386 FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 


of the exhibition, eliciting frequent inquiries as to ‘* What 
are these beautiful birds?”? At this show, too, it is worthy 
of record that every specimen, both on reception and dis- 
patch, passed through Mr. Hewitt’s own hands, he having 
voluntarily undertaken this arduous duty, and, as is believed, 
without injury or mistake of any kind. In after times his 
interest in the old ‘‘ mother” show continued unabated, and 
he voluntarily undertook for a number of successive years 
the sole supervision of the poultry shown, and of the feed- 
ing department. The self-denial and real interest involved 
by this may be imagined when we state that his residence 
was no less than three miles from Bingley Hall, and that he 
had to be ‘‘on duty ”’ from before 6 a.m. till after the closing 
time (then far too late) of 10 p.m.; whilst the whole of the 
last night was spent in repacking the poultry—a plan now 
greatly improved, and the work much expedited by a division 
of the labor. 
For many years during this period Mr. Hewitt was a tol- 
erably constant and generally pretty successful exhibitor of 
Rouen ducks, white-crested Black Polish White Cochins, 
and some other breeds less constantly ; besides numerous 
‘‘ oddities ’’ and rarer pets occasionally sent by him merely 
for public view. We may also mention specially a variety 
of ducks now never seen, but at that date well recognized 
among the few amateurs of the district as ‘* Warwick Blues,” 
as bred and successfully exhibited by him at this time. They 
were, Mr. Hewitt has informed us, exactly of the color of 
Andalusians throughout the whole plumage, without ever 
sporting a white feather ; were extraordinarily weighty birds, 
and quite equal to the Rouen in flavor; hence it is matter for 
regret they were lost, and if any can yet be found, it would 
be well to cultivate them again. They appear to have be- 
come superseded, through no special prizes being given them, 
though they often won in general competition; at that time, 
also, when less interest was taken in poultry generally, it 
was much easier to lose a variety than it would be now. 
It was on November 19, 1852, at Hitchin, that Mr. Hewitt 
first officiated as a poultry judge, in conjunction with Mr. 
John Baily, who also is still alive. (We have often had oc- 
casion to remark how many fanciers become old men: mark 
this, you who sneer at us.) His official engagements soon 
began to become both popular and general; when, acting 
under the advice of the same friend to whom he had been 
years before indebted for the Sebright Bantams, he set an 
example which has had much to do with the implicit confi- 
dence reposed in him, by selling or otherwise disposing of all 
his poultry, except a few Sebrights, kept merely as pets; 
from which time he has entirely refrained from exhibiting, 
either directly or indirectly, or from buying or selling ex- 
hibition poultry of any description. By this means he has 
avoided the suspicion of corrupt motives; and has been 
equally careful to avoid every appearance of party feeling, 
several instances having occurred in which he has judged for 
rival committees in the same town with satisfaction to both 
parties, but always urging upon each that “ combination 
would ensure a good show, while division meant failure ?— 
advice not entirely unneeded even now. With the same 
anxiety to avoid even the ‘‘appearance”’ of evil, it is worth 
remark that when first generally requested to judge at Bir- 
mingham, he resigned his position on the council of that 
show, in order to avoid either possibility or suspicion of any 
private knowledge as to the birds before commencing his 
task ; and when, without his knowledge, the «‘ Poultry Club,” 
as it was called, published his name at the head of their list 

of judges, he at once published a letter in The Journal. of 
Horticulture, intimating his readiness to judge for all ex- 
hibitions alike, but entirely declining any such appointment, 
on the ground that it might bear the aspect of partisanship. 
That Mr. Hewitt has judged without fee or reward is well 
known to most of our readers. It was not, however, thought 
that such long and valued services should go entirely unac- 
knowledged, even if unrewarded; and in August, 1867, it 
was proposed that a testimonial should be raised by subscrip- 
tion as some testimony to the estimation in which his efforts 
were held. There was no canvassing, publicity through the 
usual channels being the only means employed; but in a 
very few months the sum of £400, to which was afterwards 
added more than £100 of later subscriptions, was raised, 
which was publicly presented to him at Hull, on May 12th, 
1868, with an appropriate illuminated address and valuable 
gold chronometer, Mr. James Fletcher speaking in behalf of 
the committee. 
As many of our readers are aware, Mr. Hewitt has for 
many months past been in a great degree disabled from judg- 
ing by the after effects of an accident on his way to the Crystal 
Palace Poultry Show of 1872. On that occasion he caught 
his foot in a stair and injured it most seriously, though the 
effects might probably have passed off had he retired at once 
to rest. Unwilling, however, to disappoint the committee, 
he judged his share of that show, though in severe pain; and 
the result was an extent of injury and shock to the system, 
which, followed as it was by severe domestic trial—into 
which we have no right to enter—has never been really re- 
covered from. Nowand again he has made his appearance, 
but has been as often obliged again to retire; and how diffi- 
cult it is to supply his place we need not say. It is, how- 
ever, hoped that the ensuing season may see him at his old 
work again, with somewhat better prospects than before; and 
we are assured that the consciousness of the thorough sym- 
pathy and earnest good wishes of those he has so long served 
are a great source of comfort and satisfaction to him during 
his forced retirement. 
The portrait which accompanies these brief notes is taken 
from a photograph, for which he sat so recently as his last 
birthday, by Mr. Hewitt’s kind permission.— Fanciers’ 
Gazette. : 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE PROPOSED NEW CONVENTION. 
BEFoRE commencing the articles which I design to write 
on the Buffalo Convention and the “ new standard,” I would 
say that, like G. P. Burnham, ‘I have no axe to grind.” 
I do not write in favor of the new standard because of any 
influence that I may have had in making it what it is, for I 
had very little to do with it, nor do I have personal or busi- 
ness relations with the prominent men of the Convention, 
or of the National Association, which influence me to speak 
in their favor. I write only in the interest of truth and 
justice, and would not willingly do the least injustice to any 
one who has written, or who may yet write, upon this sub- 
ject. 
G. P. Burnham and others, in recent numbers of the 
Journal, propose calling a new Convention to further revise 
the standard. 
This proposition is so unwise and ill-timed that I do not 
believe it will meet the approval of any number of fair- 
minded thinking men who are interested in poultry breeding. 
The Buffalo Convention was called by the National Asso- 
