188 



THE HISTOKY OF 



a "John Bull" -who was connected in some Tvay with 

 a Boston weeklj, which was nominally called an agri- 

 cultural sheet, but which for several years was filled 

 with articles upon the subject of "the equality of the 

 sexes." 



His name was Pudder, or Pucker, or Padder, as 

 nearly as I remember. From the commencement of 

 this fever he was sorely affected, and his articles upon 

 the merits of the different breeds of fowls he raised 

 were very learned and instructive ! He sold eggs for 

 three, four, or five dollars a dozen, for a few weeks ; but, as 

 they didn't hatch, his game was soon blocked. Still, he 

 stuck to this hum with the obstinacy of a " bluenose ; " and 

 his readers were indebted to his advice for possessing them- 

 selves of the most worthless mass of trash (in the shape 

 of poultry) that ever cursed the premises of amateur. 

 His lauded " Plymouth Rocks," his " Fawn-colored Dork- 

 ings," his " Italians," his "Drab Shanghaes," etc., sold, 

 however ; and the poor devils who read the paper, and 

 who purchased this stuff, lived (like a good many others) 

 to realize, to their hearts' content, after paying this fellow 

 for being thus humbugged, the truth of the old adage that 

 " the fool and his money is soon parted." 



Still, Podder was useful — in his way — in the hen- 

 trade. The operations of such ignorant and wilful huck- 

 sters had the effect of opening the eyes of those who 



