TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
Poultry exhibitions had been or were now being held all over the
country. In the New England States, in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Virginia, numerous fairs had come off, at which the
customary competition among breeders of fancy poultry had been duly
shown; and for a time, yet, out of Massachusetts, the fever still raged,
though with comparative abatement.
It was now a common thing, and certain men were in the habit of visiting
the express offices, and examining coops of fowls, and taking the names
of the persons to whom they were directed, and then writing them that
they would furnish such fowls at a much cheaper rate. This occurred,
generally, while the stock was _en route_ to its destination; but it
never disturbed _me_.
Among the Rhode Islanders (who, by the way, generally speaking, have
raised the best of all the Chinese varieties of fowls, for five years
past) a feeling of desperate rivalry had grown up. At the Providence
shows, many of the choicest specimens ever seen among us were exhibited
and disposed of at high rates. But the management of the fairs there was
not satisfactory to certain breeders, who, unfortunately, and naturally,
drove rather "too slow coaches" to keep pace with a few of the leaders
in the traffic there, as will be seen by the following _exposé_, which I
find in the shape of an advertisement in the _Woonsocket Patriot_:
In a report published subsequently to this State Fair in Rhode Island,
the Committee on Poultry at the exhibition held there in the fall of
1854 awarded their first premium to the _chairman_ of the committee. The
second premium was awarded to another man, who had just as good fowls,
probably, but who wasn't smart enough to "keep up" with his competitor.
The person who came out thus second-best, only, at once charged, through
the public prints, that an attempt had been made by the chairman thus
"to hoodwink the public" in their future purchases (which was very
likely, because it was a very common matter). The injured party says, in
his published "card,"--
"No doubt Mr. C---- was ready to grasp at the appointment as the
committee, and he was progressing in the examination, when I
remonstrated, and had two other men added to the committee with
him, supposing that justice would then be administered to the
parties concerned. But Mr. C---- was determined to have the sole
arrangement of the report, contending with the other two upwards of
five hours, aggrandizing to himself the first premium, and then
affixing to the committee's report the name of Mr. A----, instead
of his own, to deceive the public, that he was not interested. Mr.
C---- intended that justice should not be done his competitor, by
withholding his right as to the first premium; and I challenge him
to an impartial exhibition of the poultry (although some of his
number were borrowed), for the sum of one hundred dollars, to be
decided by three disinterested men."
Another member of this committee then states that, "being one of the
Committee on Poultry at the late State Fair, held in Providence, R.I.,
and having seen the report of the same, I feel it my duty to say that
such was _not_ the decision of the committee. Two were in favor of
giving to ---- the _first_ premium; as we could not agree, we decided to
award a premium of _twelve dollars_ to ----, also the same to Mr. C----,
provided each were represented equal in the report."
Now, this was a very trifling affair to trouble the public with, yet it
shows "how the thing was done." Mr. C---- had a happy way of "laying 'em
all out," when _I_ was not in the field. If the advertisements "to the
public" were paid for duly (and I presume they were), I have no doubt
the public are satisfied; and Mr. ----, the injured party, must keep his
eyes open tight, if he trains in company with experienced hen-men. This
is but "a part of the system," man!
Now, as this sort of thing was of very common occurrence among the
hucksters who kept the hen-trade alive, for years, this was in nowise a
matter of astonishment to the "hard heads" in the business. The only
wonder was that the man who performed _this_ trifling trick did not
carry out the dodge more effectually, and bear away _all_ the premiums
in a similar manner, as had been done by some of his smarter
predecessors!
The editor of a New York journal undertook as follows to "inform the
public" (in 1854) of a little performance in kind, which had been common
for several years at these fairs where "premiums" were awarded, and
which proved a very profitable mode of operation, almost from the very
beginning of fowl-shows in the United States. In an article upon a
recent exhibition, under the caption "_How the Cards are Played_," he
says:
"A fowl-breeder, by extraordinary means, raises a _few_ specimens of
fowls of great size, which he takes to the exhibition; and, on the
appearance and character of those _few_ specimens, he contracts to
furnish fowls and eggs of the 'same stock.' He goes home with his
pockets full of orders, and with not a _single fowl, for sale_, in his
possession at the time, and hastens to purchase of A, B and C, such
fowls as he can find, say at $3, $5 to $10 a pair, which he sends to
fill his orders at $20 to $50 a pair, and no nearer in value to the
stock that appeared on exhibition than a turkey is to a turkey
_buzzard_! The same of _eggs_. Now, there are exceptions to this
allegation, but we KNOW that such things are done, and we think that
the public should be put on their guard."
There is no question about the accuracy of this statement. The writer
says he "_knows_ that such things were done;" and I feel sure that no
man in New York State ever knew the details of this dodge so well as
_he_ did. It was a very common thing everywhere, however, among the
hucksters. I had no occasion to resort to this plan; for the game _we_
played was a deeper one, altogether.
There was a "live Yankee," all the way from Rhode Island, who attended
the New York show, who took the boys down there after the following
style, as appears from another advertisement, which I recently met with,
and which feat is thus described by one of the sufferers. In a "card"
published soon after that exhibition, this victim of misplaced
confidence says, with a show of seeming injured innocence:
"Justice to the public, as well as myself, demands a slight
explanation of a few facts connected with the recent National
Poultry Show, in New York City.
