BY E. J. LAKE.
A casual running over of the various game fowl journals of the past and near past reveals a surprising lack of uniformity in the opinions of different authorities and would-be authorities as to the histories of some of the prominent fighting strains.
And in inverse proportion to the reticence of the originators and breeders in those cases where they have, for reasons of their own, said little about their fowl is the verbosity and variety of their lineage as described by those who took upon themselves the burden of explaining to a confiding public what the originators did to create and perpetuate the strains.
One of the best examples of this is the lack of agreement among the numerous writers as to the origin of the Mahoney Gulls.
Dennis Mahoney was a practical cocker and was not interested in broadcasting to the world the breeding of his fighting fowl. He seldom sold one, and if he had cared to he could have disposed of more than he had without any paper advertising. He bred them to use and not to sell. The very fact that he said so little left open a fertile field for others who secured a grain of truth and then wrote a good story around it.
It would be of little use to attempt to review all that has been said to little avail on the subject, but I will briefly refer to a part of it.
Not so long ago a writer stated that Billy Lohman furnished Mahoney with some of the Gilkerson fowl that whipped him (Mahoney) at Syracuse after that main and that a cross of these on the Mahoney Ross fowl produced the Gulls.
About ten years ago a writer, talking of the Gulls, stated that their origin was from the Gilkerson fowl and that the latter started from the Derby. He further states that “you might as well ask the ‘winds’,” as Mahoney as to their other blood. He goes on, however, and outlines his own theory as to the source from which they came. Here it is: An English jockey known as “little English George” came to Hamilton, Ont., to ride for John Martin. He brought with him some pure Derbys. A cocker by the name of Reid fought some of them in a main and Mahoney saw it and was so impressed with them that he wanted some. He finally bought a cock known as the “Old Fairy Cock” and two hens for $50. This was the start of the strain.
In 1912 another writer stated in Grit and Steel that the Gulls did not have a drop of Whitehackle blood in them.
One often sees the Ross Gulls referred to, and as I didn’t know the distinction between these and the straight Gulls I started out to determine if there was any difference. I found one writer who recently stated in Grit and Steel that the Ross fowl got their name because Denny had a valuable cock stolen at the time of the nationwide search for the kidnaped boy, Charley Ross, and that later the cock was returned and was named for the lost boy and was a brood cock which perpetuated the strain which became known as Ross Gulls.
A late historian in writing of the Gulls disclaims all knowledge of their blood origin except that he is sure they have a cross of Whitehackle in them.
In the early days of the Feathered Warrior a versatile writer, apparently sighing for other worlds to conquer, pounced upon the Gulls and added some further embellishment to history. After making inquiry, as he stated, among Mahoney’s friends and acquaintances he deduced a line of descent of which the following seems to be a fair statement:
About 1860 John Mulholland imported from the North of Ireland two strains of fighting fowl, one gray and the other black-red. He gave the latter to Mahoney and they were the ancestors of the Gulls. He goes into the matter to great length, however, and says that about a year before his death Mahoney told him “in the course of our conversation * * * ‘The Gulls came from Dromore, County of Down.’ ” Then it is conjectured whether they were bred as imported or crossed with other fowl. Finally reference is made to the Reid stock. Here is what was “said” to have happened. Denny rented five cocks from Reid for $5 apiece if they won, and nothing if they lost. Three of them were impressive winners. Mahoney wanted some of the stock to breed and so he bought a hen for $15. She was bred to one of the Reid cocks, but she laid nothing but soft-shelled eggs that season, therefore no chicks were secured. At this point where “the memory of man runneth not to the contrary” no further facts were available, so it was “presumed he bred her to the Irish cock, and from them the Gulls were obtained, as the hen was known as a ‘gull hen.”
Then the writer discusses the name and its origin. It is considered probable that the cocks as cut out for battle bore such a resemblance to the gulls flying up the Genessee river toward Rochester, N. Y., from Lake Ontario that the appropriateness of the name became apparent and stuck from then on. As a further probable reason for the name it was recalled that at about that time a pugilist by the name of Gulley was very popular in England and that his name, shortened to Gull, may have been used to perpetuate the memory and fame of both the man and the birds.
As a matter of fact there was a strain of cocks in the western part of New York state some years ago known and fought under the name Gulleys, and Mahoney fought against a full main of them at least once, but I know no reason to think they were crossed onto the Gulls. It might be that Mahoney fought them at some time, as he did a great deal of fighting, and they are more liable to be the fowl to which the last writer above is referring.
The same writer continues with a discussion of the Ross fowl. Apparently he knows little about them. Of course it is a well known fact that there must be a reason for everything, and a poor one is better than none. So the writer continues with this offshoot, as he calls them, of the Gulls. He says that Mahoney had a small Gull stag stolen and he searched for him for weeks.
