FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
735 
They are not only heavy, but beautifully feathered and 
marked. 
We were next shown to the yard where there was twenty- 
five or thirty cockerels kept. Mr. Burnham asked me what 
I thought of them. I very freely told him (as I am too apt 
to do) what I thought of them, that they were very good 
ones, but not as good in proportion as his pullets were ; they 
were large and well-feathered. 
I made up my mind that I wanted some of those pullets to 
go with my Light Brahma cockerels and bought four of 
them. 1 did not pick for the largest, but more for marking 
in regard to breeding. On arriving home I weighed them, 
total 35J pounds. 
Let me know who can beat this at this date, and have 
them well-formed and marked. I have no doubt that if I 
had picked for weight, I could have picked out four that 
would weigh 40 pounds. I am yours truly, 
W. M. Ward. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
SOMETHING ABOUT “CABS.” 
Editor Fanciers’ Journal : 
Your last issue was spicy. Lewis Wright sends you a 
copy of my “private letter,” addressed to him last June. 
Much good may its publication do him. I can afford to see 
it in print, if he can! Then Mr. Wright goes off into the 
history of my connection with the once popular vehicle 
known as the cab — something of which I would explain, by 
your leave. 
Thirty-five years ago, while in Philadelphia and New 
York, 1 saw the just introduced two-wheeled cabs — then 
being used there as a public conveyance. On returning to 
Koxbury, I ordered three or four of these carriages built, 
which I placed on the route to Boston, for the public con- 
venience, thus introducing the cab into Massachusetts. 
The first one that ever entered Boston, bore the builder 
and his wife inside, and I drove this vehicle into town my- 
self— a performance I saw no impropriety in, as the owner 
and originator here of this (for a long time) popular mode of 
conveyance for passengers. I had no occasion to personally 
repeat this feat, and “ for this time only ” did I occupy the 
driver’s seat. If there was, or is, anything for W. S. -King 
or Lewis Wright to ridicule in this act, I cannot see it. 
Perhaps they can ! I was proud of my “ original cab line 
to Boston,” and did a thriving business with them there- 
after ; until, like Mr. King, I became “ a respectable official 
under the United States Government;” in which latter ca- 
pacity I remained more years than King did months, I 
remember. 
You have good reasons for wishing to terminate the dis- 
pute between Wright and Burnham about the “Brahma 
origin yet I trust you will give me space for this explana- 
tion about cabs. 
The President of the Pacific Railroad, with a sledge-ham- 
mer, personally drove the last spike into the sleeper, at the 
finish of that undertaking; and I did (for once) drive the 
first cab into Boston that entered that city. Is there any- 
thing in either of these acts to militate against a man as “ a 
gentleman by nature, education, and fortune?” 
What has my having once driven a vehicle into Boston to 
do with our controversy about the “ origin of the Brah- 
mas” I would like to know ? 
Yours truly, Geo. P. Burnham. 
CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW. 
(Continued from page 721.) 
Second, we must say we did not like at all, being very 
streaky-breasted. Third, very nicely marked indeed, per- 
haps a shade too yellow in ground. 
None of the old White cocks were in good feather after 
moult. First was rather too bare on legs, and but for his 
legs being far too close together, Mr. Woodgate’s pen, 403, 
would have pleased us best, but, as we have said, none were 
in show trim. Mr. Beachey won cup in hens with a grand 
bird, only a little coarse and loose in comb. We are glad 
to hear that the whole stock of this gentleman, now retiring, 
passes after this show into the hands of a new fancier, Cap- 
tain Talbot. If it be true, as we believe, that this latter 
gentleman washed his birds himself for this show, he may 
be congratulated, and it is to be supposed he has “ taken it 
bad!” the “hen fever,” we mean. Second was the best 
bird in color, but not so fluffy. Third, a fine hen, but with 
scaly feet. The winning cockerel had one bad wing, and is 
hocked, but a magnificent one ; the best developed White 
we have long seen. Second, good, but very dirty. Third 
stood rather close in hocks for our taste, and was rather 
scaly, with a slight sandy shade. Mr. Woodgate’s late win- 
ner was in dead moult, his pen being full of feathers. The 
first-prize pullet was very nice shape and feather, but 
creamy color, and a large, loose, and a rather crooked comb. 
Second, far younger, but splendid color and comb; she too 
appeared moulting, but will make up grandly, and we far 
preferred her to the winner. Third was hocked and badly 
washed, but a fair Cochin. Of the rest we note 428 (Per- 
cival) as short of feather, but good ; 431 (Burnell) good ; 
432 (Wilson) good, but very dirty; and 433 (Williamson) 
very good. 
The old class of Black Cochins was nothing at all extra. 
W e were most struck by pen 454, which showed an example 
of the strange distorted curled toes lately described in our 
columns by Mr. Hinton. None of the birds were at all in 
good feather. In young it was different; the winner in 
cockerels had very fine legs, well-feathered, but his comb 
was bad, and seemed to have lost the spikes in front. Second, 
rather less feather, but better head, and far better color. 
Third, we did not like, being yellow-legged, and decidedly 
knock-kneed. The cup pullet was a really neat Cochin, her 
comb loose and too large, but shape and legs very fine, and 
color nearly as good as a Black Hamburg. Second, the lar- 
gest bird, and well-shaped and feathered, but not in bloom by 
the side of the other. Third, nice comb and color but want- 
ing cushion. The mentioned and other birds made up a 
really nice class. 
In the £5 5s. class, first contained a very fair pullet, with 
a really fine cockerel. Second and third we did not care 
for, the second (Whites) especially, the pullet being small, 
and the cockerel hollow-chested. We preferred fourth, and 
pens 504 (Burnell), 506 (Mrs. Bently),and 509 (Shrimpton), 
struck us as best of the rest. 
BRAHMAS. 
These birds are the most wonderful classes in our present 
shows. We have spoken elsewhere of the serious difficul- 
ties in judging such classes as now present themselves, and 
it is not fair to find fault with a judge if he does not in all 
casee agree with opinions formed by the breeders after sev- 
eral days study. The judging this year was, we think, bet- 
ter than last, though not in all cases what we could wish. 
