The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-01-30
DARK eoRRLERs.


school, treated with scorn the idea that
the best turkeys come from the North.
He holds the opinion that the Arkansas
turkey is the best in the world; in fact,
he goes further and declares that no
one but the old-time negro understands
cooking the great bird. Several days
ago, the Judge, meeting old Harkney,
said to him:
"Harkney, am going to give din
ner at my house next Wednesday and
want your assistance.
Eyer kin git it. Jedge. Whut yer
want me ter dop"
II want you to get me a couple of
turkeys, the best you can find, cook
them nicely and bring them to my
house just before dinner time, say about
twelve o'clock.
"I'll do dat, fur 1 knows whar ter git
de bes' in de country"
"All right What will you charge
mep"
"Wall, sab, 1 thinks dat gittin' 'em,
an cookin' 'em an fetchin' EN- ter yer
house oughter be wuf fl dollars"
That's pretty steep, but go ahead
and be sure to come on time.
"I'll do it,"
Harkney, having no money, was puz-
zled to decide upon plan of action. He
knew that turkeys were in demand and
that their roosts were closely watched
At length he concluded to take his old
army gun, go out into the woods and
kill couple of wild turkeys. He went,
but could find none. He needed five
dollars and he hated to relinquish the
enterprise. The next day he took his
gun and went out again, but his i'll luck
of the day before was repeated. His
spirits were very low as he walked to-
ward home.
Oars no chance fur er homes man
heah," he unused. "Great mine ter kill
er couple O. dem buzzards. Yander sets
two on de groun'. Use nightly tempt
ed, he continued as he rested his gun
on the fence. "Da's right up clost ter
gedder. Lemme see how / cour teck
sight"
He glanced along the grrn-barrel.
The gun fired. The buzzards fell over
and futtered. Harkney climbed up on
the fence and looked all round. No
one was in sight. He approached the
dead buzzards. He had to hold his
nose. He took them to a bayou and
dressed them as well as he could. Then
putting them into a sack he took them
home. That night he worked on them.
He scalded them, rubbed them with
lime and ashes then proceeded to bake
them. He took down quart bottle OF
cheap perfumo-something negro al
ways has on hand-and from time to
time basted the buzzards with the
liquid. When the buzzards were cook.
ed, they were certainly dark, but there
was no scent of their original odor
hanging about them. just before set
ting out for the Judges residence, he
gave the gobblers another cologne bath.
He took them around to the Judges
kitchen and said to the cook:
"Heahs de dark, gobblers l promised
de ledge. Whar is de gennermanP"
''In de house. My, how sweet dem
birds do smell Whut yer say da isP"
Ozark gobblers ones, honey
Go tell de Jedge dat Use heah. d"
When the Judge came out, he sur
veyed the buzzards and said:
"Harkney, they are not very large. '
"Oh, no, sab, dis sorter turkey doar
grow big. Da's called de dark gobblers
an aldough dar meat is dark, it's dC
sweetes' meat in de worr. / Just hap
pened ter git desc. Da's de fust hal
seen in dis country fur twenty yeahs
Jes' smell O. 'em Jedge."
"Ah, hail." said the Judge when HI
had shifted the cologne, ''they do smell
sweet Well, here's your money"
Thank yer, sab. Say, Jedge, ez
had so much trouble gittin dem darl
gobblers doan yer think yer oughter gin
me ies' er bout er dollar mop 1t wu'
hard work er gittin' 'em, an er restun
man down town said da oughter be WI
eight dollars in de least.
''Well, here's another dollar"
"Thankee, sab.
} When the company had sat down Il
dinner-when the Rev. DR.. Bogglewortl
had asked a blessing-the Judge said
II have the,pleasure of introducing yol
all to a kind of meat you doubles
never saw before. Those birds are darI
gobblers, a species of wild turkey nov
extremely rare. DR.. Boggleworth, wi
you please carve onep'
The doctor took the carving-knife
drew one of the dark gobblers towar
him, and began to cut into the flesh. !
sitting stencil arose. The doctor pu
down his knife, turned away from tn
table, and gasped. The Judge, who's
nose had begun to wrinkle, attempted t
say something but could not. The ode
, grew more pronounced, and, with on
impulse, the company arose from tn
, table.
They are buzzards," the ministe
gasped LET us go out and stand i
the LOT"
The Judge was disposed to take
, shotgun and kill Harkney, but he kne
! that man occupying his position coul
! not well afford such measure. Sewers
days elapsed before he met the old n
gro. Harkney attempted to dodge Il
7 Judge. but. when finally cornered