Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-11-22


& turkey on Thanksgiving day"
While the authorship of the
above quotation has been ques-
toned some even attributng it to Wash
ington it is now generally conceded to
have cmanatcd from the lips of Alex
andCr Hamilton. 1t appears that at
banquet given by Il number of congress
men on the first national celebration
of Thanksgiving in 11S9-and, by the
way, we are indebted to the fertile
brain of Hamilton for the setting aside
of this day as a national hOliday-the
turkey was conspicuous for its abb
sence. Clamnr for our largest of game
birds, which had served, or, rather,
been served. so acccptably on all feast
days since the first Thanksgiving of
the pilgrims was Of no avail. and a
motion to dispense with the fowl was
finally made simply because there
seemed no alternative. But this was
hoOtcd down. Hamilton joining the
opposition with the emphatic senti
ment above noted.
Since it is strictly an American bird.
the name seems II miSnomcr, probably
originating with its first introduction
into Europe early in the sixteenth cen
fury, when by some means it was sup
posed to have come from the ottoman
empire.
The Mammoth Bronze, the largest
and most popular dOmcSticatcd variety,
is descendant of the Mexican turkey
Indigenous in the Mexican tablelands,
found also in New Mexico and AriZo-
Ia The prevalent notion that it is
crossed with the wild turkey of the
eastern slope is denied by the manag
ers of tie Smithsonian institution, who
in exhibiting Il fine stuffed specimen of
the latter at the Pan-A American stated
that lit is not a progenitor of the do
nestle turkey"
That the wild nature. like that of the
Indian, is never wholly cradicatcd is
most apparent at nesting time. Then
the most stupid in appearance of all
the denizens of the poultry yard be-
comes suddenly the most wary and
cunning. Unlike the bustling hen,
which never lays an egg without pro-
claiming the fact to the entire neigh
borhood, Mistress Turkey quietly slips
away from the rest of the flock, feed
ing as she goes thereby detractinS at
tentiOn from her real purpose. If I'M
molcSted. she proceeds by a more or
less circuitous route, carefully placing
dead leaves or bits of grass or straw
over each treasure with her bill, so
that unless one finds her on the nest or
sees her enter it is almost impossible
to discover her secret. Any indication
of surveillance increases her Secrctive-
ness, and the strategy sometimes adopt
ed to thwart her pursuer is surprising
in the extreme.
Hunting the turkeys nest usually
falls to the lot of an adult, children be-
ing, as Il rule, not shrewd enough to
follow the slender clew to the end.
Patience for hOurs-yea, Ofttimes days
is required. One must expect to be
led on many dctours, perchance to see
the hen settle down in nook quite
remote from the nest. hoping thereby
to elude her pursuer. If unsuccessful
in this ruse, she may even return
home, thinking to slip away later I'M
noticed. The following incident illus
trates, perhaps in an extreme degree,
her tactics:
A hen had been followed daily for
several days. but without success. The
grown up boy of the family was quite
inclined 10 make sport of the repeated
failures and finally volunteered his
services. lie watched the hen start
along the roadside bordering a TRAN
gular wood lot-the route she invaria-
bly, took. From behind the rail fence
he noted her progress. picking here
and there, vending her way slowly,
yet evidently alert to the presence of
any intruder. Sometimes she appeared
suspicious, but would again resume
her way in an unconcerned manner.
When the apex. of the triangle was
reached, she us deliberately, after a lit
tie maneuvcring, worked her way up
the adjacent side. Meantime the lad
slipped through the low bushes along
the third side of the triangle that he
might better watch her movements.
The gobbler, which had paraded back
and forth in the same field through the
entire morning, was now unusually
profuse with his "gObbles." AS the
hen reached Il point opposite her mate
turkey talk was redoubled for few
minutes. Then he resumed his former
occupation OF strutting and gobbling,
and she wended her way along uncOn-
cernedly. AS she reached the spot OPP
posite where the spy was concealed
she veered directly from her path,
walked up to the fence and peeped