Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-12
FLIGHT OF A LORDLY TURKEY
Two Stories Of the Prince of Game Birds in
West Virginia Mountains
plNIoNsD FUGITIVE FLIES ELEVEN MILES
Mounted Huntsmnn Pursues Disabled
Quarry for Two Dnys-GobbIcr,
Eagerly sought for Years,
q Dies of Old Age.

BERKELEY SPRINGS w. Va, Nov IL
Correspondence of The Bee.)-Since Septem-
bef Is tho mountains and hills OF this
state have been echoing with the shots OIL
pot hunters and sportesnen in search OF Wild
turkeys, squirrels aud other game. The uni
versal verdict, however, 10 that wild tur-
keys and squirrels are much scarcer than
last year, due to the exceedingly severe
winter OF 1898, the snow lying on the ground
much longer than usual, while the cold, Tor
days at time. was intense, bringing death
to many OF the birde and animals that are
hunted.
There has been considerable discussion
among old hunters the last week over the
remarkable fight OF wild turkey when
Dan Cornelius, the bonifaco OF tho FalrtaX
Inn here, purchased alive from a hunter
and which was inteuded as feast for his
guests. The turkeys legs were securely
tied with a stout piece OF cord just above
tho frs. joints and the turkey was left in
the courtyard Of the inn until the cook could
get time to kill it. The turkey, however,
did not like the looks of Cornelius bulldog,
which was roaming around the yard, and,
being stranger to civilization, took flight
mountains, just back of town. There was
conformation in the Cornelius household and
visions OF a game dinner faded with the
flying bird. mounted hunter at once
started ia pursuit, keeping the turkey in
view as long as possible. On and on the tur
key flew over the tops of the tall trees, prob
ably toward the place of its capture, for it
is well known habit of this wariest OF
all game birds that when flushed 1t will
return to tho place from whence 1t was
frightened. 1t is also we'll known among
old turkey hunters that turkeys flight Is
In a straight line, without deviation or
shadow OF turning, and it was with this
knowledge that the mounted hunter pursued
his quarry For miles the pursuer and pur-
sued went on. The sun, which had been
we'll along in the afternoon when the tur-
key started from the historic old tavern
which has sheltered many OF the most ia
nous men in our country's history during
thu last century, showed the approach of
evening, but still the turkey flew on.
Hunter Camps for the Night.
Tired from the rough riding, with his
horse thoroughly jaded, the hunter deter
mined to give up the quest for the night,
believing that the turkey would attempt
to alight in one of the big 'trees with the
going down of the sun. Early the next
morning the hunter was again on the ground
where the turkey was last seen in the
waning october light. But there was SEEM
ingly no turkey in the whole neighborhood
The hunter called and called, first the low
plaintive call of the hen, then he changed
it to the call of the male, but no answer
came. Thoroughly disgusted, and ready to
give up the search he spied farm house
way down the mountain in a small clear
ing, the new home of the sturdy pioneer.
The hunter at once repaired to the house
and told the story of his fruitless hunt.
To his utter surprise the woman told him
that a wild turkey, with it's legs tied, had
alighted in the barn yard the evening be-
fore Just as the sun was going down. Her
daughter, who had gone to the barn to milk
the COWS, saw the turkey alight and flop
over. In jiffy the girl had the turkey
in her hands and carried 1t in triumph to
the farm house. where she told Of the man
ner In which it had been captured. The
woman then went into small clubhouse
and brought out the turkey. Its legs were
still tied, but the cord had cut deep into
flesh showing that it had made frantic
efforts to escape.
The hunter returned to Berkeley Springs
with the turkey and told of it's capture,
eleven miles as the crow flies from Fairfax
Inn.
Since then old hunters hereabouts, around
the evening fires, have been telling mar
velous yarns about the wild turkey, its
strong flights and its willy nature, but none
have dared to rival the flight of Dan Cor
nelius' wild turkey hen.
Pursuit of KinsIy GobbIer.
One old hunter, a grizzled veteran pur-
suer of wild turkeys, who came in yesterday
from the Cheat river country of this state,
one Of the widest and most inaccessible
regions of these United States, was inter-
esting a number of city sports with his
hunting adventures, when he told story
of an enchanted wild turkey gobbler that
takes the palm off anything ever heard in
this section of the Alleghenies. AS the
relator Is vouched for as man OF unim-
peachabe truthfulness and integrity, the
weird tale is well worth retelling. Laying
aside the vernacular of the mountaineer, the
old hunter said:
''Abou: eight years ago, while hunting in
tbs Cheat river country for wild turkeys,
| camo upon unmistakable signs that a
large band OF turkeys had passed in front
OF me, probably three or four hours. l was
an enthusiast in those days after turkeys
and determined to bag few OF the flock
at least. So / started to the left OF the
trail with tho hope of heading the flock by
a wide detour. 1t was getting on toward
o'clock and already the shadows we're
growing long, for the sun does not get into
the Cheat river after on account OF the
dense overhanG OF trees and the deep can
yon'. | tramped along very cautiously, lis
tening every now and then for the Pc
culiar noise which turkeys make while trav-
cling.
II had gone about four miles from the