New-York tribune., 1919-01-24
Came Cocks
Have Big Day
AT the Garden
Huntsmen, Poloists, Skaters
and All ''Ozone" Patrons
Flock to See Fighters
By ]. S. Mitchell

noon sporting light Of other days
fiickered through the dusty windows of
Madison Square Garden and cast lurid
shadows on the cages occupied by the
breeds of pit games. In the ordinary
nomenclature of sport these bipeds
would be termed gamecocks. and the
heroes of MANY stirring battles around
New York, Long Island and the from
tier cf Pennsylvania
That the breeds with all their varie-
gated colors yet survive the march
of aesthetic reformation was evidenced
when no less than thirty classes were
judged for the various trophies. All
day long prominent men and women of
outdor sport roamed around the alleys
where the pit games were exhibited,
and among the visitors could be culled
huntsmen, polo players, racing men,
athletes, skaters and several other pa
irons of life in the ozone.
Birds Real Types
One and all they voted the birds to
be real types and not a few Of the
critics had it that several bore the
scars of many we'll fought mains.
Nearly all the cocks. and, in fact, some
of the cockerels and pullets, showed
the alert eye and dodging movements
of the real ring generals, and to q
bird they would flare up at the least
quick move toward the cage.
Foremost among the winners were
the Wildwood Farms, of Sayville, Long
Island. and the Coax Coop" of Scran-
ton, Penn; j. H. Irwin, of New York
the pyle pit in a cockerel. The Pros
pect Farm, of Newark, N. j., came in
for big slice of the glory. Of course,
nobody could exactly tell that any OF
the birds ever fought, but several were
"stripped,' that is, their spurs were
removed, rather conclusive evidence
evidence that at some time or another
they were intended to wear the steel
weapons in the ring.
The entire forenoon was devoted to
passing on the merits of the record
homlng pigeons with attested records,
and the judicial department experi-
should be no mistake, the American
Federation of Homer Clubs appointed
". White, jr.. as judge, and the fact
that he was confronted with fourteen
classes kept him busy until the lunch
hour.
In all there was q string of $50 con-
tenders, but they were mainly from the
outlying districts. such as Yonkers,
Newark, New Rochelle, Stamford, The
Bronx, Brooklyn and New York City
concourses. 1t might not be out of
place to mention here that the homing
devotees never use the word club, but
content themselves with the word "con-
course"
In the scramble for the winning
honors there was some sharp work be-
tween New York and New Rochelle, the
race finally ending in a tie, both hang
ing up four wins. There was another
close scurry for third place, as Newark,
Stamford and Brooklyn Tailed three
Two and Yonkers had to be satisfied
with a solitary unit. Although New
York and Yonkers concourses tied in
histories, the palm fell to New Ro-
chelle in points over the Gotham
fancies.
Adult Proves Victor
In the class for birds with a record
of 1000 miles or over the winner
turned up in a blue checquer named
Adult and owned by Oscar w. Opsann.
The 900 mile record was made last
loft in New York. A blue checouer
hen with a record for LOO miles owned
by Christ Mentze, of Newark, was a
winner in her class.
In the pigeon department there was
a novelty in the shape of four classes
for the "likeliest novice fiers," and put
on for the purpose Of increasing the
interesting homing pigeons. Three of
the prizes were won by the Manhattan
Concourse, one going to j. Willoughby
Mitchell, who is well known among the
dog lovers. and who flies his birds
from the roof of one of the New York
hotels The fourth prize fell to
Newark bird
The fanciers of tht swell breeds had
their attention attracted to the sections
arranged for the orpingtons, the newest
thing there being two classes for single
comb blue orpingtons. Only two birds
were entered in each elias, but the nov
city supplied more than the quantity,
for the entrans came in for lot Of
attention, especially from a number Of
society women who happened into the
Garden. Tow of the prizes were won
by William D. Disston, Of Philadelphia;
one to Samuel L. Willetts, the noted
Long Islan5 horseman, and the fourth
10 NJ B. Hartman, of Grantwood- on
the Hudson.
An instance of how an imported fancy
breed can thrive in the United States
was demonstrated in the classes of
white houdans. There was q total OF
twenty-eight entries in the four classes
and the showing angus we'll for the
future of the breed when it is remem-
bered that five years ago when the
birds were first introduced there was
only brace shown.
Mottled houdans were the pioneers
of the breed on American soil and all
the prizes for that color went to the
Wildwood Farms, of Sayville, L. /. OF
the four classes devoted to white hou-
dams two of the prizes fell TO the I'm
perial Poultry Farm, of Elizabeth, ~ j..
and the other two to the Forsgate
Farms, Of Dunnellen, n. J.
Turkeys Appeal to Women
To the women visitors interested in
the delicscies Of the household the
most interesting end of the amphithe-
atre was that allotted to the turkeys
the real American bird A beauty to
catch the eyes of all the critics was a
thirty pound cock shown by the We
mover Farms. of Bernardsville, n. j.,
and it had little trouble in securing
the first prize. Blue ribbons in the
hen, cockerel and pullet classes were
awarded to Bird Brothers, of Meyers
dale, Penn.
Prominent among the purchasers of
fancy fowls during the afternoon was
irving Brokaw, the champion figure