William H. Phillips: A Rooster’s Hilarious Run-In with Dr. Harvey in Early 1900s North Adams

William H. Phillips (1830-1916) had a diverse career. He was a student at Williams College, a telegraph operator, a state senator, an editor, and a publisher. He contributed to a magazine called The Berkshire Hills, sharing local stories and characters. Phillips wrote about people of different backgrounds, including men, women, the wealthy, and the less fortunate.

He once wrote about a rooster that lived next to Dr. Alvah Harvey, a homeopathic doctor from North Adams. Harvey had a history in manufacturing, claiming to create the first Marseilles bedspread in America. He later moved to Springfield.

Phillips portrayed a humorous encounter between Harvey and a spirited rooster. The rooster often invaded Harvey’s yard early in the morning, disrupting his sleep. One day, after buying a new $250 buggy, Harvey found the rooster on it, making a racket. Furious, he went inside, grabbed a six-shooter, and aimed at the bird. Despite firing multiple shots, the rooster remained unscathed, while Harvey accidentally shot up his own buggy, costing him $50 in repairs.

In 1902, a similar incident happened in Williamstown. Clarence Goodrich borrowed a rifle and accidentally shot a young boy, Edward Yarter Jr., instead of a rooster. The bullet did not cause significant injury, and the boy recovered quickly.

Roosters can be troublesome. In 1909, a man named Columbus in North Adams complained to the police about a large rooster that attacked his son. The police informed him that the law only protected humans, but they would speak to the rooster’s owners.

These stories highlight the conflict between humans and roosters, demonstrating how a seemingly simple animal can create chaos in a community.