Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-02
aAistellanous Rraaina.
THE SPORT OF cocKFIeHTINe.
II Is Still Quite Common In Many
Portions of the Union.

Portions of the Union.
Had the petition recently presented
to Governor Magoon in Havana urg-
ing abrogation of his decree against
cockfighting in Cuba been circulated
in the United States. says a Frank
fort, KY, letter to the New York Sun.
it is probably safe to say that 1t would
have borne the names Of many thou
sands of American citizens. Although
cockfighting has long been considered
the national sport Of Mexico, Cuba,
Porto Rico, the Philippines and other
Spanish countries, 1t Is
probably no exaggeration to assert
that there is more chicken fighting in
the United States in a year than in all
OF these places combined.
| And that, too, in face Of the fact that
in all but a few of the southern states
engaging in the sport Is made unlaw-
full and punishable by severe penalties
From the northermost corner Of Maine,
throughout the length and breadth Of
the land to the shores Of the Pacific.
and even up the coast to the new civ
ilization Of Alaska the war-like note
Of the gamecock may be heard sound
ing his challenge to all the feathered
tribe and daring them to battle.
The dispatches from Cuba said 1t
was the arrest of number Of promi-
nent Cubans, including one presiden-
ltial candidate, at a. cockfight which
brought the crisis up to Gov. Magoon
In the annals of cockfghting in Amer
lea more than one president has been
known as an admirer Of the sport.
Washington bred warlike strain Of
game fowls at his Mount Vernon es-.
tate. It Is related that when President
Andrew Jackson went from his Her
mitage he carried many fine specimens
of his feathered gladiators with him,
which more than held their own against
the birds Of other statesmen at the
capital
Delving back into the worlds his
tory, lovers Of the sport have not been
able to find time or a period when
mankind was not addicted to this form
of pastime. From the ancient records
1t is shown that the Greeks bred and
fought a particular species Of fowl.
| This form Of sport was found in
England fifty years before Christ
The evidence is strong that the Irish
had learned to fight chickens before
Caesar invaded Britain. Irish bred
fowls are held in highest esteem among
many American game fanciers at this
day.
Before the Revolution the colonies
had taken up the sport Of fighting
game birds, but IT was in the southern
part of the country that 1t flourished
best The blue laws Of the early set
tiers Of the northern colonies frowned
upon the sport. In the early part Of
the nineteenth century the sport flour
ished. The establishment Of any south
ern gentleman planter was considered
incomplete without its quota Of game
cocks.
Mains for large sums Of money were
fought the monetary consideration al
ways being .subordinated to the honor
Of victory over a rivals birds. In
creasing tolerance In the north after
the Revolution, fostered the fascina-
ton for the sport In that section,
though cockfghting never attained the
perfection there that 1t has enjoyed In
the south, the mercenary gambling
spirit being far more pronounced than
in the south.
Decreasing interest in. the sport for
the mere sports sake has resulted in
adverse legislation in many southern
states in the last quarter century.
While only three states, South Caro-
lima, Alabama and Texas, now recog-
nize it as a legitimate sport subject
to license so keen Is the love for the
pastime that 1t Is generally winked
at by officials in other southern states.
So extensive have become the ram
Iifcations Of this sport today that
thousands Of dollars annually are ex-
pended in the breeding and raising OF
game fowls Scattered over the coun-
try but mostly in the south, are men
who do nothing but breed game fowl
for the lovers of the sport.
Many of these breed for their own
use in the pit as we'll as for sale TO
others and the performances Of the diff
ferent breeders birds are noted with
jealous interest. Six monthly journals
are published exclusively in the inter-
est of those devoted to the breeding of
game fowl.
Col. F. E. Grist of Georgia ships his
birds to Mexico, the Philippines and
South Africa. 1t was in the early '1Os
that the Grist breed Of game fowl be-
gan to attract attention among fan
ciers.
| Colonel Grist went from city to city
in the south meeting the most noted
cockfighters and defeating them all.
The Montgomery, Ala, fair association
outbid several competitors for the
privilege of having the great main
fought by Col. Grist with his birds
against the Arkansas Traveller strain
handled by the famous old southern
cockfighters, Sledge and Hanna, pulled
off in it's fair ring. AS in the majori-
ty Of large mains fought by him, each
side showed twenty-one birds. The
wager on each separate battle was
500, while the winner Of the majority,
or the odd as 1t is called in cockfight-
ing parlance took down $1,000.
Grist won his main, which had at
tracted the interest Of the entire south,
with plenty Of margin. He then de-
feated Charles F. Brown originator OF
the hitherto invincible Georgia Shawl
neck strain OF games, for a similar
stake. and then beat DR.. Gee Of Ala
bama, with his victorious Dominicks.
When Col. Grist finally retired from
the pit he found such a demand for
his birds that he gave up a profitable
mercantile business, resigned the may
orally of his city and devoted all OF
his time to the breeding Of his fowls
for the pit market.