FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL 
AND 
POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
Vot. I. 
PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 18, 1874. 
No. 25. 

—————— 
MR. EDWARD HEWITT. 
early age of seven years began his career as a poultry fancier, 
by the acquirement of about a score of the now nearty ex- 
WHEREVER prize poultry are bred or valued, the name of | tinct red-speckled booted bantams; which breed, by the way, 
Mr. Hewitt is known and honored, since it is well understood | we wish some one would endeavor to recover, as they would 
how much of the advance in quality that has undoubtedly | be a decided novelty in these days, the leg-feathers in good 
been made, has been owing to his consistent and judicious | specimens averaging seven to nine inches long. It was not, 
awards during many years, which have quietly but effectu- | however, until leaving school, in 1825, that his marked par- 
ally directed the 
efforts of breeders 
into the proper di- 
rection. He has 
had more to do 
with the settle- 
ment of what shape 
various breeds were 
to take than prob- 
ably all others put 
together; and the 
curious anomalies 
in Americanjudg- 
ing, of which al- 
most every mail 
brings us some 
complaint,andthe 
curious spasmodic 
efforts our friends 
make from time 
to time to ‘fix 
a standard” by 
which their fowls 
shall bejudged are 
perhaps stronger 
proofs even than 
the high quality 
of our best show- 
birds, of what 
English breeders 
owe to him, and 
of the need our 
trans-Atlantic 
brethren have of 
some onewhoshall 
similarly take up 
the subject for 
them, and im- 
part to American 
breedingandjudg- 
ing somewhat of the same stability and consistence. These 
and many other reasons are quite sufficient for presenting a 
portrait of Mr. Hewitt to our readers, with such particulars 
of his career as his kindness enables us to record without 
violating the confidence of private intercourse. 
Mr. Hewitt was born on February 28th, 1811, and at the | 

tiality for poultry 
and other ‘pet 
stock”’ fully de- 
veloped itself, ow- 
ing to the presen- 
tation from a dear 
friend, who had 
himself obtained 
them from the 
fountain-head, of 
three or four beau- 
tiful specimens 
of the Sebright 
Bantam, which, 
down even to the 
present day, have 
always remained 
his especial favor- 
ites. These birds 
Mr. Hewitt bred 
with much care 
and such success 
that when he ex- 
hibited some of 
their descendants 
at the first Bir- 
mingham poultry 
show, he won first 
prize. That ‘fin- 
ished him,” of 
course; and for 
many years, with 
thesame stock, the 
same success at- 
tended him when 
exhibiting Se- 
brights either at 
Birmingham or 
elsewhere. 
* At this first Bir_ 
mingham show (held in Worcester Street, on what is now 
the site of the London and Northwestern Railway station), 
Mr. Hewitt also exhibited pied and common Pheasants, and 
the beautiful Chinese Golden and Silver Pheasants, the latter 
of which were at that time—common as they are now—very 
little known, and added much to the interest and popularity 
