New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-22
THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY
HIS LIFE AND DEATH IN THE LAND OF
STEADY HABITS.

NORWICH. Conn.,, Nov. 22.-lt is in this sec
ton OF Connecticut and in Southern Rhode Island that
they weigh that prince OF Thanksgiving Day BIRDS the
turkey by the ton The dealers are getting ready Tor
now. All mp and down the farm studded valleys OF the
Thames the Mystic and the Pancauck Rivers, kngy old
elms Characteristic OF all New England farm house
yards are filed nightly with swarms OF gobbling
turkeys which, early in the taught to select
these for their roosting places And there high
up out OF harms way, they huddc these frosty nights
COMPACT feathery mass. The prime turkeys for the
New York and Boston markets have for a century come
out OF this OF the country. Formerly all the
farmers used to raise them aud look upon the revenue
derived from them every fall substantial aid In It'd
ing the household the winter. Now tho increase In
population has driven the turkey inland. and II Is
principally the back country farmers who raise thou.
Connecticut turkeys have world reputation
BrooI OF them haze been sent to Europe. Asia aud the
Sandwich Islands. They have been spread all over the
United States They believed to he straight from the
wild stooa without cross breeding, large Plump, white
fesed firm and of spicy flavor With markethen they
invariably command the best prices. The birls are fed
through the coarse white meal once early III
the morning. and again about o'clock In the afternoon.
This early supper keeps them about the roosts and
promotes early retiring and prevents damp walks after
dark which fatal to turkeys as TO human beings
On fall mornings, their fast Is broken they are
away to the woods aud spend the best part of the day
there hunting chestnus. % which they are very iond,
full flavor.
Not more than dozen buyers handle the entire output
OF turkeys from this of the country They are
chiefly white headed men who have grown old In the
business and with each succeeding fall netted
sings sums Of the traffic. These men 20 All over the
country foot during the summer aud buy mp the entire
crops of tho farmer stpilltng to have the birds de
lvered at their headquarters certain day The Kill
ing begins in August which time birds sent OF In
small lots, to order to NewYork and Boston, Then the
fowls rarely weigh three poinls apiece But Just
before THANKSGIVING the country fairly swlnS IN turkey
blood mixed with feathers. The Thanksgiving turkeys
arr killed on the Thursday Friday preceding the Ma
tonal day of praise and ,pnyeri The slaughter IA OF
necessity begun thus early In order to get the stock into
the markets. by Monday morning the great mass OF
turkeys are In the hands ot the local buyers. Ths prac
cc isposng OF their stock has been followed ny the
farming community Tor over hundred years. u hr.t
came about by yituc NJ the lact OF facilities OF the farm-
ing population for transportation FOR long distances AMI
when tho railroad an steamboat came Into usc the rrac-
tcc had hccomn seated that the country agent has
maintained his place 10 tho present day lie SHIPS III
rrcy To tho mnrketincn hnd Monday night AM Tuesday
monus tho mareeta az hoth Gotham aud tho i'"b'arc
offering primo Connecticut turkeys. plump tat end
tender
Tho slanghterag Ia done entirely by the farmer
Formerly the head of tho bird loppcd OH with an
axe. nut tho saushtorcr has now got tue arr iowh
peg uner than this Ito thu,s QUO og of tho turkey In
blaio sharp knife through the veins az The neck; AMI
wno thu poor gobber Is bleeding 10 death he Il beins
rapidly ,lennded OF hls feathers and dressed, that s
unless he Is intended for tho New iora narNet So
he IL scaed before being picked and lie IA lett undrawh
This difference about DRESSING between lhe New
York and Boston market, Is much commented upon
among tho turkey rsei~ but none OF them attempt 10
account It, The tail ana wing feathers are SOFA 10
brush makers and the feathers go INTO beds where
farmer very large lot Of turkeys 10 KILL the remain
ing members OF his family take h"id women chhiren
and s good e psSr M b . Hno%m to dress
twenty geese in the same length OF time, thiry-hVe
Some of the dealers ship from twelve to twenty-five
OF turkeys every THANKSGIVING Inc average price
pound, livc weight. Buyers figure very closely. me
dressing costs them 60 cents, freight ana delivery 50
They sell for 20 An Old dealer while taking upon
this subject said don't think ever sod turkey tnat
weighed thiItytwo pounds. though nave handled
lots them that would up to tWenty-eSn Prices
have ruled rather low for several years nave solu
turkey for 80 per pound bat that was for fancy
order in York. They spend money f0r such things
there small tqTey egnery ,g m 'G pkeVs that
ever got in the open ara,t was 80 cents lGnn I h
fallen oil some now The Christmas trade has all gone
Most people seem to eat Their turkey on Ihanks
I've handled twelve tons of turkeys Il season for me
Christmas trade alone Bnt c aa e eT rhgp IKE
gi, ing business stock has ii!iell OF some 700 nave
time when could drive through North Groton
North stOnington and VoluntOv IN day, and pick up
three or four tons Now il would take me two Or three
times long. IT rkey bghts nave nned out the birds
In ate years. and there is not 80 much prOh for the
farmer them. Tie Western producers shower their
Working people Will buy the cheapest, as = rule and we
cant produce binds up TO tho Connecticut standard
nearly cheap they do ont West People don't eX-
pect anything nice from the Western turkeys anyway
Ours have look just and to the stand III PRIME
order"
For many years the roc-ribbci town Of North soning
ton has had tie Of furnishing the Thanksgiving
turkey for the table OF the President IL sent eSht 10
President Grant President ttayes, gni las FOR
varied three President Arthur. fourth VIII prob
ably 20 from tls fall m case the competition
among the producers Is assfu Providence Dnyer
has the placing order and CATS for the largest
latest and br.t-oOking turkey in the country 10 hl
He pays fancy price. and the honor or furnishing the
bird TO be sent the White House seems u he more
highly priced in North t0nngton than elsewhere IN THIS
region That has always hcen famous FOR the eN-
cclIence its turkey however In fact, North Stonng
ton Is the banner town Tor all that Is ancient and
+ Iritanca In Connecticut. The farmers there are
thrifty carry annual feast OF IhanksglV-
ing as vigorously did their ancestors two hundred
years ago. Like the Pilgrim Fathers when they ap-
POINTED this day Of annual TeaSting the Wild turkey or
rather It's desrenant, and the golden pumpkin furnish
and most Of their Niands. Tor, no mat ter
how great savOry cnt OF the former falls TO the
Yankee diner that day his desires are not fuy
satisfied IN he with that most delicious AMI
crafty !ng compound, the oldfashOncl swccteJed and
sIlced pumpkin PIE.