The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-04-22
Pioneer Life e-NO. 8.
BY DAVIS MACKLEY.

II DlCCC VI uCCl hOIh, WIN OllC
prong left, was used to split ears of
;orn to feed to calves, as before men,
ioned.
Cows horns, and the horns of the
*, had a hollow shell, with d pithy
inside; but the horns of the buck,
md the ram, were solid all through.
Strange as it may seem, the horns
If the buck were used as medicine.
When burned for a long time, they
became light and brittle, and when
pounded into powder, looked like, and
had much the same effect, as the pre-
pared chalk used by physicians at the
present day. Cattle had a disease
called bloody murrain. For this the
powdered bucks horn was admin
The activity of the deer was won
derful When the buck was scared,
he raised his nose, which threw the
horns back, nearly level with the
neck, and he raised his short tail,
which was white, and he went by
lopes, at great speed.
Some fifty or more years ago, | heard
the bowling of pack of hounds in
the woods, approaching near where
we lived. Soon a buck, with great
five prong horns, came past our cabin,
only about so yards south. He went
up through our field. It was up hill,
and the fence was on the side of a
steep hill. It was a nine rail fence,
and from the lower side was more
than ten feet high. Here came three
or four hounds, smelling the deer's
tracks, and bawling with all their
might. [ had no doubt but that the
deer would be checked when it reached
that high fence, and would stop and
defend itself; so I got down the old
flint lock rifle, and thought I would
shoot the deer. The buck was some
$50 yards ahead Of the hounds, and
did not appear to be much alarmed.
When it came to that high fence it
went clear over at one bound, like
bird. By the time the hounds found
a place where they could cross the
fence, the deer was probably half a
mile ahead Of them, in the woods. I
do not know how the hounds felt, but
l was disguised, and laid the old gun
up on its rack.
Wild turkeys were very plenty, and
in the winter went in focks Of from
half dozen to a dozen, and came
about the fields in half tame manner.
They were caught in pens. A trench
was dug IN the ground some ten to
twelve feet long, and three feet or
more deep in the middle, and sloping
up to the surface at each end A pen
Of fence rails was built some three feet
high, and covered with rails. One
side of the pen was built directly
across the middle Of the ditch or
trench. On the inside of the pen
boards were laid across the trench to
the distance Of two or three feet. Corn
was put inside of the pen, and scat
tered along the trench and for some
distance on the outside. The turkeys
would commence picking up the corn
until they reached the trench, and
with heads down, picking up the corn,
would thus walk through the trench,
and up into the pen, and pick up the
corn there. Then they would attempt
to get out. They would run their
heads out between the rails, but never
would think of looking down and 60
ing out the same way they came in.
I have seen as many as ten in a pen at
the same time.
Turkeys were shot, when not caught
in pens. They were quite wild. The
hunter would take bone from tur-
keys leg, cut off both ends, and by
sucking the air through it, make a
noise almost identical with the sound
made by turkey hen. This would
bring the male turkey. He would
''gobble," and when near the supposed
female, he would raise his feathers,
spread his tail, and make his wings
scrape the ground. The little red pro-
tuberance on his forehead would
lengthen until it hung over the end of
the bill, and became of dark purple
color. Now the concealed hunter shot
him, but good aim had to be taken, as
the turkey was twice his real size, and
many time the shot only went
through the distended feathers, and
did not touch the body.
The hunter by putting his finger
in his mouth, and shaking it rapidly,
making kind of groaning noise,
could so initiate the gobble of the male
turkey as to call up the female.
The wings and tail Of turkeys were
cut off and saved. They would be
spread out and weight put upon
them, and tie end placed before the
fire and the flesh and small piece of
bone in which the feathers were in-
serted roasted. Now the quilts were
set, and remained spread. They We're
used as fans in hot weather, and to
blow the fire when kindling it. No
pioneers cabin was without its turkey
wings.
q wish here to say, by way of pa
renthesis, that [ am often diverted at
the ignorance and presumption Of the
"spider-legged dudes" who think they
kpoU SomatbiOU besides base hall