My grandfather made this. Dad's father. I never met him. He died the year before I was born. I've only seen one photograph of him. He was short in stature (it runs in the family) and wore glasses in thick frames, but remembering stories about him told by my dad and my uncles, he was one of those wiry little buzzsaw guys that bigger guys sometimes make the mistake of messing with. He was treasurer of the Baptist church, and after services, he and the family would walk home with grandfather carrying a leather satchel with the day's offerings inside. Dad said he carried a big pearl handled Smith & Wesson that "opened at the top", but didn't remember the caliber. This would have been in the thirties and early forties. Apparently no one at the church cared that grandfather was carrying during preaching. I believe he and grandmother did a lot of local missionary work for the church, because one of the stained glass windows in the sanctuary is dedicated to them with a panel in the glass inscribed with their names.
Anyway, he made this thing with the chickens and corn. I think things like this have a name, but I can't remember what it is. I'm not sure whether or not to call it folk art or what. To me, it has a bit of a Rube Goldberg-ish flavor to it. It's all wood (and corn). No screws or little nails.
You hold the paddle part parallel to the ground and move it around in a circle. This makes the wooden weight below it twirl round and round on the string. The string's connected to the chickens and the swinging weight makes them peck at the kernels of corn. And they all do it in separate movements. Their heads go up and down at different times. It's pretty clever, I think. I know I couldn't make something like that. The chickens' beaks make a clickety sound when they hit the wood. It's funny.
It's remained in remarkably good condition. Dad
may have replaced the string...I'm not sure.
Dad loved this thing, though. I do believe it was the only thing he had left that had belonged to his father. On Sundays, after dinner, he'd sit in front of the fireplace and twirl it a bit, then just sit and sort of hold it a while before replacing it on a brass hook on the mantle.
So I thought I'd photograph it. You can click on it and enlarge it if you wish.
