Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-05-20
CLOCKS OF THOUSANDS ON QUIZ
BEES HIGHWAY,
Hustlsd by Boys During the Day, RoOs:'
ing on Trees by Night

fl1s
Droves aggregating many hundreds
of turk ys, and other hundreds still of
ducks, go straddling and waddling,
piping and quacking along the road
with man in front to coax and lot
of happy-go-lucky boys behind to
drive. without attracting any other
sort of attention from native than
farmer would bestow on a passing
bunch of steers; but to the stranger 1t
is a sight not soon to be forgotten.
One drove that contained l, 800 tur-
Geys alone arrived here the other day,
and was quickly huddled in cattle
car and shipped off into Vermont.
That was big flock for these days,
and it made quite little stir herea-
bouts. Time was when an ordinary
flock consisted of 1000 turkeys, 1000
geese and 700 or 500 ducks, while
hocks of 8 200 turkeys, and corre-
spending large number of geese and
ducks were not unknown. These
would be strung along over a half
mile of the public road, and small
army of boys was needed for the care
IF them.
The poultry drovers were almost in
yariably Yankees, and Vermont Yam
KEGS at that. The driving season began
IN September and ended i'll November.
At the opening of the season the boss
1roEer would drive up through Quebec
in 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 previously
sent the price he Would pay per pair
for each sort of birds. The prices in
the old times were about 90 cents a
/, pair for turkeys, the same for geese,
and from 80 to 80 cents a pair for
ducks. Since the building of the Yer
mont Central prices have advanced,
and this year the dealers have been
paying 8 cents pound for prime tur-
] KEYS, such as sell for Is cents in Fulton
Market, New York, while geese have
brought Sl.40 a pair, and ducks &c
gents.
Having, as one may say, billed his
foute, the drover began bnying at the
river end of it. The agents every
where along the route on the Sunday
before or perhaps two Sundays before
the drover was expected to come back
| over the route would go to the parish
church as the people were coming oui
from the service, and getting upon the
church steps where they could see the
people and all could see them, they
would announce in a loud voice thai
the drover would reach that village OF
a certain day and would pay such anC
such prices in cash for turkies, gees,
and ducks delivered at certain place
in the yillage-usually the yard o.
garden Of the agent.
The day named was a great event il
the years history of that parish. Th
arrival of the boss drover at a villag
for the purchase of the surplus crol
of poultry in that vicinity was usual.
on the day before the arrival of tn
main drove, which he had purchase
further up the road. This gave
nights rest and a comfortable feed t
the fowls purchased, and they wer
ready to fall in line the next morning
and travel away on the road to Ner
mont
The buying began up Ga the 81
Lawrence River somewhere, and tn
drove on the first day it started towar
Vermont consisted, of course, of tn
fowls purchased in one parish, Sh
number amounting perhaps to n
more than two or three hundred, SEE
ing that it was a river parish. Bu
each village added its hundreds, Will
purchases were made at about ever
farm house passed by the drove.
The driving along the road ws
done by a man and from three
thirty boys, according to the size G
the flock. AS many boys as could /
obtained were hired for large flock
A man would walk in front wit
sack of corn, oats or peas, c
all three in one, maybe, slung over hi
shoulder as farmer carries his graf
when sowing 1T broadcast. AT intel
walls this man gSould take handful c
grain from the sack and scatter II !
the road. This kept the fowls next
him in a constant state of expectation
and they followed readily. Tho'
! further away saw what the front onC
were doing, and came along, too, bI
this only served to keep a small bunc
on the move, after all, and the man
} front was not infrequently dispense
with The boys were depended on
, keep the flock or drove moving. I
enable the bows to do this with ce
, tainty the drove was divided I'M
bunches of about 500, and each bunc
had three or four boys to care for
, Ordinarily the birds walked aiOr
! without trouble. On pleasant. co
, DAYS, with dry roads, flock won
, cover twenty miles between sun al
: sun. On stormy days, or when Il
| roads were muddy, they not mfr
/, quently marched no more than eig
or ten, and it was a mighty hard day
work for the boys at that. In the ra
9 or mud the turkeys were very easi
= tired, and when turkey gets tired
gets discouraged and squats down
= tile road. The boys were only ten
e twelve years old-sometimes lads
a eight were employed, and turkey
D tweive or eighteen pounds was
: mighty big load for one of them.
0 When nightfall came the turke
!, wonld fly upon the fences and then
into the trees and shrubs along {
roadside. No efforts would ma
them 90 further, though it sometim
2 happened that the flock began to roc
when less than mile from their nj
mate destination. The feelings of t
drover anxious to reach home at such
q time eau be imagined. But nothil
could be done to keep the turke
travelling. So when the birds beg
y to show disposition to go to roo
, the boss would bring out the corn a