THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION.
The foregoing are only a very few samples of hundreds upon hundreds of
similar letters I constantly received, for nearly five years.
All the blame occasioned by careless express-men, of false blood imposed
upon me originally, of tardy hens, of the hatching or non-hatching of
eggs transported hundreds of miles, of feathered legs upon chickens, or
the absence of them, of every species of mishap that could by any
possibility befall the fancier and amateur, through his own ignorance or
errors,--every kind of mistake was charged to _me_! But, with a
Christian meekness, I bore it all.
I was threatened with civil prosecutions, with the House of Correction,
the State Prison, the Penitentiary, and all sorts of other punishments,
for my remissness; but I submitted with a quiet resignation, because
"the people" were so deeply engaged in this pursuit, and everybody now
had the fever so shockingly, that I sympathized with all mankind, and
attributed these trifling ebullitions of ill-will, or raving, to the
spasms caused by the prevalence and the severity of the epidemic.
On the other hand, I was so often cheered on in my labors of love by the
kind consideration of a very different sort of patrons, that I did not
sink under the persecution of those who would gladly have floored me,
could the thing have been readily accomplished. I pocketed the money of
my customers, however, bred good fowls, followed up the trade sharply,
and found myself sailing easily along, in spite of the contemptible and
small-fry opposition of which I was continually the object. As an
agreeable offset to the complaints and murmurings in certain quarters,
the following few letters will tell their own story:
From Hon. Henry Clay.
_Ashland, 1851._
GEO. P. BURNHAM, ESQ., BOSTON.
MY DEAR SIR: I duly received your obliging letter, informing me
that you had sent by the Express of Messrs. Adams & Co. a cage
containing four fowls for me, and I postponed acknowledging it
until the fate of the fowls should be ascertained. I have now the
satisfaction to advise you that they all reached here safely.
They have been greatly admired, not only for their enormous size,
but for their fine proportions and beautiful plumage. I thank you,
my dear sir, most cordially, for this very acceptable present. It
has been my aim, for many years, to collect at this place the best
improved breeds of the horse, the cow, the sheep, swine and the
ass--though the last, not the least valuable, in this mule-raising
state.
To my stock on hand your splendid Cochin-China fowls will be a
congenial and valuable addition; and, if we succeed with them, I
will take care not to monopolize the benefit of them. I am greatly
obliged to you, and,
With high respect, I am
Your obd't servant,
H. CLAY.
From Gov. Geo. N. Briggs.
_Pittsfield, 1851._
MY DEAR SIR:
The cage of Cochin-China chickens you were kind enough to send,
reached me in safety; and I am much obliged to you for this favor.
They are, beyond comparison, the finest domestic fowls I have ever
seen, and I shall breed them with such care that I hope to be able
to give you a good account of them in the future.
They are very much liked by all who have seen them, and you will
please accept my thanks for your attention.
I am, resp'y, yours,
GEO. N. BRIGGS.
From Hon. Daniel Webster.
_Marshfield, 1851._
G.P. BURNHAM, ESQ.
DEAR SIR: The coop of chickens arrived safely, and are noble
specimens of the Chinese fowl. You will rarely meet with samples
apparently so well bred, and they will do any one credit. I thank
you for the consignment, and consider them a most valuable addition
to my stock of poultry. Accept my best wishes, and believe me, dear
sir,
Yours, very truly,
DANIEL WEBSTER.
From Hon. Col. Phipps, H.R.M. Secretary.
_Windsor Castle, Eng., 1853._
DEAR SIR:
The cage of Grey Shanghae fowls intended as a present from you to
Her Majesty the Queen has this day been received from Mr. Mitchell,
of the Zoological Gardens, and they have been highly admired by Her
Majesty.
I have received Her Majesty's commands to assure Mr. Burnham of her
high appreciation of his attention; and to add that it affords
another addition to the many marks of good will from the citizens
of the United States which the Queen has received, and to which Her
Majesty attaches so high a value.
I have the honor to be
Your ob't and humble ser't,
C.B. PHIPPS.
Similar documents were often received by me, from friends and customers
who knew how to appreciate good stock; and I have now hundreds of
letters on file, of the most flattering character,--from _every_ State
in the Union, from England, Ireland, France, Bavaria, etc., where my
stock was sent, and was roundly paid for,--all of which letters (with
their enclosures, from time to time) served amply to "balance accounts"
against the few received of an opposite character, and aided materially,
also, to keep "the subscriber" from caving in!
Among the most friendly customers I ever had, and those who bought the
most liberally,--while they were the most kindly in all their
intercourse with me,--I must mention my patrons of the South generally,
but especially the buyers in New Orleans and its vicinity. I never met
with a trickster amongst them, and they paid me thousands upon thousands
of dollars, without a word of cavil or complaint, from first to last.
These fanciers had long purses, and are live _men_, with hearts "as big
as a barn," so far as my experience goes.