The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-12
HESTER AND CHICKENS
SUBJECT OF DISCOURSE
William Banks, 'Oa the Road
Writes in The State Of
Cock O'Walk.
(William Banks in The State)

-
(William Banks in The State)
On an early morning train out of
Columbia recently, + was much in
terested in a conversation between
the worldly-wise men on subject
upon which I claim entire ignorance,
and that is the fighting Of game
COCKS. q. "l~t. I'.a..a. ," .l'i--f.
confess that occasionally INhave
read the interesting pit news in
Ed DeChamp's 'waif publication
"Grit and Steel" paper wished off
upon Ed in payment of debt made
by q tourist printer" a gift which
Ed DeCamp's waif publication
like, the tabled horse Of Troy, but
instead has become q bonanza. That's
another story. I had also had q
common education in the breeding of
gamecocks from occasional chats
with the late Col. Alfred 'Aldrich
of Barnwell. The colonel gave to
the world q famous stain, the
Mugwump, which had never hacked,
according to the best Of information
and belief, and he had many rare,
and interesting anecdotes concerning
the achievements Of some Of the
best individuals oil the fowl Of his
fancy. To resume, these two faneiers
of the barnyard sport de luxe, were
exhibiting upon their hands numer-
GUS marks and scars, each Of which
had history that would make inter
esting "sports dope" The general
drift of their jargon, as such it i'm
pressed a greenhorn, was to- the ef-
feet that gamecock has such power
in that stroke of his hoof that he
can drive spur through a mans
hand. And this actually is done to
some handler in nearly every big
main. The pain from blow Of that
kind is said to be excruciating, and
a man who suffers it loses the use
of his arm instantly. What then
must be the power of endurance Of
a gamecock to stand up under a
barrage. Of such blows?"
j; From these two followers Of the
sport, I learned that Chester has
just shipped 800 choice birds to
George J. Hester is man
who isfknown all up and down the
Savannah valley and his fame has
gone into "foreign parts hitherto
He does not confne
himself to any one strain, but is,
a breeder of good fighting chickens
Of dozen strains, so I learned. !
decided to accept the first oppor-
unity to visit Mr.. Hester's place,
which is in the suburbs of Calhoun
Falls, and is probably - in Abbeville
county although Mccormick, and
several Georgia counties corner
.....s. T..
Now as to the actual fighting Of
chickens, will assume it isn't being
lone in this neck Of the woods, but
the breeding of fighting cocks is
even to the Indifferent sportsman a
more or less romantic occupation. In
his connection romantic" is not a
poor pun, although it is a fact that
all stays are walked" until they
are 1S months old.
Nearly every reader of The State
has heard the expression "Cock Of
the walk" as a synonym for the
demeanor and bearing Of person
Of pride, force, dominance, "pep'' and
perhaps real courage, but venture
to say that not 1 per cent. of the
readers know the actual significance
of the term. First-the "walk."
When a stag, or young male chicken
comes to that serious period in life
when his voice is changed and he
finds little nubbins of spurs coming
on, he becomes tnbearable. The
Old cocks, relicts of many battles,
with difficulty forbear, and the in
sufferable insolence of the upstart
carries him beyond the disdain of
his betters and he begins to mix it
up with other youngsters , Of his
own belligerent frame Of mind. Then
the bird breeder knows that the
l.. r. L. o&o, - Nrpn