Finally he found him, and a friend who was present in the bar-room said that Denny said, “Here is the long lost Charlie Ross.” The name stuck and he became the progenitor of that strain or offshoot of the Gulls. He was the lightweight in a main against Tom O’Neal and after he won his battle Mahoney held him up to the crowd and stated that this was his twenty-first victory (no less) and he never would fight him again.
When P. W. Carew was editing the Game Breeder at Toledo, Ohio, he was breeding and selling game chickens. He was a friend of Mahoney’s and at different times received fowls of all the strains that Denny bred as presents.
He kept after Mahoney for a history of his fowls, but it was some time before he could get any results. Of course, it will immediately occur to anyone why he wanted to print this in his paper when he was selling the fowl. Finally Mahoney “came across,” if I may be pardoned the slang, and sent him what, so far as I have been able to discover, is the only article written by Mahoney on his fowl’s breeding in existence. This article was reprinted in the Breeder once at a later date if not oftener. The original article appeared in November, 1892. It has been copied in other game journals but has apparently escaped the eye of some of the historians above, or else they would have made some changes in their manuscript.
It was sent to Grit and Steel and reprinted in April, 1910. It was furnished at that time by Mr. Frank Wilson of Faun Grove, Pa., who, if I am not mistaken, had some of the Mahoney stock from Carew. I believe Mr. Wilson still breeds game fowl. In setting forth the original article as printed in the Breeder I am quoting at length.
Here it is:
Gulls and Genet Pyles.
Ed. Breeder:—Yours of recent date to hand, and in reply to your queries in reference to the Gulls and Genet Pyles, will say that those parties who claim they have the Ross Gulls, and received them from one “Col. Ross,” are frauds. The Gulls and Ross are the same strain, only the difference in name.
About twenty-seven years ago I fought several cocks which I received from a man by the name of Baird, residing in Toronto, Canada, and fought his fowl for three or four years. Among them was a fine brown-red, white-leg cock, which Baird called the “Gull,” and this cock was grandsire to the cock “Charley Ross.” I never made any inquiries about the Gull, and Baird died several years ago, and I believe in his day he had as good fowl as any man owned.
Now, in regard to “Charley Ross” taking that name, it was at the time there was such excitement about the boy, Charley Ross. I had a young man by the name of William McNiece helping condition and care for my fowl, and the cock having won a good many battles this young man named him “Charley Ross,” and that is just how he got the name. The Ross and Gull fowl were black-red, with yellow and white legs. Of course, I did some crossing back and forth, and some will show willow legs now.
In regard to the Genet Pyles, or “Nigger” Pyles, as they used to be called: They got their name from a “gentleman ob colah” who raised them in Jersey for Harry Genet. Mr. Genet was quite a politician, and being in with the Tweed gang was forced to flee the country at the time of Tweed’s arrest.
Prior to leaving the country he presented a trio of his Pyles to a Mr. Wadsworth, of Genesee, Livingston county, N. Y., about thirty miles from Rochester, and he, Wadsworth, gave them to Henry Faulkner, of Danville, N. Y. I was working a horse, “Tom Walters,” for Faulkner at that time, and of course I could get anything I wanted from him in the fowl line, and that is how I got the Genet Pyles. I had seen them fought in New York for years before that, and I must say that they are the best pit fowl I have ever seen.
One thing remarkable about them, I never saw a blind Genet Pyle lose a fight if he could stand up; the best blind fighters in existence today, if I do say it. I do not know of anything else to say, as you have as good an idea about them as though I filled two pages of the Breeder.
DENNIS MAHONEY.
I have not written this to start any “hilarity,” but am setting forth the facts and those who read can use their own judgment. I know no reason to doubt Mahoney’s sincerity in the matter, and he should know what he is talking about. The usual result of anyone’s statement on a question of this kind is like the declaration of a Roman holiday, but here is hoping no casualties result. I am making no final conclusions. Help yourselves.
MAHONEY GULLS.
BY E. R. CARPENTER
To begin with, let me hasten to assure the readers that I am not writing for advertising purposes. I have carried an advertisement regularly in Grit and Steel for many years, and this has always sold all the birds I could spare.
When I quit using paid advertising space I shall quit selling birds.
