The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-02-09
THE CHICKEN.
Those Who Have Made Farming Pay
California Town Whose Pros
perity is Based on the
Chicken.

Correspondence Of New York Herald.
When one takes trip to Petalunna,
Cal, he is disposed to think that be
has reached a new kingdom-a place
something like those told about by
GuIliver in his travels. Here within
radius of twelve miles, is the great
est chicken population in the world,
and it seems to the visitor as If there
must be chicken ruler and all the
human bipeds were there simply for
the purpose Of catering to the wants
Of the feathered people.
In Petaluma the chicken is king,
and generous king he is too, for
there is not a business day IN the
whole year that he does not bring to
the city Of Petaluma for distribution
to his subject $4,000 in good hard
cash.
It is a wonderful population which
Immediately surrounds the thriving
city Of Petaluma-a population all
dressed in white, with just enough
other color to make one more fully
realize the vast number OF white
dresses to be found. This is a busy
kingdom too. So busy, in fact, that
few Of the members Of the population
have time to devote to the rearing OF
children, and this important function
has been relegated to machinery. The
hens are wanted for their eggs alone
and all desire or inclination to set
and carry on. the duties Of motherhood
is nipped in the bud, and the would
be mother is told to 60 ahead and get
out a new supply Of eggs and let the
business Of attending to little chickens
be looked after by the human servant
in the kingdom. A sitting hen IN and
around the city of Petaluma is al
most an unknown quantity, and after
the hen has served her usefulness as
an egg-layer she is consigned. to the
not, bringing more in the market than
she originally cost, while she has paid
more than the cost Of her keep and
care each year.
Within radius Of twelve miles OF
Petaluma there are 100000 chick
ems. The night after person takes
a trip through this chicken land he IS
apt to dream Of vast landscape coV-
cred with white dots. That IS about
the way the chickens around Petaluma
look. Everywhere you look you see
white chickens, and the further you
look the more white you see, until
lust as the horizon comes to your re-
lief the dots seem to merge into
white snowlike covering. It is all
white, for the chicken raisers III and
around Petaluma have. followed their
leader most Loyalty, and the white
Leghorn is the prime favorite.
Nearly half the eggs and chickens
consumed in California are supplied
by the jpoultrymen in and around Pet
aluns, and in addition to this large
quantities of eggs and fowl are sent
from there to Hawaii and the Philip
pine Islands,
Take a walk along the streets OF
Petaluma in any direction. and you
will be confronted with signs every
where announcing the fact: that the
business houses which they adorn ca
ter to the chicken trade. You will see
in addition to the ordinary country
store sign Of Highest prices paid for
eggs" signs telling about 'poultry
feed" "poultry supplies, . ''poultry
1nedicines,'' ''egg shell bought, .
*:feathers bought and a lot Of sim
liar signs, which shows that all
thoughts in the commercial world
have a chicken basis. Even the big
factories of the place are built upon
a chicken foundation.
The largest factory which builds
incnbators in the world is at Peta-
luna, and besides this one there are
numerous others devoted to the same
industry. In fact, there are more IN
a.4o,, coo+o,;oc IN Pot a}nua than