Mr Frank Gary
Crosswicks - N.J. - USA

29-6-1984

Dear Mr Gary,

I guess you have been wondering what had happened to me, but unfortunately I have had some personal problems, which right now I will not burden you with and consequent lye both with correspondence and most other things have lagged badly. However I’ve begun to get things straightened out mainly with myself although not being in a very happy frame of mind, life must go on.

First re your letter of January with comments on the material I submitted to you re our Pekin Color standards.

The final paragraph in your letter sums up the situation exactly, that was that I have to write up these standards in this fashion, not so much to mollify my immediate associates but most of the breeders we have in Australia. I’m afraid our Australian breeders and exhibitors are way behind in their thinking when compared with your people in the US.

However on the brighter side the draft which I sent you was accepted by our Pekin Club executive at a recent meeting. We made a few minor alterations, e.g. eye color to be red or reddish orange which I think is a step in the right direction and which I feel you will also agree.

We decided that the color standard for Black Red, Blue Red Brown Red, Birchen and Wheaten be published in the Pekin Bantam Club of NSW Newsletter as the Accepted and Recommended Plumage Pattern for judging of these colors in Australia.

In this we feel we are quite correct in doing, being the Specialist Club of the breed as there is no National organisation in Australia to handle this sort of thing.

At our last meeting: we decided we will continue on with straightening out the BLUE color pattern which has  been very confusing from time immemorial.

So it looks that at long last persistency is paying off.

Our President, a particular friend of mine works with me on these projects. We agree on most things and my son who is Club Secretary can now see what we have been working towards, so I’d say we will reconstruct the whole Pekin Standard along the lines that I published in my book when I was working in conjunction with you. It now looks as the work done has not been in vain.

A Plymouth Rock Specialist Club has been formed and I had the President to see me and loaned his some of the APA and ABA Standards which he was looking for. They have decided to formulate a standard for the Plymouth in Australia which is a move I think in the right direction. When I obtain a copy I will pass one on to you. I think they are covering both Light and Dark Barred.

Another bit of good news is that I received a letter from our Club Rep. in West Australia who first requested we do some something about these colors. When they get confirmation from us as a Specialist Club they will put classes for these colors. They now have this conformation, so I would say we are at last making some ground in forming our own Australian Standards. However there is still a lot to be done.

Referring to your further letter of March I am using Timoptol ophthalmic solution timolol 0.25% sterile twice a day and it is quite effective in keeping the pressure down behind the eyes. My eyes at the moment sightwise are fairly stable. The cataract on my left is still growing slowly, the doctor told me a couple of weeks ago that I could be 12 months before he has to remove it. They are now using what is called an implant method here in Australia which is apparently very successful. A friend of mine has had both his eye done this way and is very happy with the results. Will write again soon.

Sincerely yours,