Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
REAL "B|RO OF J0vE'
The Rhode Island Turkey is
Thus Designated.
TROUBLE IN RAISING
FAvoRITE BIRD WITH THE MAR
RAGANsETT INDIANS.
One Of Little Rhody's Choice Turkeys
is Sent to the White House for
Every Thanksgiving Dinner.
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
There Is vast army of good-livers In
this country who labor under the delusion
that. at some Thanksgiving or other they
have eaten Of a real Rhode Island turkey.
AS a matter Of fact. that famous bird is
following In the path OF the English bus
tard. and threatens to become as extinct
as the dodo.
In all Rhode Island there are probably
not more than three thousand birds of the
old genuine stock raised, and the little state
consumes about sixty thousand turkeys a
year. drawing on Vermont largely for its
supply. The ordinary Rhode Islander, I'M
less he lives In the turkey raising district,
or has a friend who does. seldom tastes
a Rhode Island turkey. What few are
raised are raised for export, principally to
the New York market. where they have
been engaged in advance at high prices.
Westerly. lying just on the Connecticut
border. is the principal shipping point. and
the Rhode Island turkeys sent from there
are gathered on both sides Of the border
line.
Let no one who desires a Rhode Island
turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner how
to make. and any especially fine bird no
matter what may be his state OF origin.
who comes into the hands of a flrst-class
poultry dealer at once becomes natural
lied Rhode Islander for market purposes.
The name, Rhode Island turkey" Is be-
coming a grade of bird rather than a
turkey raised in Rhode Island Of the old
stock. An official Of the Rhode Island State
Agricultural College not long ago made a
report In which he stated that in the turkey
raising districts Of the state he found that
the birds did not average more than
twenty-five to farm. Over the Connecti-
s@r1A thnty 70. nft nm
as high as one hundred to farm.
For five years the Agricultural College
has been experimenting with view to pre-
venting the determination of the Rhode Is
land turkey. Wild turkeys have been i'm
ported from Virginia and other sections
with view OF producing by crossing with
the Rhode Island breed turkey which
can withstand the 'sblack head" the dis
the Rhode Island bird and Is working II
today. This black head is an intestinal
disease. and Is to the Rhode Island turkey
what bolts Is to the horse and appendi-
citis to people of fashion.
Great Bird of the Narragansetts.
The Rhode Island turkey was the great
bird of the Narragansett Indians. and, sin
gularly enough, they have followed the
Narragansetts geographically in their deci-
nation and decay. even as they now threat
en- to follow them in their utter extinction
as a pure and peculiar race.
Once the turkey fourished all over the
state, as did the empire of the Narragan-
sets. but especially In South county"
known to the Biographies as Washington
county-and on the island of Rhode Island.
After King Philips war 1t Is not believed
that a man of pure Narragansett blood was
let live The only one of the subsidiary
tribes which remained intact was that OF
the Niantics, and. slnguarly enough, 1t is
In the country occupied by the Niantics-
.ANf 1Fair Of NJ
cans and Mnatinomi, now dwindled them
selves to a handful of half-breeds. that the