Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-20
NEW ENcLAND's FAMOUS BIRD

bit bold. CT fond of butting-in. rarely shows a disposition to stray from the grass-hopper dotted field where he finds himself first after s%sFe,ng from .otss ss sns nnsa He so1S is SS never undertake to fly to countries across the seas. He is a pretty good sprinter, when anything frightens him; but he never could have run to remote lands where he is now a fa- miliar feature in dinner menus.
 No; when the turkey traveied, he simply was taken along by men who had sampled his delicious meat, and who. on returning from some adven- turous visit to the new America. car- ried along some of the turkeys an- cestors. first to SpainS then to other Mediterranean countries. In due time the turkey began to be known in northern Europe, then in the far East; and now he can almost say, with Britannia of old. that the sun are not.
 We are apt to refer to this fowl as a distinetively New England bird, probably because our first record of him for his eating qualities Is derived IFOIn SCOE1cS or nlS dppSdId1CG III luc earliest Thanksgiving feasts of the Puritans. But in reality, turkeys were originally plentiful throughout all the forests of the Atlantic states, and as far north as the Canadian border. The turkey was found as far south, too, as the Isthmus of Darien, but he does not occur west of the Rocky Mountains. He has disap- peared as cultivation has extended. and has become scarce and rare even In parts of the valley of the Miss issippi.
 It is . question whether his seed qualities as an eating bird were first made known to the Indians by the colonists, or vice versa Knowing what we do of the skill as cooks of those Indians. we know best, those remaining from the tribe of the Mo: hegans, below Norwich. we can we'll imagine that their ancestors, friend ly to the newcomers from across the sea, may have imparted to the strug- gling and hungry migrant Pilgrims what a treasure the turkey was in the commissary line. Like the con- undrum, Why do great rivers always run past big cities?" one might ask, Wasn't it a real find, to discover that the little red berries, which, eaten by themselves so quicker ones mouth, if cooked, go so well with roast turkey,
  No wonder the Mayfiower corners and their successors instituted a Thanks giving day, having by chance stum- bled upon the fact that right at hand was such palatable combination! Undoubtedly, to Horace Vese as press agent the New England turkey is largely indebted for his wide spread fame.
 Before MT. vose conceived the idea of sending a Thanksgiving bird to President U. s. Grant, way back ir 1888, people had had their holiday dinners with a roast duck, or chicken or even good substantial roast spare rib as the centre dish of the feast and nobody had been dissatisfied Then MT. Vose began forwarding 6 big turkey to the White House, every of imitators. unconscious or other wise, every family in America some how felt that a Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey was worse than q Hamletless Hamlet. The hotels tool up the idea. the decorators ditto: and particular, might have begun tc boast, Look at me! Gobble. gobble! I'm the bird that put the thanks ir Thanksgiving"
 Mir. Voss stimulated farmers for . radius of ten or twelve miles to raise f1ocks of anywhere from 25 to 20t fowls. so that in some seasons, al many as 1000 birds would be ready for him, when he wanted to select three of the best, from which trio tho heaviest and finest looking would b. chosen for the trip to Washington This was back about 1908, when far mers in the Rhode Island -Connecti- cut turkey belt had some inducemenr to make an effort to grow his birds Then MT. Vose would also ship tur- keys to England, South Africa anc other distant points. evrywhere a ma. l tive-bern American was going tc spend Thanksgiving. and to have 6 dinner as much as possible like tht old-fashioned one of his dear olc home town.
 Thanksgiving Day enee over, tn. turkey becomes, if not a fowl of con- tempt at least a bird of distate; fol the next few days he enters the re- view of reviews class, being served on the table in varied forms, gener. ally to be received with scorn ana contumelious remarks!
 Miss caruthsrs, of Norwich, ha. told in clever poem of The Sever Ages of the Turkey, from his frs
 proud @pearance on ThanksgiN&ng Day, through his different stages i sliced cold. warmed up, in croquettes hashed on toast, in stew, finally 1T the soup. By this last stage every member of the family has grown tC detest the famed bird; but thi. 1 hatred Is forgotten long before nex Thanksgiving Day rolls round, anC without complaint turkey is eaten or various other dates and occasions; but somehow. it never tastes as wheT carved during the meal of the las Thursday in November, and for that ] matter, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie don't taste so good eitheri
 THE DICTAGRAPH.