BY-WAYS


7/13/39 - 7th World's Poultry Congress and Expo 7/13/39 - 7th World's Poultry Congress and Expo

"...But the by-ways of life are the little side paths Where we gather hyacinths for the soul."

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This week we must be very practical. We may need hyacinths for the soul; but we also need nourishment for the body. So let's gather - EGGS! Where? At the Seventh World's Poultry Congress and Exposition, to be held in Cleveland July 28 to August 7. I don't know how Cleveland is going to get any sleep - with 12,000 birds cackling, crowing, gobble-gobbling, quack-quacking, etc. They will be worse than the American Legion. Royalty from Norway visited us quite recently, and now we are to have royalty - in chickens - from all over the world. Right now there are hundreds of birds, of fine feathers, on the high seas, rebelling that they must travel steerage, and longing for a promenade on the upper deck, and a chance at the rail - either on it or hanging over it. Here they come! From New Zealand, Egypt, Argentina, Trinidad, even the Fiji Islands. At least sixty countries will participate in this great event. The two largest buildings used in our Great Lakes Exposition have been held over for two years - to house the poultry exhibits. The vast underground exhibition hall of our Public Auditorium will be used to exhibit great incubators, brooders, automatic nests, refrigerators, transparent kitchens - where we will see eggs - eggs - beautiful eggs - and pretty girls doing magic - kitchen magic - with them.

Congress has appropriated $100,000 for this exhibit; so our own little U.S. show ought to be pretty good. The live bird competition will be very keen. Japan is sending a rooster (maybe two) with a tail seventeen feet long. There will be green-legged chickens, geese with marcelled plumage, jungle fowl, the "Adam and Eve of Poultrydom". Some two hundred varieties of pigeons will be on parade. There will be a homing pigeon race, with hundreds of birds released here at the Congress, to speed away to their home cotes. Poultry experts the world over have a choice of four languages (French, English, German, Spanish) in which to tell the other fellow how to raise poultry. Tom Barron, of England, the world's outstanding breeder of Leghorns, is just one of the 180 speakers. Our large Central Armory is being turned over to the young people - Rural Scouts, 4-H Clubs, Future Farmers of America, etc. About 25,000 of them are expected. They will have their own camp at Berea. Canadian Day - Monday, July 31st - should be a gala day, with the Canadian Mounties putting on their musical ride, and the Girls' Kilties Band of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Canadian Ex-Service men in parade, etc. Each day has some outstanding feature. Nationality groups will put on programs each day - dances and music of their home land in native costume. There will be style shows, puppet shows - and even Ko-Ko, the famous clown.

There is one contest that I don't want to miss and that is the carving contest - open only to bridgegrooms of not more than a month's standing. Brave indeed is the bridegroom who enters. My husband has been carving the meat and serving the dinner plates for twenty years; but he still welcomes the aid of his country wife in the carving of a chicken or turkey. Every person that has any possible connection with poultry seems to be coming to this World Congress. Even Indians, and why? How do they rate memberships? Because they wear feathers! The Osage Indians of Pawhuska, Okla., will set up their teepees here, and will cook in the open, inviting Congress and overseas officials to eat with them. Of course they will give their dances several times each day, wearing brilliant feathers in their costumes. Such funny names they have! Chief Bacon Rind; Perry Crazy Bear; Alfred No Ear. I'm afraid I shall want to write of nothing else, when the Poultry Congress comes to town. I wonder if the Congress will bring any of you. I do hope so. If I can be of any help, just let me know. Right now a little of Saltsburg has come to us. Cousin Ina and Marjorie Lemon came up for the fourth. Marjorie took Estelle back home with her, and Ina is staying two weeks with us.

The new "column" had an auspicious beginning, with a cordial letter from Mr. Walker and an encouraging note from Dell McQuiston Harmon. How those messages help! If this letter is dull, blame it on the heat. It's been awful. Better luck next week.

Cordially, Florence B. Taylor
4501 Lilac Road, South Euclid, Ohio.

Next- 7/20/39 - Follow the Leader - Christian Endeavor Convention

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