But, while John was absent in Great Britain, the knowing ones there shook him down, beautifully! His theory, when he left America, four months previously, was that "hall 'at was wanted 'ere was to get hover from Hingland pure-bred fowls, and such would sell." John brought over "such," and they did sell; but Barnum was sold by far the worst!
An auction was immediately got up at the American Museum, in New York; and after a vast deal of drumming, puffing and advertising this magnificent, just-imported, pure-bred poultry, the sale came off, to a sorry company, indeed! And the gross amount of the sales of the fowls thus disposed of, really, was insufficient to pay the freight bills for bringing them across the Atlantic, to say nothing of their original high cost abroad. The show-man has since left the hen-business, I learn, "a wiser if not a better man;" while John retired with the simple exclamation, "Most extr'ornerry result I hever 'eer'd of in hall my life!"
Soon after this little episode occurred, the second show of the "National Poultry Society" (in January, 1855) came off at Barnum's Museum, in New York; which, notwithstanding the best endeavors of the "President," was a failure. The "Committee" shut out of their premium list the Grey Shanghaes, altogether; and the result of this last exhibition was just what I had anticipated. But Mr. Barnum can well afford to foot the bills; and, as he is perfectly willing to do this, no objection will be raised to his choice, I presume. This final exhibition at New York, I have no doubt, closed up the business, for the present.
As soon as this last fair had closed, and when the lucky and unlucky contributors returned to Boston, I invited a party of my former confrères to my residence, to dinner. I had been preparing for this little event for several days; and the following was the actual "bill of fare" to which we all sat down, at Russet House, Melrose, on the fifth day of February, 1855:
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—— SOUP—A la Shanghae. —— FRESH FISH—With China Sauce. —— BOILED FOWL—To wit, the identical Grey Shanghae cock (two years old) which took the premium at the first National Poultry Show, in New York, in 1854; then valued at $100. —— ROAST—Shanghae Cock, nine months old, weighing, dressed, 10-3/4 pounds. Do. Shanghae Pullets, same age, drawing, dressed, 7-1/2 pounds each. Do. Spring Shanghae Chickens in variety. —— BAKED—Pure "Suffolk" Pig, with genu-wine "Mandarin" Sauce.
ENTREMENTS. | |||||
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Shanghaes Truffled,
DESSERT. | |||||
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Shanghae-Quill Tooth-Picks | |||||
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Broiled Shanghae Chicks.
Stewed Shanghae Chickens.
Curried Shanghae Fowls.
Fried Shanghae Pullets.
Coddled Shanghae Stags.
Fricasseed Shanghaes.
Shanghae Chicken Pie.
Shanghae Omelets.
Shanghae Custards.
Chinese Pudding.
Pudding a la Shanghae.
Candied Cocks' Spurs.
Crystallized Pullets' Combs.
Shanghae Wattles, in Syrup.