SHOCKING HABITS OF POULTRY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8791, 18 January 1897, Page 4

SHOCKING HABITS OF POULTRY.

Oa November 18 h, Ab Obtn, before Sheriff MaotavUb, John Tomer, Laggan, ol limed L5O damages, re■trioted to LI 2, against a kcal distillery company, for injury done to hit poul'ry by the eaid company in allowing Intoxicating material to flow into the Laggan barn. This material, it wai alleged, caused drunkenness among the punaer'e poultry, and consequently rendered them of little or no value to him. Pursue* elioited that for tome years past he had been making a consider able income from keeping poultry, but that since the lUrbiog of the distillery he bad made little or nothing. Hit heni and ducks would not eat Toey were, he might lay, almosb always more or lest under the influence of drink, except ob Sundays, when the distillery was not working. On Sundays thiir condition wm pitiable In the extreme. Mondays were heir worst days, for then, the hens drank •xoessively, fell into the burn frequently, and lately he bad to keep a boy to look after them on Monday mornings. They took no food unless they first took a walk to Laggan burn. Their conduct was generally very roprsheniible, and the dncki were nc batter than the hens. Ib took the pou try some time to discover the burn. He thought it was a hen be had bought at Fort*WiUiam that had made the discovery first), and that she bad led the rsst astray. Crois examined by Mr Wi lam Smith, soljoitor: Have you evei observed "gapes" in hens? — YesDo yos not consider thab yo/ir hens are Buffering from " gapes" T— Yes whiskey « gapes" {laughter).— Did you know anything about this Fort* William hen before you bought hsr 1 —Nothing whatever. Mr John Scofib at this etage wished to read to the Bench »n trbicle by Mr Andrew Lang referring to a somewhat similar case. Mr Smith objected, as the party w>s not called. Mr Scott stated he had summoned Mr Lang, bat he had nob pat in an appearance. He lefb himself in bis Lordship's hands. The sheriff sustained the objtotion. (Superintendent Moss was then asked by Mr Scott to place on the bench a large cage of wickerwiwk containing Ihe Fort- William hsr\ referred to. He aiktd be bs allowed to reoall the pursuer. — Granted. Mr Scofet : Tbis ii the Fort- William nen l__lt is. Ib it sober ?— lt is not. (Anyone could nobice that bhis wat correct, for it sat on the bottom of the cage and put its long neck through the bar», looked sldew&ys at the ceiling, orooning to ibself in what wae termed a " maudlin sbyle" by the pursuer. This was always nobJced he stated, when ib was " far gone." Ab this stage the hen seemed to address some forcible remarks to his Idrdsbip, who Ordered ib to be taken •way.) Examination conbinued : Was this ben ab the distillery burn this morning ) — Anyone could see bbab (laughter)^— How are the other hens today? —Worse than this one,— Was tbis the only one yon oould take to court? _ Yei.— Why ?— Th« resb were too drunk.— So that on the whole' the Fort-WHlam hen is nob the worst ?— That is «o,— -How do you account for that 1 She can stand it better. Cross-examined : What do the hens do when they return from the burn 1 «— slsep. —Any thing else? — After a sleep they generally fighb.— Have you no sober hens ab all?— Yes, bub the drunken ones break their eggs. For the pursuer ib was contended that be hid made oub he was entibled to damages. In an able speech for bhe defence ib was submibttd that the contention had not been proved. — The condition of the pursuer's bens might ba due to Influenza. f*His Lordship stated that, tbe case being a pecul ar one, he would delay giving a decision that day. The court was crowded, and bhe Fort. William hen was the object of rnuoh inberest oubside. A bboughbfu) individual preiented to it fully half a g'an of whiskey, which it took greedily. This revived it considerably, and ib cackled at a greab rate, to bhe intense enjoyment of the bystanders.