The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-25
Scenes In The Virgin For
e8tS of Arkansas.
TURKEYS ARE PLENTIFUL
The Story of the Turkey,
and How the American
Bird Became Fam
Gus.

It is an easy matter to go to market
for your Thanksgiving turkey, but out
West they do it differently. Down in
the deep bottom land forests of Arkan-
sas is the home of the wild turkey, and
this fail the game has been so plentiful
and SO easy to get at that hardly a
home in the States of Arkansas and
Kansas will be without its turkey din
ner on Thanksgiving Day. There was
q time when the wild turkey made his
home east of the Aueghanies, but the
memory of living man runneth not to
the time when they We're plentiful there,
for this shyest of all birds is absolutely
incompatible with civilization, and he
has retired year by year until now only
the most secret places in the Allegha-
MES and the vast sWamps of the South
ern States give any hope for the per
severing turkey hunter. The wonder is
that the bird still exists at all For
ever since the white man came all man
ner of nefarious schemes have been
concocted for his destruction.
Out in the wilds of Arkansas where
the railroads have just begun to pene-
trate, the wild turkeys have not vet
learned that civilization has laid CLAIM,
to this land. and this fall they often
perch calmly on the branches of trees
along the railway track The train
crews noticed this and engineer and
hremen have a daily hunt Tor the game.
They sit on their engine boxes with
their shotguns in their hand While the
train ambles along at the easy rate of
twelve miles an hour. When thew run
into the turkey regions they fire at
them, and if they kill any they stop the
train. back up to the spot, and retrieve
the game The passengers enjoy the
sport, and occasionally some who are
going to or from a hunt join in it.
Some of the older sports mon who
in n raraTTr1 fs-er H.,
Pacific Railway was built remember
when passengers and train crews shot
game from the car windows on the
Kansas plains, and this Arkansas di-
version recalls it to their mind. The
sport viii not last long. however as
there is no wild game more wary than
the Wild turkeys. They will soon be-
come acquainted with the DANCERS
aIous the railroad, and then railroad
ing in Arkansas will once more drop
back to the steady pace it holds else
where.
Taking him by and large an old fur
key gObbIer is the quickest sv1-iftes+
shyest and most knowing animal Ivitb
wings or without. He can run like n
greyhound. smell like a deer. see like
an eagle. and fly like wild turkey
YOI may have spent two hours -
crawling on your hands and knees o,zo,-
mountain open or in moving with
noiseless footsteps, each one of which
is considered with careful deIfberatio77-
and a single, sudden turn of your head
snap of twig. or CLEAN of sunshine
on your gun Will send a whole enc =
mile away and up the mountain m
ward it always is When a wild turkey
does not like the looks of things he
wants the rockiest and toughest summit
of the highest headIand of the toDnogt
ridge of whole range, and he gen
orally gets it. If it is steep, he rms
and he can run up faster than Won can
fall down. If it is a gentle rise ne
thrasnes the air with his mighty wings
clear up obstructing tree tops, and then
away he sails with the velocity that