Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-09-06
THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRD.
How it Originated, ard Why it is
Called a Tur 'ey.

e. Oustalet, in a recent bulletin OF
the French national societ.r of acclima-
ton, tells how the turkey c me to bear
the name of country from which it
did not come and to be no part OF the
heraldic insignia of the lands which
gave it to mankind. For the turkey is
unquestionably an American bird, ana
not Turkish, Indian or Asiatic in any
way. Those who believe that they
recogizo the turkey among the fowls
mentioned or described in old Latin
works are entisely at fault. What is
there spoken of is the guinea hen or
peacock. All the domeSucated varie,
ties OF turkey are derived from the
wild species formerly plentiful in the
Ohio and Missouri valleys and still
found from Kansas to Yucatan. The
ancient Mexicans had begun to domes-
ticate the birds. Cortez found them
in Montezuma's gardens. The Span,
ish pioneers of the new world took
them for a kind of peacock. When
they began to reach Spain, about 1920,
they were called Indian peacocks."
The impression was still general that
Columbus and mis- successors had
reached some part of India.
When brought into France they were
called Indian fowls" and Indian
cocks under this impression. Abb
breviation of the French names then
given lem, "poules d'lnde" and 'coqs
dInde,'' has produced the words din
des" and 'dindons," by which they are
known in present day French. ey
appear to have reached England about
1924, in the vessels of merchants
touching Spain on voyages to ami
from Turkey and the Levant. Hence
they were supposed TO come from Tur-
key and Asia. The legal difficulties or
trade with Spain doubtless made their
importers vague in telling of their
origin. They seem to have found fav.
or at once with lovers of good eating.
Rules issued against extravaganza at
clerical feasts by Archbishop Cranmer
in 1541 prohibited the serving OF more
than one crane, swan or turkey
However, turkeys soon became rela>
lively cheap. The expense accounts
of feast given in 1865 show that the
turkeys cost only four shillings each,
while cranes and swans cost 10 shill-
ings each.
By 1873 they were no longer luxury
of the rich. Farmers were accustomed
to serve them at Christmas, and in
some districts they were so numerous
as to provoke complaint of their raw.
ages in the hop and pea fields, And
book of directions for rural work
published at Paris in l SIS contains rules
for their breeding and rearing which
show accurate knowledge oft heir pc.
culiarities. Benjamin Franklin, we
believe it was, whote a protest against
taking the eagle as the American ma.
tional emblem. Others nave suggested
the turkey as a better emblem, be-
cause tistinctively American, and the
most useful and beautiful large bra
contributed by the American to man.
kind.
II - tpb AAtG ~ lllahC thS CliallSS III
our heraldic in~'"nia. Yet the turkey
has a distinct ,.ce in American life.
sucn as it has in that OF no other ma
ton. The cooking and eating of it
have come to be a wellnight indispens-
able part oft he ritual of thanksgiving.
a peculiarly American national festi-
val So the turkey, though m1snamei,
is not without special honor in its own
country.