The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-03-07
THE END OF IT
Was Equally Disastrous
to Both Parties
By r MACklE

superior merits of their own breed of
chickens. Frank Preston was for
Rhode Islands Reds. and he established
his assertions with items from a fat
notebook that disconnected Bert Lyn-
wood and quite bored their fellow COM
muters. who were trying to read the
evening newspapers.
Bert Lynwood said his notebook was
home. As it was of ledger size he
could not very we'll carry it to and fro
to business each day, but he was will
ing to prove that his own White wy
andottes could not be beaten as egg
producers and that his profits at the
end of the year would exceed those of
his neighbor.
prove it, them" challenged Preston.
smiling.
Twill you come over after SUPPER"
asked the other. undaunted.
Eyes"
To the relief Of their fellow passen-
gers. the two chicken farmers changed
the subject, and no more was said
about the matter until they parted at
the Preston gate.
"See you later" said Lynwood as he
went OF to his own place.
BE sure to have that ledger ready"
scoffed his neighbor.
II collected forty eggs today" an
nounced Mrs. Lynwood as they sat
down to supper.
THAT'S doing pretty good" said her
husband. Il don't believe Preston's
eggs are Smelling out any better than
that"
Were Just even now. Mrs. Preston
counted her hens. and she has the same
number as we have. And it's the fun
niest thing. Bert-day by day we collect
the same quantity of eggs. There are
the same number of lazy hens in each
yard" Mrs. Lynwood laughed cheer
fully.
"Humphr" grunted her husband. with
a doubling glance at the huge ledger
he had enthusiastically lugged home
when he went into the chicken raising
business. He wished now that he had
bought a notebook that would be more
In proportion to the small results be
had achieved He was not satisfied
with what he had accomplished. and
he had O yet balanced his book to
end out where he stood. Now he hur.
ried through his supper in order to
strike some sort Of a balance before
Preston appeared with bis we'll tabu.
lated facts.
"PrestOn's coming over after supper
to compare his books with mine," he
explained as he took down the ledger
from its shelf beside the books on
poultry raising and stacks Of govern
ment reports on the same subject.
He still believes bis Rhode Island
Reds are the egg producing wonders
Of the world"
"Nonsense!' calculated Mrs. Lyn-
wood as she cleared OF the table. AS
If anybody would prefer those homely
orange cOlored creatures to our snow
white Wyandottes. They look 30 pref
ty against the green grass. don't they.
Bert?" She leaned over her husbands
shoulder. and together they looked out
of the window at the 6ock of white
fowls trOoping across the grass to-
ward the chicken yard.
They d.. agreed Lynwood. with q
return of his old enthusiasm. But
you know it isn't the color alone,
Flora. This particular strain OF fowl
10 adapted for producing large quaint
ties Of eggs. OF cours they've only
been laying since March. and we can't
tell just what the profit will prove to
be by the end Of the year In Septem'
Der. Now. I've got to show Preston
that I'm beginning to make something.
he claims he's cleared $3.50 40 far.
and it's only July"
Ibid ne count in the feed and the
cost Of the chicken h~ouses?" asked
Mrs. LynwOOd.
He says ~. Let me see Corn for
eight months. ah-hum" Lynwood set
! down the figures with q distrustful
side glance at the meagre record OF
egg receipts Or the opposite page.
At the end Of q half hour be looked
up from his ledger with q worried
frown creasing his brow. Flora. just
add this up will you. please. 1t can't
30 possible that we're $2.32 short after
all these eggs we've been getting"
Mrs. Lynwo0d came 0bediently and
verified her husbands figures. 1.-TWO
dollars and thirty-two cents short Of
what you've paid out" she said vexed.
". Il suppose Mrs. Preston will crow
over me-"
"Cackle. you mean said Lynwood
dryly a. he tucked his book under hia
arm and went ont to the chicken yard.
IT'S up to Preston to do the cackling,
and here he IL now"
His wife went into the house and
from q window watched the two men,
deep in discussion over Lynwood'a
ledger,
Two thirty-two. eh?" grinned Pres
ton. Don't talk to me about White
W~yandottes, Bert: II you'd had my
sort you'd be showing some profit By
this time. How many eggs have you
had altogether"
1.-TWO hundred and two DOZEN. an
-~-->A Y--->AA MA~ $1,000 ~AS