Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1915 — Hens Lay Black Eggs That Burn [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hens Lay Black Eggs That Burn

Coal/and Lime In th* fihslls Provide Heat Enough to Cook With,

F. J. Ded rick’s coal-consuming black minorfca hens, the fowl* wMeb produce the coal-black eggs, at Oxford, N. Y., are believed by Oxfordites to be the greatest discovery of the century. It is evident, too, that people outside' Oxford arO' Interested in the new breed, or rather the newdevelopment of an old breed, for la every mall Mr. Dedrick receive* let* ters of inquiry concerning his wonderful fowls. Preliminary tests of the black egg 1 shells to determine their value as

fuel have been made, it is said, and prove . that the hens are the goods. The egg shells, thickly Impregnated with coal dust, burn a long time and give out an intense heat. This is said to be due to the combination of coal and lime which the shells contain.

One man living la Pennsylvania wishes to obtain somfe of this season's hatch of the fowls, to continue ex* perimenta on the culm heaps.

Throughout the mining country the*** ! are thickly scattered huge heap* of’ fine coal dust representing uncountable heat units, no economic use for which has ever been found. If the*

hens thrive well in the- coat oountry they should solve at'the same tiro*-! the 1 fuel problem and the question n the high cost of Uvtim It Is obvious that if an egg contains in its shell po tential heat which can be used to coo: j that same egg and also to help coo' other dishes, the prioe of meals ti>’ restaurants can safely be lowered.