244 THE HISTOET OF 



choicest specimens ever seen among us Tfere exhibited and 

 disposed of at high rates. But the management of the fairs 

 there was not satisfactory to .certain breeders, who, unfor- 

 tunately, 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 ea^oos^, 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 ehairman of the committee. The second premium 

 was awarded to another man, who had just as good fowls, 

 probably, but who was n'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 ehairman 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 ap- 

 pointment 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 



