Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-23

sections of the country. These have
OF late years been carried to q re
markable degree of perfection. The
first of these, now the most extensive
one in Kentucky. was started by Os-
car A Gilman, of Paris, who, in the
year 1867, by extensively calling the
attention of farmers to the import
ance and profit Of raising turkeys for
the market. soon was able to extend
his operations of both buying aud
selling, until now his turkey pens are
known Familiarity in all the regions
round about. and have been heard of
in all the Eastern markets, whittier
his shipments are made. LAST year
he shipped half . million pounds of
turkey from two points-Paris and
Flemingsburg-te Boston aAd New
York, and this year he and two 9TH
ers have already shipped from Paris
nearly 300, 600 pounds.
The work done at the pens is high
ly interesting to the spectator. Each
flock Of turkeys on its arrival is driv-
en- up to large scale. A large coop
with door at each end is placed on
the ground, and turkeys are driven
into it until it is full. 1t will hold
say 100 birds. When filed it is
placed upon the scales. and the exact
weight Of the birds within it being
ascertained, they are paid for by the
pound. The price at the present
time is eight cents, being somewhat
over the average. As high as eight
and half cents has been paid, and
the rate has at times ranged as low
as four and half cents, though rare
ly is it under six cents.
After weighing, the birds are driv.
en- into pens in large yard, whence
they are taken in squads Of about IF.
ty to the slaughter-house. Here they
are driven into a coop from which Q
narrow alley leads 20 another room,
into which it opens by q little door.
In front of the door one man stands,
and snatching out the turkeys singly,
quickly passes them over to the exc
cutioner standing behind, knife in
hand. This functionary Of death
deity catches each bird, long prxc-
tice having made him perfect in re-
ceivlng the victim in exactly the
right position, and as quick az
flash he inserts the knife through the
neck of the bird and losses the still
quivering body to the floor. There
he stanos, catching with one hand
and killing with the other, Staying
and sparing not, the dead and dying
birds piling up at his feet. The exc
cHtioner at Gilman's pens has killed
as many as 600 turkeys in q single
day.
From the feet of the slayer the
birds are removed to the picking
room, in which is low trough, oc-
cupylng three sides of q square.
Around this, both outside and inside,
sit about seventy-tive women, who
receive the yet warm bodies of the
turkeys and proceed to denude them
of their natural covering. The scene
here is quite picturesque. The pick.
ers consist of women and girls Of all
shades Of African descent, from thu
most suspicious cream color to the
ebon hue which proclaims pure
blood. All of them are dressed in
gorgeous colors. many of them wear
ing turbans, thus giving them . de-
cidedly Oriental appearance, while
the variety of bright colors worn
does much to brighten the effect of
the living pictures. The dexterity
shown by these pickers is perfectly
marvellous. One OF them in q very
few minutes will produce from the
pile of turkeys before her Aristotle's
mana biped without feathers. ]"
The pickers work steadily, keeping
time to their own voices as they sing
some good old church or plantation
hymn, secular songs being entirely
ignored, and SO they work, filling the
room with floating melody and feath-
ers.-American CultiYator.