The Washington times., 1936-08-01
BY ARNE STROM
1885, by American Newspa-
80. Inc All Rinhta ReaeEKedl

BY ARNE STROM
(CopyrIrht, 1885, by American Newspa.
pers, Inc. All Rights Reserved)
I had decided to have look
round the poultry farm, so I sling
my bag across my shoulder and
started off.
MaruShka was to meet me at the
entrance, but was aSsailed by the
sentry, who wanted to shoot me
or run his bayonet through me. He
had no idea who I was, ana the
fact that I spoke foreign langu-
age convinced him that I was a
spy. Luckily the relief turned mp
at that moment and the new
sentry knew me and began baw!ins
out his too conscientious comrade
till I thought they were going to
start fighting with their bayonets.
We made our way to the offices.
It was 1880, but there Was not a
soul in sight.
Papers lay in enormous stacks
on all the tables. Wondering, I
passed through one office after
another. How could poultry
farm with 10000 fowls carry the
expense of such an enormous Of
flee staff?
We turned towards the first
chicken house. 1t was a big, long
building. I could heeG one of the
women scraping the drop2lng
boards, and I noted with surprise
that all the windows were closed.
Hens Dead on Floor
The house which we now en-
tered had a feed-room in the cen
ter. The first thing I caught sight
Of was five large Rhode Island
hens lying dead and half eaten on
the floor. I saw at a glance that
the whole place was undermined
by rats. The five birds had prob
ably died from some sickness or
other and the rats had feasted
on them during the night. 1t was
a ghastly sight to an old poultry
farmer.
I opened the door of the first
room and looked in. A thick,
sitting air met me.
open all the windows" I
shouted a little Historically per-
haps. My interpreter translated
my words to the woman, who an
swered that the foreman, COM
rade Mikailovsky, had given strict
orders to keep the windows shut
as the chickens had caught cold.
I~shouted again:
"Open all the windows. If the
chickens have caught cold there
Is all the more reason to give
them fresh air."
She seized an ak and at once
began tearing off the huge nails
that kept the windows fastened.
Pinchers would certainly have
served the purpose better.
~ mas nyet," answered Ma
rushka when I asked her where
such a tool could be found, but
must admit that the little woman
showed great skill in handling the
big unwieldy ak.
AS the whole house had win.
dowS, it was quite an undertak-
ing to open them all, especially
as none of them had hinges.
The next house contained
Rhode Island Reds, and condi-
tions there we're dreadful. Dead
birds were lying about. dis
Sected some of them curiously
and found tuberculosis, cholera,
roundworn1s, and probably diph-
liberia as well. This is a nice
thing to find! All the fowls had
colds, and a dreadful wheeling
and rattling filled the house.
s Birds Diseased
Run No. S contained chickens
which were only suffering from
colds. AS far as I could see only
an ordinary wire fence separated
them from the birds in the ad-
joining runs, who had tubercu-
losis and smallpox. When cured
from their colds they were sent
back to the houses they had
come from, carrying with them
bacilli of both those complaints.
Having made my notes, I de.
cided to go and speak to the
manager. I also wanted to make
the better acquaintance of the
foreman Mikailovsky. We found
our good manager busy as usual
writing on slips of paper which
he handed out right and left. I
asked:
care our beds ready?"
Hn raised hje nuacfioojTo ava