THE HEN FBVEK. 297 



hen fever i i its workings) will not bo uninteresting at this 

 point ; and its record here, perhaps, will have the effect of 

 opening the eyes of some chance reader, haply, who is, even 

 now, half inclined to try his hand in the chicken-trade. 



This sheep bubble originated in the year 1815 or 1816, 

 immediately after the treaty of Ghent, and at a period when 

 thousands of the American people were actually "wool- 

 mad " in reference to the huge profits that were then ap- 

 parent, prospectively, in manufacturing enterprises. 



In the summer of the last-named .year (as nearly as can 

 be fixed upon), a gentleman in Boston first imported some 

 half-dozen sheep from one of the southern provinces of 

 Spain, whose fleeces were of the finest texture, as it was 

 said; and such, undoubtedly, was the fact, though the sheep 

 were so thoroughly and completely imbedded in tar, and 

 every other ofiensive article, upon their arrival in America, 

 that it would have been very difficult to have proved this 

 statement. But the very offensive appearance of the sheep 

 seemed to imbue them with a mysterious value, that ren- 

 dered them d6ubly attractive. 



It was contended that the introduction of these sheep into 

 the United States would enable our manufactories, then in 

 their infancy, to produce broadcloths, and other woollen 

 fabrics, of a texture that would compete with England and 

 Europe. Even Mr. Clay was consulted in reference to the 

 sheep ; and he at once decided that they were exactly the 



