Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-11-25
The Story of the Turkey.

"In 1920 the PuritanS discovered New
England and the next year. when they
were going TO have their first Thanksgiv-
ing dinner, they discovered the turkey"
wrote small boy in his Thanksgiving
composition. Thus he settled, TO his
own satisfaction at least, long-diSputed
question-when and where the first tur-
key was found.
A century ago wiser heads than his did
not find the question easy 10 dispose OF,
and their discussion was important
enough TO attract the attention OF the
learned Prof. Beckmann. Some claimed
it was first found in Africa, whence twas
brought in early days for the banquets OF
the Romans. Others believe that, be-
cause OF its name, If must have come
from Turkey term vaguely applied to
Tartary and even to Asia in general. Its
German name, kalekuter, lead 10 the as
sertion that the first specimens had been
shipped from Calcutta; but those inclin-
ing to this opinion were laughed at by
the others, who said that kalekuter was
simply the German attempt to express
the BIRDS cry. A few believe that the
bird was an importation from the new
world. And while learned heads wagged
over the problem the turkey went straight
on gobbllng its way into European barn.
yards.
1t was introduced into England as early
some say as 1924, and at banquet given
by Queen Mary in 1855 young turkeys
are mentioned as the greatest delicacy on
the table. In curious old book called
Five Hundred Points Of HuSbandry, by
TuSSer, are to be found the lines:
Beefe. mutton and pork. shred pies of the best;
Pig. veal goose and capron and turkie well dreSt
Cheese. apples and nuts. iolie carols TO heare,
As then in the countre is counted goode cheere
Here is proof that the modern upStart
OF a turkey was already rivallng in favor
the classic capron with the British farmer.
The JeSuits long were credited with
having introduced the turkey into France
and Spain. This may account for the life
long animosity to the JeSuitS OF the great
critic Boileau OF Louis XlV.'s time. For
Boileau, as a child, fell one day in his
fathers barnyard, and before he could
pick himself up was so severely bitten by
two old turkey cocks that he suffered
from the effect for many years atterward.
What more natural than that he should
hate the JeSuitS ?
The first official mention OF our national
bird in Italy is in 1857, when the magis-
trates OF Venice, in an ordinance, forbade
its presence at any tables but those OF the
clergy, the nobility and their own. In
1910 Banollomeo Scappi, the chief cook
to Pope Plus ", gave in his cookery
book several recipes for roasting turkey
and dressing it with chestnutS and garlic,
which have not been improved upon to
this day.
IF. d. Smythe, who wrote in lIS4 a
"Tour of the United States OF America, "
declared that in the unsettled country
back of Virginia he saw wild turkey flocks
of more than 5000; while in the woods
of Pennsylvania they were so numerous
that their eggs were easily found by the
farmers children and carried off to be
placed under setting hens. No doubt
turkeys were abundant enough within
gunshot of the Plymouth settlement, and
for this very reason would have formed,
even had they been less delicious in fla
vor, the piece de resistance OF that first
Thanksgiving feast with which ever
since they have been inSeparably con-
nected.