The sun., 1889-12-01
FAMOUS TURKEY DRIVING.
ELocKs NUMBERING IBOUSANDs ON
OUEBEC'S HIGHWLRa

OhoNcebt
DIES RrvrEREs, Quebec. Nov H.--To the
stranger who visits this part Of North America
in the fall Of the year, particularly during the
latter part Of October, nothing Is likely 20 be
more interesting than the great flocks OF poul-
try driven along the public highways to the
stations on the Vermont Central Railway Tor
shipment to various points in the States,
where they are rested and fed up before killing
and dressing for the market In New York city.
Droves aggregating many hundreds OF tur-
keys, and other hundreds still OF ducks, 90
straddling and waddlinR, piping and qunck-
ing along the road with man In
front to coax and q lot OF happy
go-lucky boys behind to drive, without at
tracing any other sort Of attention from
native than farmer would bestoW on
passing bunch OF steers; but to the stranger 1t
is a sight not soon to be forgotten. One drove
that contained 1900 turkeys alone arrived here
the other day. and was quickly huddled In
cattle car and shipped OF into Vermont. That
was big look for these days. and IL made
quite little stir hereRbouts. Time was when
an ordinary flock consisted Of 2,000 turkeys,
1000 geese. and 700 or 300 ducks, while fiocks
Of 5000 turkeys, and corresponding large
number OF geese and ducks were not unknown.
These would be strung along over half mile
OF the public road. and small army OF boys
was needed for the care OF them.
The poultry drovers were almost invariably
Yankees. and Vermont Yankees at that The
driving season began In September and ended
in November. At the opening OF the season
the boss drovor would drive up through Quebec
in q two horse wagon. going often as far as the
st. Lawrence River, either above or below
Montreal He had his agents at every village
along his route, and to each agent he had pre-
viously sent the price he would pay per pair
for each sort OF birds. The prices In the old
times were about 60 cents pair for turkeys.
the same for geese, and from 80 to 95 cents
pair for ducks. Since the building OF tine YER
mont Central prices have advanced, and this
year the dealers have been paying cents a
pound for primo turkeys. such rs sell for 1a
cents In Fulton Market, New York. while geese
havo brought s1.40 pai:. and ducks 60 cents.
Having. as ono may say, billed his route, the
drover began buying at the river end OF II. The
agents everywhere along the route on
the Sunday before or perhaps two Sun
days before the drover was expected to
come back over the route, would 90 to the
parish church as the people were coming out
from the service. and getting upon the church
steps where they could SEQ the people and all
could see them. they would announce in loud
voice that the drover would reach that village
on certain day and would pay such and such
prices in cash for turkeys, geese. and ducks
delivered at q certain place in the village
usually the yard or garden OF the agent.
Tho day named was a great event In the
years history OF that parish The crop OF poul-
try from the farms was tho personal property
OF the women. The women came to town very
early ON that day. riding In big carts with
their poultry slowed In the bod OF the vehicles:
Occasionally o woman would have enough Of
Z apste ms Se owed to
Say about the deal In poultry. He might look
But Marie, the owner of the flock, was by no
means silent, Such times as the Maries had
Snbbers o wiia next geS9s erop and
nine Quarres as arose over the effort OF some
sly Marie to get the better OF some unsophisti-
gan buying tho fowls! shrill voices and hoarse.
eether 9W Whls t the he never S ere ceasins @ quit. Quit"
and ducks served to iill in to Overlooking what
volume OF female talk and chatter.
The Yankee drorer was not only shrewd,
ons aler another @ Of tie little HGel Goess was was
counted and paid for and the proprietor sent
away more or less happy TO the village store.
i"r herself and the little Maries at home. TIE
turkeys and the goose were liberated from the |
oose In the yard devoted to their use. The |
iucks could not be so released, for ducks will |
iy. Accordingly the . droysr or or an "a assistant
wood placed there for tho purpose. and then q |
ii M the long ing feaiRers on that Wing. Care was
not to f the Mna Gsh @ th9 bS wing
luck. OF course. could not fy. away. It could |
hen be driven along the road as easily as q
The srrivii M Of the boss drover at a village
or the purchase OF the surplus crop OF poultry |
4 4 that vicinity va vas % usually on the day before
purchased further up the road This gave
lights rest and comfortable feed to the
Inc the next morning and travel away on the
Dad to Vermont.
The buying began Up on the st: lawrence
lay 1t started toward Vermont consisted, Of
course. OF the fowls purchased In one parish.
han TWO thPes seSnr
iver plrish. But each village added its hum
m Sopps doy at
nan az and from three 10 thirty boy boys. N according
70 Obtained were hired for large focks. A man
would walk In front with u sack OF corn. oats
H 81 s1rSs in Sn sse RsS & als s xSsg
owing It broadcast; At intervals this man
would take handful Of grain Ill., from the sack
|
eXt to him In constant state Of expectation,
nd they followed readily. Those further away
aw what the front ones were doing and came
long, too. but this only served to Keep small
lunch on the move. after all, and the man In
ront was not infrequently dispensed with.
he boys were depended on to keep the flock
r drove moving, To, enable the. boys
o do this with certainty the drove was divided
nto bunehos Of about 800, and each bunch had
hree or four boys to care for II. The boys
7alked behind their bunch and cheered the
owl on by such yells ~ are common to boys,
nth occasional Intersections caused by stub
ornness or erI attic conduct on the part OF some
{ tho drove. Each lad carried q switch with
1hich he tenderly, chastised the wayward-
hat is. he WAS usually tender, for the turkeys
re easily Killed by blow especially about the
cad. Occasionally the lads temper got the
eiter Of his discretion. and Q, turkey was
iled. 1t won Id meyer do to let the boss know
bout that and so the lads would conspire to
ide the dead body In the brush or behind
snce. II the boss happened to learn about II.
ne lad had the price OF fowl taken from him.
1t was tolerahly easy to conceal the death.
owever. for 1t was the duty OF the lads to carry
red birds. and at Il distance the boss could
OF tell whether q boy were carrying a live or
cad bird. Having, reached q suitable place
40 lad dumped the body out OF sight.
Ordinarily the birds walked along without
-ouble. On pleasant cool days. with dry
pads, flock would cover twenty miles be-
Neen sun ana sun. On stormy days. or when