nelghbors? In my anguish /
went to the lad next door and with
tears m my eyes asked her to put bail
and chain on her rooster and his FAINT
ly. She was indignant, She led me
TO understand that her chickens were
well brought up and would not think of
leaving their native lot to feast on
prime berries belonging to a stranger.
The trespassers were somebody cise's
chickens.
or course, YOU cannot handy words
with n lady ! went home and thought
long ana hard. What | said H. neither
here nor there. what Is more 70 the
point IL what ! did, | went ND town
and invested In SO worth of steel traps
at 20 cents a throw Then returned
home with them aud gave the neigh
bors last chance.
Again | called on the lady and ex-
postulated regarding the industry OF
her poultry, Again she asserted IN
dignantly that her fowls were like
Caesars wife.
Then ] brea thed sigh OF relief and
said was 80 glad because had bought
twelve steel traps and was going To set
them I'm the raspberry patch that night
and expected to supply the ncighbor-
hood with dead pullets next day.
AS ] made this statement ! noticed
that she changed color. At last she
broke in with a rambling statement TO
the effect that while her chickens al
ways stayed I'm the lot there might be
come danger OF hcr rooster calling ON
any stray fowls on my premises and
she would be panied to have that noble
bird meet with an accident
AT this l left her. and when the
chickens had gone 10 roost FOR the night
adjourned to the lot. and, making q
lot or unnecessary noise, ] proceeded Ia
drive some stakes and set my traps.
Il give you my word as a humble rail-
road man that ] had no sooner settled
down IN the house when heard strange
sounds. on looking out Of the window
there stood the lady next door holding
a lamp while her husband and a young
ster were mailing on strips 10 beat the
band. ] went TO bed and they were
still driving nails, Once | awoke and
the hammering wss yet going on. be-
lieve they rebuilt that chicken coop
that night. Anyhow no chickens strayed
around my lot after that, and all
caught IN my traps was a poor old toad
who had been keeping late hours and
was on his way home.
Yes" he said as he turned to his
stenographer IN dictate an appeaslng
letter to a shipper with a big crouch.
"a little diplomacy Il better than going
60 law and having row with your
nelghbors, any day Of the week"