36 THE HISTOKT OF THE HEN FBVEK. 



down amid the deafening plaudits of his associates at this 

 meeting, who fully appreciated his speech and his palpable 

 disinterestedness. 



(^Item. — I found this gentleman the next day, and 

 informed him that I had heard of his destitution. I had 

 understood that he had no poultry, but was in search of 

 pure-blooded stock. Before night I had fully supplied 

 him with genuine samples, at thirty dollars a pair, and no 

 " discount for cash.") 



Before this meeting concluded, the prices of fowls, and 

 eggs, and feathers, were duly discussed, the details of which 

 I will defer to the next chapter. 



But all the indications at this convention were really of 

 a threatening character ; and it would have required the 

 strength of several stout men to have held certain of the 

 speakers as they got w^armed up, and rattled away, for dear 

 life, upon the advantages that must accrue to the nation, in 

 a thousand ways, from the encouragement of this epidemic, 

 and the certain, inevitable losses that must be sustained by 

 " the people " if they did n't go into this thing with a rush, 



Most of these speakers, however, had fowls /or sale ! 