Having read the article by E. J. Lake, published in February Grit and Steel, I am surprised that Mr. Lake fails to support his many statements by reference and dates. Such dates as he attempts are so palpably erroneous that it would be an error to all interested in game fanciers to let the article go without comment, in that he purposely or unintentionally neglects to throw any light upon the origin or “Blood Lines” of the Mahoney fowls, which, of course, today are accepted as the Gulls and Commodores. While not apologizing for Mr. Lake, his mistake, it occurs to the writer, arises naturally from his limited information, based upon the undated letter, assumed to have been written by Dennis Mahoney. The unfortunate feature of the Mahoney letter is the total absence of any data, whatever, upon the very important essential of the blood lines of the cocks obtained from Baird, Toronto, Canada, and their crosses.
The writer hopes that the subjoined information may place at rest all controversies concerning the Mahoney fowls and their progenitors.
Just after the Civil War in 1866 and 1867, Mahoney was living in Rochester, New York, and was working in New York City with Bud Doble.
They had a stable of horses, one horse in particular, was Dexter, the greatest harness horse of his day. Dexter was owned at this time by Robert Bonner of New York City. Mahoney’s, Doble’s and Bonner’s main quarters were at John Morrsey’s Ginn Mill, as it was called in those days, at Summit Street and Hamilton Avenue, South Brooklyn, New York. Denny had cocks from John Morrsey, John Maholland and Harry Genet. This was the greatest combination of cocks ever in New York City. In 1868 Denny was working a horse for McCarthy of Dunkirk, New York, by name of “Bay Tom,” at the Brown and Kenilworth tracks, at Buffalo, New York. Denny had fought many of McCarthy’s cocks years before this and obtained what fowls McCarthy had. These Pure Irish Derbys McCarthy brought direct from Ireland in the fifties. Denny had many friends in Buffalo, New York, and Toronto and Kingston, Canada.
Medcliff, a great cocker and breeder, had many of Mahoney’s Irish Derbys and was breeding cocks for Mahoney at this time. In 1869 Mahoney got many cocks from Tom Baird, of Toronto. These were Earl Derbys, which Medcliff claimed Baird brought from England in 1862. Mahoney, in 1870, crossed one of these Baird cocks to his Irish Derbys. This proved a nick.
From these he bred a cock, when a stag, that won many battles, and as a cock was a repeated winner. This was the cock Mahoney called his Charlie Ross, and being the first named “Gull” and first named “Ross.” In 1875, Kilcourse had this cock one season to breed to Mahoney Irish Derby hens. From 1875 Medcliff had this cock until he died. Medcliff and Kilcourse passed this blood back and forth until 1884. “Hank” Rice was devoted to following the circuit and shoeing trotters for Mahoney. Denny presented Rice, uncle to writer, many of his best cocks and tested hens. As Mahoney could have all stags raised at any time he desired them, it was in this way that the combination of breeders could keep these old fowls at top notch shape by infusing blood back and forth from each other’s yards hence the “Gulls.”
Just why they were called Gulls Rice never seemed to state, but undoubtedly from the Baird fowl.
Long before Mahoney ever moved to Buffalo he had cocks they later called his Commodores. These he obtained from John Maholland, John Morrsey and Harry Genet. This was the best combination ever entered the Philadelphia Cocking Club; John Maholland Grays from Ireland; John Morrsey’s brass back Irish fowls; Harry Genet Pyles. It would make a long story to write history of all these men. Morrsey, New York, old-timers should know much about. He was a great, gentle, fighter. He fought Heenan at Crown Point, Canada, and Heenan defeated him. Morrsey quit fighting and later was elected to the Congress of New York State. Genet said his fowls were white Georgians, brought from the South to the North and crossed on Earl Derbys. This made a beautiful Pyle fowl (white Georgians and Earl Derby cross) and great cocks for short heels. Denny had many of these Pyle cocks long before Genet was ever mixed up in Bill Tweed’s arrest. After Tweed’s arrest, Genet left New York and was never heard from again, as to my knowledge. Mahoney got all his knowledge from that old New York bunch of cockers and Maholland taught him his best cocking knowledge.
Denny was a feeder and handler. He never bred fowls. He could get furnished cocks from any man. He got many cocks for short mains. But when Mahoney wanted a main for real money he got his cocks from his old reliable breeders like Medcliff, Kilcourse, and Rice, that had his Gulls and Commodores at that time.
The Gull and Commodore of today, in color, appearance, characteristic marks and action in battle correspond exactly with all authentic accounts of the originals. At the request of Grit and Steel, J can furnish any details concerning the right records of these celebrated cocks.
Permit me to state, in conclusion, that my uncle, “Hank” Rice, aroused my interest many years ago in game cocks, and started me in business in Potter county. The relations between my uncle and Mr. Mahoney were of the most confidential character, and the Gulls and Commodore fowls thus passed to my uncle. At the death of my uncle I acquired, by purchase, all the game birds he owned, and while others may guess what they possess of the Gulls and Commodore fowls, I know what I have.
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