The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
ALICE JOYCE, TURKEY QUEEN.

WOTk every inc.
ALICE JOYCE, TURKEY QUEEN.
A Texas Girl Who Finds Pleasure and
Profit in Her Flocks.
From, he 81. Louis Globe. Democrat
While driving slowly along q lonely noun
tain road In western Texas q few days ago my
horse suddenly pricked up his ears. and as I
looked about for the purpose Of discovering
the object that had attracted his attention I
saw something hat rather astonished me. A
large flock Of turkeys. led by a dozen or moro
big black gobblers. was coming slowly over q
hill but a short distance away. A few OF the
birds we're picking along the sides Of the trail.
but the bulk OF the flock was in the main high
way. apparently undisturbed by my presence.
1 am perfectly familiar with this particular
region OF country. and l knew that the wild
birds were not to be found in such great num-
bers near a public road. My amazement ut
the gentleness Of the turkeys was little less
pronounced than my establishment at the size
OF the flock. 1 stopped my horse. and. while
gazing at them with all the admiration OF an
old hunter and wishing from the bottom Of my
heart for a good Winchester. a very pretty
young girl. mounted on q spirited little mus
tang. galloped up behind the birds and began
to survey the country in every direction. I
oii1 thiub tiSJ "SiO ohiO pAu
] drove on to the banks OF a little mountain
stream that ran through the valley. The
young girl met me. and after a courteous salu-
next ranch. / answered that it was several
miles, still wondering what it all meant. for l
to meet a young girl and a big flock Of tur-
keys Ee;yiso IN that lonely IT,9.ntII regi Ioo55 I She
Informing me that she was, driving a flock Of
turkeys to San Antonio. where she expected
Nov, for the first time, it occurred to me
that 1 bad long ago heard that farmers in early
to st. Louis as they did:their cattle and mules.
, assist the y yogn YE, lady sw in any ~ way ITS t that , I could ibs
girls OF the Texas frontier are amply able to
take care OF themselves. SO far as this par
Quired only a cursory glance to convince one
that she was neither afraid OF beasts nor ban
saddle a wi P : easy w'P peaSs 81 h swq hand .f snd s ess
neF GA trained eowboy: After q moments
on the head OF one Of the. Guadaioupes. and
that she was ACCOMPANIED by her brother and
pared to camp out. but always preferred to stop
near some ranch. l told her that intended
Il the sa road mf I Sad a ss1e shsa' 5 2sins sp ssm WhSrs wi We
,"Well.' she said. IF you do not object to
al sha eamp {ose tSSem6PinEE a PthSe w with US fo we a T Tel
ply. she was Of like a fash, and before I got
pleasing, appearance came up with an axe on
his \ h shd1ulds st;d followed By the van OF the flock
ing to do something, for them.
Our birds" he said. are very fat. and they
are So tired L Will have to fix them a place to
While I was wondering what he was going
could co Id n BEND Tedfd them M c over ." almost nost e 6o ri Snss He
The birds were so thick about his feet that he
could hardly move without stepping on, them.
and they seemed to know exactly what he YVES
dolag and were eager for him to finish the
job. They gathered about him. uttering their
bent a bush over they would fly upon it in
such great nTmbers that many would be
fsGT fo sec on; p] pse : 6is f IN tbe bIs ses%Sa Of e la pre-.
er trees. There appeared to be no end of the
flock, for they we're still coming over the hill.
and the moment they heard the sound OF the
axe they would turn their heads to one side.
and after listening for an instant they would
delight when thew discovered that the days
journey was ended.
who The w ySu1 drI MI; ag q I3ebt @ae Sy her en 6rot Into
camp laughing and chatting as II they were in
the happiest possible frame Of mind. She had
their. preference for her care by gathering
about her in great numbers; Several of them
ceededin reaching the young girls shoulder.
She talked to them as II she was sure that
they the sb undbe der nr@oa every T potdb she , fSaid, to and al
80 a"S Ah"s fCSatN - 49, .''iNy SAiS NON
her from place to place. while she assisted In
cutting Town the bushes.
After a few moments the great flock was
restlessly occupying places on the roost.
though they watched their little mistress very
closely. and frequently two or three OF rhe
her. uttering their low calls. They would
look up into her face. and turn their heads to
one side. as II they expected her to do some
"They are all right now" she said as she
stood looking at them in evident admiration.
They are 30 tame and seem to have'so much
affection for you" said !. that it certainly
"Oh. you have no idea" she said. how much
IL grieves me: but j have others at home and
doubtless will be able to raise another flock
There we're 500 birds in the flock. and during
the evening While talking with the young men
about the campfire | learned that the young
lady's name, was Alice Joyce. and that she had
already made quite a handsome little fortune
raising turkeys. Her brother laughingly told
me that She was known In the Western coup-
try as the Turkey Queen OF the Guadaloupe.
He said that she had been raising 200 or 800
turkeys every year for the past seven or eight
years and that she got her start" as he nut
found in the woods, The birds;"o he added.
are much larger and the meat Of better flavor
than the ordinary tame turkeys" They GER
tainly live in a region Of country which Is the
natural home of the wild turkey. for 1 do not
believe there is another spot on earth where
these birds are as. abundant as they were a
few years ago In the mountains on the head
Y Is doubtful II there is another locality in the
United States where big gobhlers are more
plentiful. but from the fast that the wild birds
feed on cedar berries. there are only certain