The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-22
SACRED DANCING TURKEYS

..
Ktlip was his own announcer tick,
et.seller and orchestra Mounted on
"a stool in front OF the entrance 70 the
tent he announced.
You see before YOU. ladies and
gentlemen. the owner OF the famous
educated turkeys from the harem of
the King OF Persia, who presented
them 10 your humble servant as re-
ward for rescuiug the most beautiful
OF his 200 wives from an awful, terri
Bile death This lady fell under the
hoofs OF an Arabian stallion mad
dened by the sting OF a blue bottle on
the rump Yours truly seized the
bride OF the infuriated beast, throw
ing him 70 his launches. at the same
time killing the fly These birds were
dance the sacred dances OF Persia,
and YOU now have the great privilege
OF seeing them perform for Tue small
sum OF Is cents. Step inside, ladies'
and gentlemen, az tho wild weird
wonderful dance Is about TO begin
AS soon as he had coaXed 80 per
sons 10 pay the entrance fee Bill en-
tered the tent and closed and buttoned
the flap behind him The audience
was ranged in front OF the cage, which
was in a railed-od lnclosure and rest
ed on trestles The space beneath
was concealed By a black curtain
Bill seated himself on a low chair
and picked up a fiddle and bow Fac
ing his audience he began drawing
the bow across the strings keeping
time with his right foot The turkeys
paid no attention at first but in "a
few minutes as the music grew loud.
or and livelier they began 20 jump
The fiddler played faster and pound.
ed harder with his foot Higher and
higher leaped the turkeys. At the
expiration OF 10 minutes they We're
tapping their wings, knocking their
heads against the roof of the cage
or pushing their skinny, featherless
necks through the spaces between the
bars. All this time Killip was stamp
Ing with his right foot
After the grotesque performance
(Which always evoked roars OF laugh
teri had been kept up for a or 20
minutes the bow was drawn more
slowly over the fiddle strings and the
keeping OF time was stopped Stimuli
tancousiy the antics OF the ufgalnly
birds became less energetic. and
finally ceased altogether
II was all a trick o. course In
stead OF Keeping time with the
pounding OF his right foot Old Bill
was working one handle OF a bellows,
whose nozzle famed a fire in a char
coal stove that heated the bottom OF
tile sheet iron floor OF the cage As
}he music grew louder and quicker
the sIeetiron became hotter and the
turkeys feet began 10 scorch The
pain caused them 10 jump. and their
efforts 90 escape the torture was the
climax OF the exhibition
Feet got kinder callous after a
while. said old Bill 10 the writer
some years before his death and long
after be had retired from business,
and they wore all the feathers off
their necks until they looked scandal
Gus. used 20 rattle en- on. a dollar
for the two, and buy a new pair about
every three weeks Turkeys amt like
fourleEged animals. they amt got
no sense and burnin' their feet dom
hurt 'em
The sacred dancing turkeys" we're
exhibited I'm IL states west Of the Al
leeheny river and Killip had the
audacity 10 give his show before an
audience OF 80 Indians in Indian Ter.
rltory He not only got away with
the truck, but ne scooped in about a
hundred dollars and a number OF val
liable presents from the chiefs, who
were greatly mysuied by the per
formanccs.
His last exhibition was in 1876, dur
ing the centennial in Philadelphia,
and he managed 10 hang on there for
three weeks as one o. The great col
ony OF side shows Bill had hired a
young Negro who after being rugged
out in suit or yellow and covered
with cheap gilt lace, was billed as
he special attendant loaned by the
king OF Persia 20 wait on the sacred
turkeys The principal business OF
Inc new hand however was 10 keep
between tho spectators and the black
muslin curtain that concealed the
.harcoal stove under the metal floor
of the cage.
The negro was a bright chap about
~ years old. and be was possessed
OF an ambition to have straight hair