West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-01-03
THE TOOTHSOME TURKEY.
A GREAT suFFERER FROM CON.
SUMPTION IN WINTER.
An Indiana Turkey Foundry
Plucking the birds Storing
rhem-Wild

An Indiana Turkey Foundry
PIuoking the birds Storing
Them-Wild Turkeys.
"Where do most of our turkeys como
fromii said one busy New York dealer
TO a Tribune reporter. "Well pretty
much from all over, l should say, but
perhaps Indiana goes into the business
of turkey raising more largely than ary
other state. We get a great many from
there, and the big cities In the West get
moro. 1 paid n visit a few years ago to
one of those Indiana 'turkey-foundricsy
as they call Observation-Disclosures whore
the birds are brought in from the sur
rounding country, having been bought
zap from the farmers. and arc there killed.
plucked, and shipped TO the big cities
The turkeys run loose on the farms out
there, receiving next TO no care, aud con-
sequontly cannot compare with the East
ern bird that has been carefully fattened
for the table; but tho climate there suits
the turkey constitution and they breed
more prolihcRlly than those better cared
for. Wagons are sent out to collect the
birds from tho farmers, who get from
five TO seven cents a pound for their
iocks, aud then they are brought TO the
foundry generally an old frame build
ing. capable Of holding 1000 or more
birds, fenced of In big penS that n maA
can JUST stand upright In.
Into ono OF these coops or pens enters
a picker; he grabs a bird, lifts its wings
and blows tie feathers apart to sec " 10
has pin. feathers, ; a sign OF old age and
u hard bird TO pick. 1fsatished he car
ries it out by the legs to the picking
floor, places his feet in a loop OF. strong
cord suspended from the ceiling, tight
ems the loop with a jerk and cuts the
turkeys throat in u twinkling. Then,
with one swoop of the right hsnd, no
plucks every tail-feather ut oncc aud
throws them in a barrel by themsclvcss
two more swoops and the long pinion
feathers on either side arc IN the amc
barrel. These arc kept separate and sold
to make feather busters. Then como ~
succession OF grabs, each one bringing
away a great handful Of the small body
feathers, which are cast on the floor, al
ready ankle-deep In the soft, D~edraggled
plumRgc; and the bird IL pluoked in -
rough way almost before he IL dead. Tho
same knife blade that cuts the throat,
however, was plunged into the base Of
the brain before operations bcgnn, go az
to prevent the possibility Of any sense Of
pain. The birds are then drawn by
other doxtrous operators, packed, ship
ped and form the bulk Of the stock Of
cheap turkeys in the market. Old
turkeys, with a growth of pin-featheTs,
arc scalded LefoIo being picked. Our
best turkeys are raised In the East, al
most spoon-fcd from thoir birth, forced
TO eat and make fat in the fall, picksd
carefully, never scalded and sold at
higher prices.n
No matter how much poultry pours
into this city at once, the market seldom
becomes demoralized, as It used 90 be-
fore the perfection OF the system Of cold
storage. The birds can be- stored now
at very low rates and kept in perfect
condition until the glut Is over. It Is n
pitiful sight to enter one OF these store
houses and sec rows on rows, even cords
of turkeys ranged around, naked In the
free ing atmosphere. with laws cx-
tended, as IL reaching for feathers. This
system, too, has made the Wholesale
dealer more Independent than formerly
of the retail dealer. on whom he had
once to rely wholly for working of hie
stock In times Of great pressure, or on n
sudden return OF warm weather. lie
stores his poultry now and is in az good
condition 10 dictate TO the retail dealers
as the latter used 10 be to dictate TO him
This has made it possible for hotel and
DOhIuluk uOhnt hGtDCfo W Duy 0lICCb
from the commission merchant, who dare
not formerly break bulk and sell ia small
quantities for fear Of ~displeasing the
retail dealers.
Epicures shy that wild turkey is far
more 20 be desired on the table than the
domestic bird, and big prices are now
paid for wild ones. The turkey ia it's
wild state Is exclusively American, and
formerly was plentiful in the forests from
Canada to Florida. He is so scarce new.
however, that only In dcnsely wooded
and little civilized districts ofthe south
cfn States can the hunter find him. Even
there he must be pursued with infinite
care and patience. The most successful
mode is 10 conceal ones self, leforO
dawn, in n carefully prepared ambuscade
OF low bushes, md thorc initiate the call
Of the hen. . trick acquired with din
Guilty. AS tho discordant notes break on
the damp, still morning air, they have n
weird effect and by and by they will
be answered by q distant gObbie OF come
cock. roosting high in air, in the thickost
part Of The woods.
The hunter continues his cry at inter-
walls and has TO wait patiently aloug time
before tho cock approaches. Ie IL IN NO
hurry, gcrerally, but struts along through
tie undefbrush, picking up food here and
there, halt.ng now and then to display
las feathers, drag his wings on the
ground and ,onRrntulates himself on his
ne appearance. lie gobbles now aud
then % let the hen know that he ~ com-
ing. though, aud by land by he strides
INTO sight, TO re Give the fatal bullet in
his breast and fall, bntchered 20 make
81 American holiday. They are scar eT
now and get scarcor yearly, yet they can
always Lo had in tho market. Some
people dosay thatturkcys from wild stock
are raised + ON %barnyards, shot st short
range in the coop, clipped 10 the market
with the feathers on ard the ragged.
bloody bullet hole iudiciOusly displayed,
aud sell THIS at fancy fgurc5.
BIlghis and MlldeWs a Blessing.
nI.lA -. AlIInnn nnl AnlH.