State

Two Chicken Lovers Bishop Cheshire and Paul Barringer admired the qualities of fighting cocks. — «!/ — II. E. C. (RED BECK) BRYANT Old lime sportsmen of the South bred race horses, game chickens, fox¬ hounds and bird dogs. Horse racing, cock fighting and fox-hunting were popular diversions. Today, new gener¬ ations have other sports. Two splendid books of recent years by able North Carolinians have inter¬ esting notes on game chickens. They arc NonnuUa, by the late Bishop Jo¬ seph B. Cheshire, and Natural Bent, by the late Paul B. Barringer. The game fowl is pretty — nothing prettier, and its meat, fine and sweet. Many fanciers breed them, not for cocking mains, but for their looks, and courage. Laws forbid cock fighting but it continues under cover in many states. I never fought chickens or attended a main, but I admire the game — like their grit, admire their beautiful feath¬ ers. and saucy swagger. In childhood I found ways to keep a few games. The first gun I had came from a swap — a cockerel for a single-barreled, muz¬ zle loader — with a neighbor. That was before my father consented for me to have such a weapon. Dog. Watch Out! Now, in old age. I watch games produce, rear their young, teach them to work for food, and defend them against hawks and other enemies. Nothing that lives can give a nosey pup better manners than a game hen with little ones; it takes a bold bird of prey or a regular chicken dog to carry off the biddy of a true-blue hen. All efforts to eliminate the fighting cock has failed. I have been surprised to find so many men of high standing raise them. The late Senator Carter Glass, of Virginia, for years known as the Game Cock of the United States Senate, fancied them, and always kept some at his home at Lynchburg. I heard this story about him and one of his cocks that mysteriously disap¬ peared: Some wise person, months af¬ ter he missed his chicken, told him THE STATE. SEPTCMDCR S. 1953 where it was and who had it, and was winning fights with it. The informant asserted that, by a little effort, the Senator could recover the cock. "You say the person who has him is winning with him?" asked the Sen¬ ator. "Yes sir. he is a champion fighter — the fellow- who has him has won money on him." was the answer. "Well, let the poor man keep him — I have others. If he was running I would like to have him back for the pot," said the rightful owner. Senator Glass was not a chicken fighter but now and then he showed fight in the Senate when offended. He bred games because he liked their looks, and their fine qualities. Watched Them Dr. Barringer did not say he bred games but he watched some light. That was in his early years, not while he was active in the affairs of the Uni¬ versity of Virginia. He left a frank rec¬ ord of his fondness for the sport. He liked the excitement of it and reveled in the superb courage of the battlers. In his memoirs, published by the Uni¬ versity of North Carolina Press, and copyrighted by his daughter. Miss Anna Barringer, he told about the sports of the "gentry" of his young days. "Near the banks of the Catawba THE QUESTION EVERYONE ASKS! "Where we going to eat?" You get the answers by read¬ ing the "Where to Eat" columns of The State. For instance, near Bryson, your choice would be easy: IIRYSOX CITY Sandhill Inn — Dine delightfully, facing the scenic Smokies. Good va¬ riety of skillfully-prepared dishes. Duncan Hines recommended. River, where it flowed south about twelve miles west of Charlotte." said he. "my uncle. General D. H. Hill, had a small country home called ‘Hard Scrabble!' It was near the Kozzcllc Ferry which he had to cross when he went to Coitahe Home. One summer, after our return from one of the Vir¬ ginia Springs. I was visiting there and chanced to meet my old friend Charlie Tale, who promptly invited me to come over to the Mountain Island Cotton Factory where he lived, adding, as a further inducement, that in about ten days there would be a ‘big cocking main.' In the fashion of the day he in¬ vited me to stay a month, but I de¬ cided to pay a visit of a fortnight, and arrived shortly before the day of the main." At that time General Hill was ac¬ tive in the First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte; for years he was an elder there. So was General Rufus Barring¬ er. father of the author of the Barring¬ er book. Bishop Cheshire in his fascinating book said that Generals Hill and Bar¬ ringer fell out over politics, the one being an ardent Democrat and the other, a Republican. They were so wrought up. the Bishop said, it was reported around town, they would not pass the elements on communion days to each other, but detoured them. Yet, young Paul hurried to witness a rooster fight. He docs not say whether his un¬ cle knew- of his purpose. "The cocking main." he declared, “was to take place in a large, aban¬ doned dychousc. The next morning af¬ ter my arrival. I went over to the dychousc. and saw for the first time the preliminaries of a great cocking main in full swing." He then proceeded to give elaborate details of the arrangements for the event. Trained for Fight "Shelves were put around the walls about three feel from the ground." said he. "On these bags, empty guano bags, four or five layers thick, were tacked down, and on these the twenty-five or thirty cocks, which might be engaged, were being ‘ordered.’ The hand was run under the breast and the cock tossed up three or four feet to drop back on the bags. But for the bags, the soles of his feet might Ik* made sore, and they were very careful to keep him on a soft place. After ten or fifteen minutes of severe exercise of this kind he was put in his crate ( Continued on page 14) s