THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— August 10, 1856. 
374 
They will be out of debt at the shops. They will spend 
their time with their birds. They will not depend on the 
beer shop for their pleasure. They will learn to be with 
their wives and children." “ Capital idea," said Mr. C. 
“ Glorious! ” said his friend; “ ;ve will see about it at once." 
“ Come," and to the astonishment of the neighbourhood, 
they walked fast, they were arm-in-arm, excited, talking and 
laughing loudly. 
Philanthropy was here the cause of the disorder. 
We will now speak of the cure. 
The first dose can only be administered by one who is 
not suffering from the disease, but who is associated with 
those who are. It consists in the following words slowly 
and deliberately uttered 
“ Recollect, gentlemen, if this Show does not pay its ex¬ 
penses, t he loss must be divided, and each member of the 
committee will have to pay his share.” 
In very slight attacks, we have known this treatment im¬ 
mediately successful, but in more confirmed cases, it only 
causes a few minutes’ silence, when one will exclaim, 
“ Nonsense, it must pay ; ” and all the others chorus with, 
“ To be sure," “ there is no doubt," &c. The convalescent 
immediately leaves the Society, and pronounces all who re¬ 
main hopelessly mad. 
There are many remedies which diminish the intensity 
of the attack, without effecting a cure. The following are 
some of them :—Misgivings as to who is to provide funds 
for the expenses incurred daily; rebuffs when asking for 
subscriptions; breezes in committee; the opinion each 
man entertains that all the work is put upon him. The 
absolute cure is reserved for the task of unpacking or re¬ 
packing the poultry; an empty Show; grumbling exhibitors; 
a considerable sum out of pocket. 
Some cases resist even these remedies, and then it re¬ 
quires peine forte et dure. It is administered in this way. 
The committee-man cheerfully pays his quota of loss, puts 
down his name for the following year, offers to do any 
amount of work, and has no doubt of ultimate success. 
Then some newspaper operates on him. The weekly sheet 
teems with fault-finding, and sometimes abuse; anonymous 
writers expose the faults and mistakes that never existed, 
except in their own imaginations. The committee showed 
favouritism, they appointed improper Judges, they neglected 
the birds entrusted to them, they do not deserve support. 
In one instance there was a delay of three hours and five 
minutes in returning a pen of fowls. It has been reported 
that five eggs were stolen during the Show. The pens 
should be larger. Ducks should be put by themselves. 
Sawdust is a bad thing for the bottoms of the cages ; tan is 
no better; gravel spoils the colour of the white birds. Why 
does not the committee find something else? The same 
Judges were employed two years, and the Cups went to the 
same parties. Is it not curious? Can the committee 
explain it? The place was not clean. We picked up 
seven straws, and we were splashed while looking at the 
Ducks. We have heard the committee were at hand while 
the Judges were at work, and that one of them partook of 
soda water with them. We recommend subscribers and 
exhibitors to look to it. 
The enthusiastic or insane man reads this, and the cure 
commences. The first symptom is the exclamation, “ This 
is too bad ; I pay my money, work like a horse, do not dream 
of any profit, only want to please my fellow-creatures, and 
get only abuse for my reward.” In some instances the 
patient’s eyes fill with tears ; in others, he breaks out into a 
profuse perspiration. Some wish the writer were at hand, 
that they might punish him as he deserves. In all cases 
the patient seeks a fellow-sufferer, and while they vow they 
will never again expose themselves to such treatment the 
cure appears complote. 
It now remains to speak of the effect, and this is not the 
least extraordinary part of the malady. However perfect 
the cure may seem for a time, it is only for a time. It 
always re appears, and there is not on record an instance 
where the patient has not been often attacked in after years 
with the same disease. In some instances friends watch 
the patient, and at the critical period supply him with all 
sorts of excitement and novelty. They turn his attention 
to other things, and they sometimes succeed. At others the 
attack is too severe; and we will, in illustration of our last 
position, quote from a manuscript work, “ Confessions of a 
Poultry Show Committee Man : ”— 
“ The desire to get up a Show was as strong within me in 1 
1855 as it was in 1850; but I determined to avoid the mis¬ 
takes which made that a failure. My first stop was to choose 
my colleagues. I required six besides myself; three of 
these should be intelligent men, but men of action, who 
would work; three should be men of influence and position, 
who should get subscribers. At the risk of being prolix, I 
shall, seeing this is a confession, write down all my ideas. 
