Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1892 — SURPRISED THE DEALER. [ARTICLE]

SURPRISED THE DEALER.

How a Dead Chicken was Made to Astonish Its Owner. “ How do you sell these chickens—live weight t” asked the man with the twinkle in his eye,, putting his hand on a fowl which had its throat cut and its feathers plucked, and was apparently as dead as a chicken can be. “ Haven't any live chickens, sir,” replied the marketman. " M hy, what do you call this ? ” As lie spoko a low, dolorous squawk came from the bench where the chickens lay. Ihe inarketman started and turned a trifle pale. “YV-what’s that?’ he gasped, “I say,” repeated the other, “you don t call this a dead chicken, do you ? Hear that?” And again came the squawk. The rnarketman fairly trembled. “I I,” bo began, und then, us tho squawk wns repeated, he stood motionless, unable to say a word.

“Strikes me it’s rather cruel to pull off a live chicken’s feathers and leavo it lying about in this wav,” continued the other. “I suppose you have to Jo it to assure your customers that the fowls are fresh. But you’d better not let tho Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals catch you at it.” “I thought it was dead; honest I did!” cried the marketman. “I bought it for a dead chicken. Why, I wouldn’t have had this thing happen for anything. Suppose there had been a lady inhere. Sho’d have fainted'away.” “Oil, you thought it was dead, did you? I'm not so sure about that. On the whole, I don’t know but it’s my duty to report you to tho S. P. C. A.” “Please don’t, sir; please don't! I’ll kill tho chicken myself and vop can have it for nothing if you won't say anything übout it.” ! “Oil, I'm not to bo bribed; but, as it | may not bo your fault, I'll let you off if us you say, you’ll cut the poor chicken’s head off and draw it, and while you’re about it you’d better make sure that these other chickens are dead by treating them in the same way. I don't care if you send one of them to my house when you've killed'and drawn them.” “Yes, sir; yes, sir; I will,” exclaimed the marketman, eagerly. '1 he wise-looking man walked out, smiling softly to himself. “That’s a trick that everybody doesn’t ’•.now,” ho said. “How did you do it?” I asked. “Why, it is simple enough. You can mako any dead chicken squawk by pressing its broastbono just right; that is, if it hasn’t been dead too long. 1 suppose tho movement forces tho air out of its lungs in such a way us to produce the noise. I startled that fellow u little, but if I’ve scared him into selling drawn fowls I’ve done a good thing for the health of his customers.”—[Buffalo (N. Y.) Express.