THE CHINA OR DENNY PHEASANT IN OREGON 13 
expense, only gave the participants a deeper assurance of its ultimate success, and this 
initial trial was to form the foundation for future efforts. So it followed that a year later 
Judge Denny made a second trial, this time with success. The utmost care was taken. 
The services of a tramp steamer coming to Oregon were enlisted, a scow-load of sand 
was brought alongside and deposited between decks, several small boat-loads of various 
kinds of food, green stuff and grain, together with sundry large bags of charcoal were 
placed on board for their use, and the captain and sailors were paid well to attend to their 
wants. Poles of bamboo caged off a neat airy room some twenty feet square, and here in 
semi liberty thirty birds were turned, and here they stretched their wings and fluttered 
and scratched in the sand and ate of the food provided for them. ‘Talk of the hardships 
of an ocean voyage! Indeed these birds actually grew fat. Only four perished on the 
way and the remainder after reaching Portland were placed in the large cage which 
had been made under Judge Denny’s supervision and shipped with the birds, and 
immediately turned over to a brother, Mr. John Denny, who had come to Portland to receive 
them. He took them to his large ranch in Linn County in the Willamette Valley, and 
here at the foot of Peterson’s Butte the travellers were liberated. Grain was scattered 
about freely; a little band of friends and neighbors took the cage up the mountain side, 
and after opening the door, hid themselves and waited for the birds to come forth. They 
