Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-12-08
NOTES BY OBSERVER.


first settled some two hundred years
ago. There are two reasons for this
first, there was never before such
scarcity; second, the price of forty to
fifty cents a pound was a deterrent
not only to those who did not have
the dough, but to those who could have
paid it, but wouldn't.
When the first settlers came to this
section a'ong about 1920 the woods
were full OF turkeys, and as there wer,
no game laws in those days, and as
almost all of the men were experl
riHemen, there was little difficulty in
securing good dinner any time DUR
ing the fall or winter. Acorns and
chinquapins, seeds, insects and wild
grapes furnished an abundant supply
OF food for the wild turkeys and grea,
Hooks OF them were TO be found every
where.
AS the years passed the settlers do
mesticated these fow s, and they were
raised by the thousands in this section
until a few years ago, when the farm
er folks found it increasingly difficult
to bring flock 10 maturity. Turkeys
nave always been shy and delicate an
prone TO wander from home, suscep
tible to changes in the weather. sought
after by predatory animals and subject
to disease and disaster; but for al
this, great many of them would sur
vlve and on almost every farm one OF
more flocks could be found in he fal
OF the year. But now il is practically
impossible to raise them TO maturity
in this neighborhood, despite the ut
most care and patience. IN early in
fancy, or it may be when they are half
grown, some fatal disease tacks them
and they quickly perish. This has
been the condition here for the past
dozen years, perhaps, AMI now compara-
lively few attempts are made to raise
them. Those who used to have great
success in bringing to marketable size
big focks of turkeys have failed so
often hat they have simply given III
the effort and admit themselves beaten
There are various reasons given for
the inab ity to raise turkeys. Some
folks believe that tine ground has been
infec.ed with disease germs that live
or propagate themselves year after
year. Others think that the cutting
away of the woodland and the clearing
out of underbrush. is responsible-tha
turkeys must have shade and mast
from the forests; one suggestion is
that wire fences are the cause, that
turkeys will not thrive unless they
can jump upon the old fashioned rail
or board fences and cross from field
to field. 1t is a curious fact that in
some sections it is still possible to raise
great numbers of turkeys. In Rock
ing am county, Va, tons of them are
marHe;ed every year In Hardy county,
w. Va, Observer saw flocks of from
thirt 10 fifty that made mis- mouth
wa; a;-r-unfortuna ely he was not there
abe II thanksgiving time, however.
Among Observers early recollec-
tlons is the sight of great droves of
turkeys that used to be driven through
thi: ghcorhood on their way to tho
Bal more markets. There would be
thousands of them in drove, and it
wa d most interesting sight TO sec
them stepping in their slow and state
ly way down Main street., with three
or m and boys urging them on
ant ng them safely past the cross
Strt IS. There were big turkeys ana
sma turkeys, young and old, gobblers
an, :, an as they passed along the
goeblers gobble-g -gobbled until there was
tTemen !ous din. The droves would
ira I've to twenty miles day, for
the Npull be kept going from early
mo until evening, with occasional
sto rest and food. When the
evt :dows began 20 gather, the
tur Seek TO sing places, and
It was absolutely impossible to keep
the tie march when pnce they de-
cIdc +; was bedtime On one oc-
cas- - drove of turkeys passed
through Shepherdstown some time be-
fore sun lown. The drovers thought
tina, tv could get to Sharpsburg before
niehtfall, and SC they pressed on.
lh'r" vas some de ay in getting them
across the river, and by the time the
turkeys got to the top of the Douglas
hill they began to look for roostng
places. Some of them were kept NOV
ing, but the irresistible impulse to ind
place where they could ropst in safety
impe'led others to fly up into the trees
or at least find a perch on the top rail
of fence, and despite all efforts of
those who had them in charge the
great drove concluded that they had
made days journey. Hundreds Of
them roasted in the trees between the
road and the cliffs, while others perch
ed along the road, or in the fields
nearby, from the hill almost to Sharps-
burg. The opportunity 20 get fat
turkey that night proved too much of
a temptation to certain residents of
Sharpsburg and Shepherdstown, and
several score Of the birds were missing
next morning-but that was not an un-
common occurrence and was charged
to profit and loss.
What difference in the prices Of
those happy days and those Of the
presen'. Observer has bought many
turkey at eight cents a pound-used
To 0ncL nf tbo.-, e, .la eai