Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-12
Wild and Tame Turkeys-Famffy
Fights.

There was here I'm the Georgia pine
woods last year turkey-hen, which her
mistress and owner thought a wonderiui
bird She was young: the last was her
first spring She laid fifteen eggs, hstch-
ed every one OF them, and, to the aston
ishment of all the nelghbors, raised every
little chick of them up TO the age OF seven
weeks, when a thieyng darby boy killed
one of them. There are many wlld tut-
keys on Roseland Plantation. where this
good mother tried 10 raise her large
Young brood. and often did they try 10
lure her of the clearing by most visor-
Gus and enhancing 'gobble-gooole' se'
eral times she actually Joined them, ana
strayed one or two miles away WIN 'he"'
into the pine forests.
once IL happened while they were tnus
wandering from their old home place.
having Joined some wild turkeys, that
some old darkies, whose settlement tney
ran into shouldered heir guns thinking
they might bring home one or TWO Oh
those fine fellows for special iamiy
Sunday dinner. But as soon as they caih'
near enough 10 be noticed the WHO tur-
kovs ran like deer, while the tame ones
slxedaddled home, scolding the negroes
vigorously for 50 disturbing the budding
friendship between them ar' he'r as
tant cousins. Then they quietly gfazed
ON IN they reached home. where they
were received with acclamauons OF JOY
bv Uncle Isaac the old darky care-taker
Once on another of their escapades'
this old darky was trying TO drive AZ "
distance bunch OF wild turkeys, th'liA-
tnp they were his own lost flock. AS soon
as tbey dew up i'm a tree he knew he
was on the wrong track. But as TO inc
fight. ~. oh.
Among this brood there were six GOD
49, when they were about or
months old they cyan 70 be trouoie-
some. They wanted 10 fight Ihelr o"ne'
had after an absence OF SIX mounts
come back again to them, and much III,
, terested was watching their ways anu
manners Hearing a certain noise sho
SUSPECTED evil. and looking under one OF
TIE sheds she saw three gobblers hituhs
eacb other with their wings as nara as
J tbev could; getting not red that seems
a. come at the first stage OF anger put
r hIue very blue. They were hastily sea.
tered but on following them AROUND 10
and behold,-there were the mems also
nphting. The old mother had ughly Ni"'
7 nor long neck around one OF the YOUNG
hens one that had been SICK anu n"'
: only three feathers In her tall
A. animals seem 20 XIII their sick YOUNG
4 IN MANY cases. | feel sure this turkey
I hen knew that the young one was ~.
; riobt I'm every particular ana thereio' ,
/. must be done away with. sepat" 7"
: them al least five times, and imnedi",e-
) w the old hen few az the young on ~,
< again. twisting her neck 'round heIa' va
I drove them of rapidly In different az
e reactions After a few hours they n1''
= lin and engaged In deadly night. "hen
| r. oid hen bent back the young one .
= neck almost TO breaking. by grasplhB M
e adversary's bill with her own ana pusn'
Z Inc nor over backward. ] thought ther,
n 20 some likelihood Of a death tneTe, ,,
e sbut the mother up for the day NeN'
- dav belng liberated, she ensased III a.
= -, egbt with one OF her sons. push
p ing him over. firSt on the go L. v,os
- ON the left for about an hour' ~ ""
A thought very patient. although ne 90
/ radaer and redder. and then blue. Al las
- ~ s,rev,, tired OF II and pitched INTO ne
:, - his wings. till shut them bolh up
- 80 ave them away 10 different ols,ah
a Entities where hope they are now po'
n repenting at leisure. ,.noo,o
m Not long ago the following hsPp'"e
"a here al Roselond: Ny noeh y. 49,
turkeys seemed 70 De NerS -
80 looking closer, | thought ther neSn
= az. hoods seemed very blue. wishing
ic end ont about IT, went nearer shoDl'
T. "a ,broUing small sticks. They iooks
'e hnt went on grazing. ] began 10 thln
)t ~, ,bev were not my flock az an o,
" somebody else's. When l came 70 WI VIZ
rs 81 feet OF them | clepped my han'
"a vigorously. and up flew three very iass
2. eobblers while mine set up tremenuo'
~ Sooble-gobble-g obDle. Next morning ,n'
~ came again, and our darky servant sr
i. one Of them. After few days ,ne seeol
RI one net the same fate Inc thIru ean
e; 10 or twice more and was not zee
n. again. ,oss rot,,,
q - IND and tame turkeys here on u
ID border-land OF natural and artificial 60
" S,,,ons DO any OF your readers kno
OF the effect OF such crossing? l shog
Is mink IL might impart vlgor to the q
o. nestle bird. But this cross wout
70 too wild for use here, and proDaply
great ranger under any eireumstanSes
vn s's Mrs. T. b. BROOKS
w Decatur county, Ca