104 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by JosErH M. 
WADE, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
Cw 
Sfacnsg OURNAL AND QULTRY (Fxonanss, 
iy 
JOSEPH M. WADE, Editor and Proprietor. 


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(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE CONVENTION AS I FOUND IT. 
FRIEND WADE: 
I confess to some misgiving on leaving my parish home 
to attend the meeting of the American Poultry Association, 
convened at Buffalo. Even admitting that my fears were like 
the ripples on the surface of the sea, yet they had some rela- 
tion to the deeper water. For myself, I had seen enough of 
the poultry business to know that intelligence coupled with 
refinement could be profitably employed in the enterprise, 
the inevitable tendency of which would be to elevate, and 
not debase, the mind. 
By the power of steam, generated from pure water, I 
reached the Queen City of the Lakes, breakfasted at the 
Bonney House, and soon after entered the Exhibition Hall 
of the Western New York Poultry Society, of which 1 
would like to say much, for it is truly deserving of the 
highest commendation. Apart from their ample hall was 
a kind of Senate-chamber, where I was soon to meet the 
Fellows of the Royal Society. In the meantime, mental 
curiosity was playing pranks; but F was not to decide 
prematurely upon character. Justice to my brother man 
demanded a more careful deliberation; for there were men 
there of journalistic fame, as editors, contributors, and ad- 
vertisers, some of whom I had corresponded with; but how 
they would look and act I could not tell, although I could 
conceive a possibility of a person being genteel with the 
pen, but really swaggerish in manner. But when the char- 
acter of the Convention opened out before me, like clustered 
photographs, I felt rebuked even for my mental cogitations. 
Then came the formal introduction, the hearty hand- 
shaking, by gentlemen from the East, the West, the North, 
and the South, each seemingly striving to excel in cordiality 
to their newly-made acquaintances ; and yet these men were 
competitors in business, rivaling each other in opinion, but 
with all so noble that, to all appearances, they would sooner 
lose a right arm than knowingly wound another’s feelings. 


FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 

Soon the especial business of the Convention, viz.: the 
Revision of the Standard, was entered upon; and, in view of 
the various and varied interests bearing upon that one trans- 
action, it tested the merits and integrity of that body of 
men as but few assemblages are tried; and yet they rose 
superior to it all. The grand magnanimity of the presiding 
officer found a hearty response, or else infused itself into the 
minds and purposes of the members, until harmony, despite 
every contingency, was the crowning element of each 
session. 3 
The moral type of the Conyention—contrary to the 
opinion of some who know very little of the facts—the 
moral features of the body were of a high order, infused in 
no small degree with a Christian consciousness. I was 
present at all of the meetings of the Convention, and min- 
gled freely with its members during each recess, and I 
heard not a vulgar word nor an unchaste expression; neither 
was there an utterance in my hearing verging upon pro- 
fanity ; and I venture the assertion that a nobler set of men 
were never convened in the interest of any secular enter- 
prise. One landlord at a popular hotel in Buffalo, where was 
gathered the largest number of delegates, complimented his 
guests as men who drank no rum; and this one fact alone 
speaks volumes in honor of the men and the measures they 
labored to promote. Indeed, all selfishness seemed to be far 
removed from every mind. The public presentation of sub- 
stantial tokens of regard and friendship to acquaintances so 
recently made, called forth personal congratulations to the 
recipients of such favors, and appeared to gladden the 
hearts of all. 
Just here I would like to digress from my purpose, and 
speak of individuals as I met them; but I must not presume 
upon the columns of your most excellent journal. Suttice 
it for me tosay that I found myself invariably associated with 
gentlemen of sterling worth—men tried and true—who were 
earnestly laboring to promote the public welfare; and in the 
good time coming the fact will be heartily acknowledged, and 
that ignorance and bigotry done away which would indis- 
criminately sweep the entire fraternity of poultry fanciers 
into the cock-pit, just as though they had no higher than a 
brutal, debasing purpose to subserve. I know that there 
are a large class of game fowls, but it must be admitted that 
they are creatures of beauty and most excellent in their 
way; and further be it said of those who are most familiar 
with the breeding of them, that, like true naturalists, they 
have studied their nature and propensity, and would repel 
with noble scorn the idea of testing their pugnacity, and 
calling it sport. 
In fact, no man connected with the American Poultry 
Association need feel for a moment that he is required by 
any relation or rule to compromise a good moral standing. 
The day has passed when sneers and jeers are to doom an 
honorable business to disrepute, for, with the degree of 
enlightenment already possessed upon the subject of poultry 
raising, withering epithets, from any quarter, are only signs 
of ignorance, and exposes the weakness of those who conde- 
scend to use them. 
If I mistake not, the populace, in their intelligence, do 
not claim that cattle-men who convene to promote the 
enterprise of stock-raising are necessarily masters of the 
arena for bull-fighting. And why not the public mind 
everywhere be disabused in reference to the purposes and 
intent of the American Poultry Association. For one, I 
can confidently assure them that the very character and 

