The Miracle Hen of the Barn
A farmer reports an astonishing, if scientifically questionable, account of a hen surviving over a month without food or water.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mr. M.H. Farlow, of Clay City, reports that a hen was lost on April 1. On May 8, the straw in a barn was removed and the hen was found, quite unable to move. There were three eggs next to her, two of which were bad, but the other quite fresh. She was fed on milk for three days before she began eating anything, and eventually, she was able to walk about. The author claims that the hen was in a doorway between two barns, unable to move more than eighteen inches, and believes she had no access to sustenance for thirty-eight days.
“I never saw such a wretched object in my life; but Mrs. Marlatt says she was the largest and fattest hen she had before being lost.”
This bizarre tale is a classic example of 'tall tale' journalism common in the 19th century, designed to provide a moment of wonder or mild skepticism for the reader. It serves as a reminder of how, in an era of local news, a stray hen could hold as much narrative weight as a city council meeting.
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