Evening journal., 1899-11-29
THE TURKEY SHOOT
wHIMs OF THE BIRD AND GUILE OF
THE MAN.

Between Ducks--A Wild Turkey
Tragedy-The Delayed Judge.
Old Cy Conklin. of Conklin Forks,
Broom county, n. Y, was curious
-eDius, with habit Of going off into
he woods and staying there until his
wife was driven to the verge Of distrac-
ion by the fear that something hadhap-
,ened to him. At other times he would
hut himself up in the barn and admit
10 one, receiving his food through a
attice drop-door to be opened only
rom the inside.
"Thanksgivingw said Cy one bright
November day a few days before his
leath; Thanksgiving Not overmuch
% give thanks for around here, except
or brains, which thieves reap the
,ruits Of. l hear Bill Defner has
bought Abe Risley's turkeys and Is
them down for a turkey shoot
Day, / cents shot.
You will 20 in? Well. it's fun, of
course, but with a rifle il needs a quick
land and eye TO catch the wary Ameri-
,an bird.
about that turkey shoot. When
was a young man, was a pretty good
shot with a rifle, and one year l went
20 a shoot and ranged up against
stranger with a wager as to birds and
ne wiped me up I'm great shape. HOW!
rhe gang was ranged around in SEMI
,ircle to see the fun and the turk was
N a barrel between the two horns. l
cot fair percentage, but that fellow
lailed every one. That puzzled me, be-
,ause when the bird raises his head it
with an eye of faith at the crowd,
)ut at the fash down he goes with a
side twist which makes II hard to
score. Well, after the shooting was
over and the stranger had driven on
With the turks and my good $50 in his
inside pocket n friend of mine said;
| guess that fellow In the rough coat
who stood near me was travelling with
hat stranger; they drove away To-
yether He had something wrong with
aim and so kept out of the crowd not
% attract attention, for every now and
then he would twist up his face and
squeak like a chicken That was II.
Ie stood over at the end Of the crescent,
and when he saw the turks head com
NC up he called, and the bird. think
ng 1t was his mate. turned his head
hat side, and so the stranger got in.
Was | madg Well. not until the boys
mmbled TO IT, l got even. Next year
iown he come again and enters the
shoot as before. and the whole gang
was with me to do him up in great
shape. We watched where his con
| iederate placed himself and then we
placed our man on the opposite side
and he carried n tin canister Will
some corn in it. When the friend
tweeted the call, at the same second
aur man ratified the corn, and the tur
KEY naturally shook his mate for The
feed, and when he saw the fash from
the tail Of his eye down he went bu
with a left handed twist instead Of ;
right. and while one or two weri
/ scorched none Of the first five were hit
The fellow never tweeted for me, bu
the corn rattl, / and | scored righ
| along There was nearly war when af
ter the shooting / started in TO chat
the galOot. He never came our wa
again.
Another year we had a visitor In tn
village all the fall, a city fellow board
ling up on the hill, q nice man, but al
ing at the chest until the hill al
straightened him ont. Every one like
him. He could fish and shoot and kneN
q good dog. but about farm things h
did not know n thing, and the folk
! used to string him a good deal just 70
the fun Of it. Well. one day they wer
after telling him about the speed a
which n turkey could walk and b
driven. They told him how Ed Bea,
ley once had n turkey that for 90
yards could beat a running horse. Lot
Of matches were had. Eds brOthC
used to help him, they said. The cours
was marked out with flags like a re;
track. straight away on the grass m
boy was placed on the horse and III
turkey was held by I'D between h
, knees at the start. While these wei
: getting ready. Eds brother would brin
out a galvanized iron feed trough an
} place It at the winning post on the tn
: keys side of the track, and just befoi
= the word Cor was given he would b
gin to pour corn into that trough
that it sounded like a storm of ha
} The turk knew it meant feed, and n
e. ing and running, went like n race hors
e always beating out the horse. whiS
= could scarcely get into its stride. Tn,
) told him too that Ed had hog traiBs
{ the same way. and won lots OF mon,
r at the county fair; any one would ba,
horse against a hog for 200 yard
= But to come back TO the city fellol
D When they were talking about turkl
= speed. he said quietly:
+ Wei. / don't know. but / thiI
: ducks are faster on foot than turkeys
"rhen the gang went for him. al
+ finally he made n match to drive $
ducks against six turkeys for fl
miles, he TO fiN time and place, so
10 have chance 20 train the duck
and It was agreed that there were 10
: no tricks Of feed or anything, but tn
d straight. honest driving was to be pra
y ticed Well, he took his ducks out al
:. toted them around a good deal Al
2 fixed the afternoon before Thanksgi
o ing for the match. time o'clock. Ju
e rs the judge. Rouse Watson. was stai
ing for the place, stranger came 10
his store and kept him for quite awhi
T and IT was after o'clock before
reached the starting place, and then
I was nearly half an hour before 4
IL birds were started. Finally they {
: off well together. the turkey driv
1 with a long whip, like the fourth hal
= drivers use, and the city man with
long. Timber wand with a piece Of r.
flannel at the end. He said as how I
fore Christ was born they drove due
Cts-