Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-10-15
KINDNESS TO CHICKENS
AND OTHER CREATURES

(By j. C. Rickli.)

to the great American hen. 1t ma
not only pay you; it is your duty. w
gave the subject of chickens our Pre-
found study and attention last winter
We laid awake nights trying to dop
it out how to improve the sanitation
of our egg foundry and how to rem
der our chicken park more attractiv
and inviting to its occupants. Pleas
note that the modern well-bred poul
try man never talks about poultr,
yard or pen. He invariably refers t.
it as a "chicken park" !" Only tn,
vulgar know what barn yard o.
poultry yard is.
Have you ever gone out on raw
rainy morning and tried to spread
sunshine among your hens? Well
we have and can still see their eager
expectant faces when we would ap
proach with that bucket of costly
wheat. We got on such good terms
with our chickens that we could in
wade our proud Leghorn roosters
harem anytime and he would tolerate
us with only an occasional mild pro
test. intellectually we are bound to
say chickens are no great shakes.
However, there are exceptions. We
had one speckled hen who's brightness
we discovered quite early in her life.
She was such an intelligent, CHEEKY,
confiding, voluble little creature. We
got into the habit on our daily mis-
sions to have confidential chat with
her by the gate. Alas, one fateful
day our folks got awful hungry and
the wife went into the chicken park
to make a selection. In the hurry,
furry and excitement that ensued, my
favorite hen must have lost her head.
At least when we made our evening
round we saw her no more. Either
the grief or the way our late lamented
friend was fried gave us an acute case
IF indigestion that night, and we had
q terrible time of it. We are con
strained to admit, however, that kind
ness to chickens is expensive. We
1--WE Mr.. Braden, down on Mill street,
\ large bill right now, but "nitchevo"
Russian for | should worry-that
1on't bother us. Our chickens were
happy while that feed lasted Never
,heless this kindness to chickens can
,e overdone. You should also at times
rive some thoughtful consideration to
7our own kind, to humanity.
This reminds us of our good old
friend Hubbard, down in Texas. II
vas during that period of American
history when Belgian hares. constitut-
d the folly of a nation. He was bad
y infected with that fad and well
tocked with pedigreed Belgian aris-
ocracy. Nothing was too good for
hose fool hares. My friend Hubbard
would go up to Pecos town, buy Quak-
+ rolled oats in packages by the case
nd feed it to those worthless things
With the reckless abandon of Harry
'haw. Many times his wife-Mother
Iubbard-would go to the cupboard
o get some "vittles" for her chill
rem and when she got there the cup
oard was bare, and the 'poah chill
IN" had none. The best we can say
n defense of our friend is that the
oor fellow lost his sense of proper
ion. He should have somehow man
eed to feed those children along
18th the hares, or at least give them
n even break. We have long been
ordering on the matter and have
ONE to the conclusion that we had
he honor of knowing the only origi-
al. genuine and historic Mother Hub
ard. ANYHOW, we never saw our
riend's wife without that classic
arment.
Biothers and sisters, excepting
ole cats, the south end of mules fac
10 north, and a few other things YOU
lould endeavor 10 cultivate closer
,lations with our animal friends. We
an 90 to anv back alley and saw:
Kootchee wootchee." or words to
nat effect, and the most fleeting. de-
raved. disolute Tom cat will pause in
is mad career and reflect. He will
we us a startled kind of a "Johnnv-
look. Then we
Ilk to him like a dutch uncle and he
ill come to us like the prodigal son.
II us all about his woes and for our
even exhibit the
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