Causes that can neither be foreseen nor prevented may bring 
loss on a Poultry Show. Example two out of three in Lon¬ 
don failures—one by a cab strike, another by an unusual 
snow storm ; but it is my opinion that any Show persevered 
in for four years will pay its expenses, if it does not yield a 
profit, which is often the case. Attention should also be ( 
paid to the time of year when it is held, and to the date, i 
that it may not clash with other meetings. There are many ; 
men who, for love of the pursuit, or who like some little | 
importance, who would buy it at the expense of one i 
or two pounds. Now, as the least successful Show never 
loses more than £25 or £30, I advise that the committee in 
such places shall be twenty in number, thus dividing the 
responsibility, while the working committee shall be seven, 
as before staled, and picked from the larger number. If a 
Show 7 lose £20 it will be £1 each. 
“ To proceed. I picked seven men, and undertook to bear 
all loss, while I at once disclaimed any share of profit. 
“ My first step was to the railway authorities. My busi¬ 
ness was soon stated. 
“ ‘ I want,’ said I, ‘ a ten-guinea cup for our Poultry 
Show.’ 
“ ‘ Cannot give it,’ was the reply. 
“ 1 You will lose money if you do not.’ 
“ ‘ Do not believe it.’ 
“ ‘ You will bring at least 200 people at 4s. each—£40.’ 
But you will have your Show whether we give the cup 
or not.’ 
‘“I will not, because I will not work for those who will 
not help themselves.’ 
“ 1 Call to-morrow.’ 
*“ No; I have not time ; I must have an answer now.’ 
“ ‘ Well, we will give five guineas.’ 
“ Next to an opulent neighbour. 
“ 1 Want a subscription for the Poultry Show.’ 
“ ‘ I do not keep fowls.’ 
“ ‘ By the same argument refuse your subscription to the 
coal club next winter, because your cellar is full.’ 
“ ‘ I do not see that the cases bear one on the other.’ 
“ ‘ I do, inasmuch as they are unselfish.’ 
“ ‘ Well, I will give a guinea.’ 
“ The member for the town. 
“ ‘ Want a subscription for the Poultry Show 7 .’ 
“ A shade of impatience passed over his brow. 
“ 1 Why, really, Mr.-’ 
“ ‘ Oh! ’ said I, interrupting, ‘ I do not want much ; a five- I 
guinea cup w'ould do more, perhaps, now than four times the 
sum laid out with an evident motive.’ 
True ; I shall be happy to give it.’ 
“ I was very firm with the innkeepers and hotel pro¬ 
prietors. 
“ ‘ You must subscribe.’ 
“ ‘ Really cannot.’ 
“ ‘ As you like. Recollect last time your house was full all 
day, and so were your omnibuses to and from the station. 
Do not imagine you will have the profit without subscribing, 
because I am determined I will not work unless those who 
reap the benefit come forward in some way to help.’ 
“ ‘ Well, put me down for. two guineas.’ 
“ I got a large and good list of subscribers. It may be 
objected that it is a painful job to canvass in this way; but 
it must be recollected that the object is so truly unselfish, 
that there can be no feeling of the sort. 
“ I felt sure of success. I sent out a liberal prize-list, 
and then came letters from exhibitors, some asking infor¬ 
mation, and some asking favours. I replied to all by an 
advertisement, ‘ To all intended exhibitors at-Poultry 
Show.’ ‘ Prize lists, with all rules, have been sent to every 
applicant. As these rules will be strictly adhered to, no 
other answer is required to the letters received.’ 