"Mr. C----, of Woonsocket, R.I., accompanied me to New York for the
purpose of attending the fair. On the fourth day of the exhibition
it was announced that the judges were about to commence their
labors. Mr. C----, seeing that his chance for a premium of _any_
kind on Asiatic fowls was very slim, came to me and requested, nay,
even _insisted_, on grounds of mutual friendship, that I should put
my two best hens with a cock of his, for the purpose of taking the
first premium. I finally consented, with the express
understanding, _and no other_, that we should each share the
honors and proceeds equally. On Friday it was announced, in the
lecture-room, that _he_ had taken the first premium on the best
pair of Asiatic fowls, of whatever sub-variety. I went to him, at
once, and expressed my dissatisfaction, and reminded him of his
agreement. He then agreed to see the secretary and all the
reporters, and publish, or cause to be published, a card, stating
that I was equally entitled to the premium with himself, as the
hens were raised by me; and he furthermore agreed that his name
should not be mentioned or published, in relation to the premium,
except in connection with my own. How was that agreement fulfilled?
On taking up one of the New York dailies the next morning, I was
surprised to see a puff laudatory of Mr. C----, while _my_ name was
not alluded to,--which puff, report says, was paid for with a
rooster. On my return home, a few days afterwards, I found that he
had volunteered to make the following assertions: 'Well, I have
laid 'em all out. I took the first premium on everything, best pair
and all, and I can beat the world.' When asked how it was done, he
said, 'I will tell you, _some time_, how I played my card.'"
But Mr. C----, with that reserve and indifference peculiar to gentlemen
in the hen-trade who have accomplished a "neat operation," did not see
fit to explain the process, and hesitated to inform his "friend" how he
played his card. And so the aggrieved party resorted to the newspaper,
and come the "power of the press" upon Mr. C----, as follows:
"Mr. C---- stated that my stock was 'mongrel,' and inferior.
Whether it be so or not, is for the thousands and tens of
thousands who saw them, while on exhibition, to judge. After
selecting two of my best hens for Mr. C----'s especial benefit (as
it appears), the committee _even then_ saw fit to award me a
premium, while his two coops of '_pure, full-blooded_ Asiatic
fowls,' which he had cracked up so loud and extensively, did not
receive, as I can learn, even a passing notice, _except the old
cock_, which was put in the coop with my 'mongrel hens,' as he is
pleased to call them. Perhaps the public would also be gratified to
learn the manner in which he obtained the first premium at the
recent Agricultural Fair in Providence, R.I. Was it not done by
entering several coops of fowls, belonging to another person, in
his own name, without that person's knowledge and consent, and
pointing out those fowls to one or more of the judges, representing
them as his own? No doubt the books of the society, and those of
the railroad corporation which conveyed Mr. C----'s poultry to and
from the fair, if compared, will throw some light upon the subject.
Is not this the manner in which he has frequently played his card;
or, in other words, 'laid 'em all out'? As I have always treated
him as a gentleman, a neighbor and friend, to what cause can I
impute this low, mean contemptible and underhand manner of exalting
himself at my expense? I would advise him, in conclusion, to peruse
Æsop's moral and instructive fable of the ambitious Jackdaw, and
learn from that, that however well a course of deception and
duplicity may at first prosper, the day of exposure and disgrace
will come, and the ungainly Jackdaw, stripped of his ill-gotten
plumage, will stand forth in all his native blackness and
deformity."
Now, I have no doubt, that this Mr. C----, when he read the above "card"
(which must have cost its author considerable time and money), felt very
badly about it, the more especially as the show-prizes had been duly
announced, and he had the premium-money safely in his own pocket! And it
certainly must have been a very gratifying circumstance, to the man who
had been thus duped, to see his advertisement thus in print, too. Had
_I_ been similarly situated, however, after losing my premium and the
credit that belonged to my having had the best fowls on exhibition, also
(only by thus joining issue with another to gull the "dear people"), I
rather think I should not have _published_ the facts, to show myself up
a fool as well as a knave. But this is merely a matter of taste. Mr.
B----, who signs this "card," will scarcely be caught in this way again.
We "live to learn."
Mr. B---- had not become apprised of the fact that, from the very
commencement, the hen-trade was a huge gull, possessing an
unconscionable maw, and most inconceivable powers of digestion. Older
heads and wiser men than he had been duped or swallowed by this monster,
that stalked about the earth for six long years, seeking whom he might
devour. If this is the worst treatment he ever experienced at the hands
of those who helped to feed the vampire, Mr. B---- is, indeed, a
fortunate man. There _be_ those who would gladly exchange places with
this gentleman, and give him large odds.
C---- was _smart_. I have known him for several years. He is one of the
few "hen-men" whom I would trust alone with my purse. And whether he
raised them, or purchased them, it matters nothing; he has _sold_ some
of the best fowls in America.
In all human probability, the author of the "card" last quoted will live
long enough (unless he shall have already stepped out) to know that "the
people" went into the hen-trade blindfolded, and that the bandages have
now dropped from their eyes. He will have ascertained, too, I think,
that a resort to the newspapers for redress against such of his
"friends" as may get ahead of his time in this way is precious poor
consolation, when he reflects that advertisements cost money, and that
the anathemas of an over-reached chicken-man have never yet been known
to harm anybody--as far as heard from! _Selah!_