Sam Marks’ Plymouth Rock hen, of Orville, Cal., which recently laid an egg bearing the Hebrew word for “peace” neatly inscribed thereon, is bringing her owner much fame and large daily mail. The president of the Panama-Pacific Exposition has written to Marks, inclosing a free pass to the exposition and asking Marks to bring the wonderful egg and “Martha,” the remarkable hen, with him.
Lands 975 War Horses Across Ocean Safely.
Doctor E. R. Forbes, of Fort Worth, Texas, who, early in January, resigned as State veterinarian to return to British service, recently took the record on animal transportation, having landed in Europe 975 head of animals without losing one.
Doctor Forbes was in good health when the letter containing the news of his safe arrival at his destination in England was written, and signified his intention of remaining in the animal-transport service of Great Britain as long as his services were required during the war.
Doctor Forbes was employed by the British government during the Boer War in the same position he now occupies. At that time he took two cargoes of horses from New Orleans to South Africa, and, after demonstrating how to care for the animals on shipboard during such a long voyage, returned to New Orleans, where he continued to pass upon the soundness and stamina of horses and mules for the British army while the Boer War lasted.
Taking 975 head of animals across the Atlantic in mid-winter was a feat in maritime equine transportation never before equaled, and especially when it is taken into consideration that not an animal was lost during the voyage.
This is quite in contradistinction to the fate of a shipload of horses consigned to the Italian government by the steamer Evelyn. When the steamer neared the Bermuda Islands, the condenser on the vessel broke, and, no water being available, the cargo, 366 head, was driven into the sea.
Another shipment to Italy arrived at its destination with only seventy-eight alive out of 345 when the vessel left an American port.
Michigan Has Climbing Cow.
Marshall Rust, a farmer, of Lapeer, Mich., possesses several cows that are as graceful examples of bovine femininity as ever chewed a cud, but, in addition, one of them has some athletic ability.