Evening star., 1923-11-25
BY JAMES A. BUCHANAN.

rows, but he was not the only one
that was armed, for the gallant Jonn
carried on his shoulder his trusty
blunderbuss, favorite weapon in
those days of sane living and ro-
nance. Not alone for the protection
of the fair maiden and himself did
he carry it. He did not lug the
shooting iron merely for the sake OF
protecting Priscilla and himself from
che lurking redskin. He had another
and more profitable idea. 1t was to
sn6et for the dinner of the Thanks
giving period plump turkey that
perhaps they might encounter in
their strolls.
He knew that by shooting one of
tnese bronzed birds he could give it
TO her for her family larder, and that
ne would be invited to share in the
toothsome morsel. They enjoyed many
I turkey. for historians have told us
that Alden was a marksman of no mean
skill.
From the days of the romantic
swain is but a step that brings US
face to face with a condition that Is
anything but pleasant. The great
majority Of those who feast upon
Inc lOWt dl lHduhSSlNlu6 anu
Christmas time have not learned
that unless some governmental action
Is taken the turkey will be thing
of the past, perhaps in fifteen or
twenty years. During the past few
years the number of turkeys raised
in this country has been gradually get
ting smaller and smaller. Govern
ment officials and others connected
with this branch of food supply have
noted the danger to what may be
called the national bird-that is, the
astronomical bird. for Of course the
eagle is the bird when it comes to
matter of emblems.
X +
CAN you picture yourself telling
your grandchild of what a turkey
was and the wonderful sight it was
when it was brought into the dining
room on a big platter, all steaming
hot, the skin dark golden brown.
so appetizing as to make you wonder
If your turn would ever come. when
father would pick out nice piece of
white meat from the breast or hand
you drumstick? Can you picture
yourself having to take the little
chap or young miss to the Smith
sonian Institution and having to
show what turkey was? Can you
picture some old-timer in the market,
when he offered to sell you a nice.
plump chicken. speaking Of the days
when you used to buy a ten or twelve
pound turkey and carry 1t proudly
home?s
Can you picture yourself telling the
Riddles OF the days to come how you
used to have your favorite market
man save you the nice sweet pota-
toes or the succulent yams. and how
you used to put in your order for
celery and cranberries weeks before
the arrival Of the day when all
America sat down to tables spread
for holiday feasts?
Returning to the days of Priscilla
and John. it will be remembered that
New England was once the home of
the turkeys, and many a Presidents
table was graced with fowls that
came from that region Of the coun-
try, but of late years the supply Of
hne turkeys in that section has great
ly diminished. Old timers have written
about the days when Boston used to
sport flocks of them on the great
rreenswards. These historians have
praised the turkeys that were raised
in Rhode Island. Then we find that
later the great southwest took the
honors in the raising of gobblers and
Hens 1t will be recalled by many
that for a number Of years the rival
ry between the different parts of the
country was intense, and each Sec
tion offered to send a bird to the
White House.
WEARS ago one OF the finest sports
that hunter could desire was
to go to some spot, say. like that OF
Milan, Mo, and take a crowd out into
the woods and shoot wild turkeys.
not with a shotgun. but using rife.
many Of them smooth bore at that,
and at the end Of the day to come
proudly back to the small hotel from
which the mornings start had been
made and with great gusto dump the
individual bags on the floor.
Many were the wagers that were
won and lost by these huntsmen, and
many a city chap soon learned that
the tall, quiet persons with butternut
clothes was an antagonist in the mat
ter of shooting that had to be reckon
ed with all the time. lest he get the
biggest bag during the day.
The wild turkey used to have and
still has, whenever he can be located.
a great habit of poaching. He may
flfrt with the hens Of his own state
of wildness, but If he happens to
come across q flock of tame hens In
his wanderings he takes great pride
In humbling their lord and master and
Immediately hustles the captive hens
away with him. In addition to this
habit Of the gobbler, his female COM
panions have an ver-abiding desire
to seek pastures far afleld. and it Is
no uncommon thing to find flock
of the birds somewhere from three to
ten miles from the place they should
be.
They also have great habit OF get
ting into all sorts of other mischief.
such as digging up freshly planted
fields, digging up new gardens and
doing a thousand and one things that
should not be done. Many OF their
depredations have resulted In caus-
ing hard feelings between land own
ers, and In some instances long and
expensive lawsuits have been the
result Of the turkeys wanderings.
Unmistakable evidence that the
turkey Is becoming more scarce is the
fact that in the last few years the re-
tail price has been at its peak. It
must not be thought that the raiser
o1 the birds gets all the "big money"