The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-06-05
TURKEY CONVERTS.
Heroic Efforts of a Wild Bird to Win
Domestic Proselytes.
Remarkable Instance Reported from
Virginia acknowledgements
Battle Between Tame and
wild GObhlers.
Although nearly all wild animals are

| AithouBh nearly ali VIII dHlLIdis are
given more or less to PROSECUTING
| among their domesticated brethren,
| few are more ardently devoted to the
| cause than the wild turkey. For a
bird whose ditfidence in the haunts of
men is so notorious, whose aversion to
shotgun is SO acute, the labors of
wild turkey to win convert are al
most brazen in their boldness. If he
were attired in broadcloth and little
white cravat, no doubt he would be
| accused of extravagant fanaticism,
says New York exchange.
There was case of this kind not
long ago on plantation in Prince Ed
wards county, Va. Mr.. Churchill had
at the head of his flock of turkeys
splendid old bronze gobler that was
given to him by a northern friend.
The gobbler, pompous and vain by ma
ture, had become, as the acknowl-
edged head of great house, bigoted
and Observation-Disclosures of the
faults of his weaker brothers, suavely
diplomatic with those he had reason
to fear.
For a number of weeks previous to
the encounter a big two-year-old wild
gobbler had come out of the pines
each morning just before day, and
had perched himself on a cedar post,
which formed part of the fence in
closing the turkey runway. The
northern man who had given the
bronze gobbler to Mr.. Churchill was
the only witness to the untamed tur-
keys attempts at PROSECUTING. The
northern mans sleeping-room over
looked the wards in which the turkeys
were kept, and each morning he was
awakened by the sharp, high-keyed
debate going on between the two rep
resentatives of the different branches
OF the family.
As the days went on it became APP
parent that the civilized member was
losing ground. The strutting young
gobblers and the demure young hens
gave no heed to his eloquence and
grace, and one evening at roll call it
was found that four hens and two
gobblers were missing. The next
morning the gobbler returned.
The intruder perched himself jaunt-
lily on the cedar post, folded his wings
with fippant flourish, and tainted
his adversary with low gutteral mono
syllables. For a moment the home
bird stood motionless, then, with a
war cry that gurgled with his wrath
| and was more suffering than impress
siye, he lunged at the foe, and missed
him by a foot, striking the wire fence
and falling to the ground. The other
gobbler saw his advantage and did
not neglect it, In a second he was up
| on the fallen foe, striking with his
great feet, beating with his wings, and
pecking furiously with his short bill.
This latter weapon seemed 10 be his
most effective one and when the tame
turkey finally struggled to his feet,
| the northern man, who mad been
watching the battle from his window,
could see that he was blind. But he
| had not lost courage, and he fought
| on in the darkness, neither asking nor
giving quarter, fighting for his flock
and his faith. Unlike game cocks, the
| make spectacular lunges at one an
other. After the first gobbler's futile
rush there was no let-up. With feet,
bills and wings, they waged their bat
tie, the old warrior always on the de-
fensive, most of the time on the
ground, but never with his back to the
foe. His followers, those for whom
| he was shedding his brave bronze
feathers in pitiful handfuls, stood
huddled together in one corner of the
runway. Not one came to the old fell
lows rescue. Five times the northern
man saw him stagger to his feet, only
to be battered down by his wild
| brother. Finally the noise of their
| wings and the frantic chattering Of
the other turkeys brought Mr..
| Churchill out to the battle-ground.
| The second the wild turkey espied him
he turned and beat an inglorious re-
| treat towards the woods, but for the
| old bronze gobbler aid had come too
late. He fell where he fought.