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HE turkey is truly an Ameri
can bird. It existed on this
continent with the Indians
before Columbus landed. Only
a few years ago among the
caves of Arizona the mum
mified remains of a turkey
were found. Practically every
cave once occupied by the cliff
dwellers of that region con
tained the bones or feathers
of the turkey, but this speci
men is intact. Its age is a
matter of speculation among the scientists of the
National museum, where the specimen is on exhi
bition.
' Another interesting fact in this same connec
tion resulted from a scientific expedition which
®r. C. Hart Merriam made among the mountains
of Arizona; he came across a living species of
Ibird identical with the one found mummified
and which is now' known to the scientific world
by his name.
Another recent discovery in connection with
Che turkey was a Maya hieroglyphic. This piece
of parchment shows a grocer’s account in which
are mentioned, with other things, ten turkey hens
and five turkey cocks. This is thought to be the
first record of the turkey in this country and
antedates the expedition of Cortes to Mexico in
1519.
But the turkey goes back farther among the
Indians than even the probable date at -which
the specimen found in the cave existed. Among
the Zunis, for instance, there exist many legends,
handed down from time immemorial, which have
(dr their subject the turkey.
The turkey plays a more important part in the
Hfe of the Indian than in his legends alone. Not
oiriy is it regarded as a choice article of food,
tout in many tribes it is held sacred. In the parts
of the country where the turkey was worshiped
—with that curious devotion to animals which
characterizes different stages in the development
from 'savagery to civilization —it was never eaten
•except when other food was unobtainable. Arid
avpn then separate portions were divided among
various tribes, so that the religious custom would
not be violated.
Turkey feathers rank next in importance to
'those of the eagle with all tribes, while the
Apaches, the Pamunkeys and Cheyennes chose
the turkey’s feathers for all ceremonial head
dresses and ornaments. The Pamunkey tribe
afso used turkey feathers for ornamental pur
poses on their clothing, as well as for their head
gear. To this day, when they don their native
costumes, the turkey feather is preferred as orna
ment.
If Benjamin Franklin's words had been heeded
the turkey would have been the national bird of
the United States. The eagle is a first cousin to
the species known of old in the eastern hemls
phere. Furthermore, it has appeared upon the
banners of many nations. It was a symbol of the
Roman empire. It was known in China for ages,
and today it appears upon the banners of Russia.
Germany and several other nations.
The turkey, however, is indigenous to America.
When the early European adventurers and set
tlers arrtved they beheld great flocks of turkeys,
and it soon became known that they were a
favorite food among the Indians. After a while
turkeys were proudly sent home as trophies of
the chase. In this way the turkey became prac
, tically a world-favorite as a food.
When Cortes, in 1519, ascended to the plateau
®t Mexico, he found a social life developed to a
high degree of refinement. He was entertained
with oriental magnificence. All the delicacies
ifo be found within the empire were set before
him; and though game was abundant, the turkey
held the place of honor among the fowl. This
was the first time that the Spaniards had eaten
tfirkey, and tlm experience proved a most satis
fying one.
They also saw the great tame flocks of the
birds. In fact, since prehistoric times the turkey
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P/CKX/fA. GOOD
has been domesticated and raised for market.
Today, in Mexico, many of the quaint customs
theh in vogue are still kept alive. And so it is
that the purchaser of today may select his choice
of a fowl in the village street. Or, if he prefers,
the vender will bring it alive to his door for in
spection, fresh from the farm.
North of the Rio Grande the turkey was equally
well known and treasured. The celebrated expe
dition of Coronado, between 1527 and 1547, pene
trated this unexplored region west of the Missis
sippi. His explorations were chiefly in what is
today Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, the home
of the cliff-dwelling Indians of the Southwest. In
all the Indian villages, according to those early
explorers, turkeys were to be found, both wild
and domesticated.
From America the turkey has spread to be a
world favorite. But the fact that today the tur
key is considered a delicacy in so many lands is
due to human agencies, and not to the turkey
itself. Slow of movement and deliberate both
in beginning flight and in the choice of its alight
ing, the turkey unaided would never have become
known outside its native habitat.
Cortes, in one of his famous letters written
about 1518, mentions the turkey. He carried
specimens of the bird to Spain in 1520, where
they came into immediate popularity, and the
breeding of turkeys soon became established. It
was then that the turkey became known as
“pavos,” on account of his relationship to the
peacock, which was then called “pavo real”—the
fowl of kings.
It was a long time before the turkey reached ’
France, as far as can be learned from history,
for the first turkey eaten there was at the wed
ding of Charles IX and Elizabeth of Austria,
June 27, 1570, or 50 years after Spain had first
tasted the bird. The turkey supplied for the
wedding came from ‘somewhere in the'American
wilderness.”
Its introduction into England seems to have
been in 1524. But, whenever it was, it soon came
into popular favor and was given such local
names as Black Norfolk and Large Cambridge.
It is an interesting fact that these descendants
of the parent stock were carried back again
across the Atlantic ocean to New England, where,
crossed with the original turkey already there,
they began the breed that has spread from one
end of the country to the other.
As in this country, the turkey has come to be
looked upon elsewhere as a holiday feast attrac
tion.
In the early colonial days turkeys were still
abundant in Massachusetts, the rest of New Eng
land, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas and
Florida; while in the last named states the tur
key is still found as a native wild fowl, although
In greatly decreased numbers.
But a short distance from Richmond is a small
island inhabited by a tribe of Indians, the Pamun-
THE BULLETIN. IRWINTON. GEORGIA.
keys. They are part of the Powhatans, and un
der an old colonial treaty they pay no taxes and
have their own government. They must, how
ever, send to the governor of Virginia each year
a gift of game or fowl; and very often this gift
takes the form of several large, plump turkeys.
Many have been the explanations made as to
how the bird now' so popular at Thanksgiving
came to be called the turkey, most of which, to
the true scientist, are nothing but fanciful. One
such is the explanation that it comes from the
East Indian word “toka," which, in Hebrew, takes
the form “tukki,” the peacock. As the Jews in
South Europe were acquainted with this fowl,
which is related, it is assumed that they naturally
applied the word to the turkey wherever it was
introduced into Spain, and that thereafter it was
so called.
Such a roundabout way explanation, say those
who know, is entirely unnecessary. The bird
was called turkey because it was supposed to
come from Turkey, where it was known as an
Egyptian hen. This, it is claimed, is merely in
accordance with a habit very general in the six
teenth century. Whenever new and strange
things wore presented to an ignorant public,
knowledge spread slowly, but superstition was
deep, and hearsay was taken for truth. The mar
kets of North Europe received this fowl as com
ing from South Europe, directly or indirectly
from Turkey.
In France, however, the bird was called “din
don,” or in the feminine “dinde,” as though it
were the fowl d’lnde —from India. The Mexican
name for the bird is “huajolote,” which scientists
claim, indicates the old Aztec knowledge of the
turkey.
But whatever dispute has arisen as to the
name of the turkey, the fact yet remains that the
turkey is indigenous to America. Although
scientists believe it is possible that there was a
species, the original of the present turkey, in
digenous to the West Indian islands, it is generally
conceded that all turkeys have descended in some
way or other from the three forms known today
as the North American, the Mexican and the
Honduras, the ocellated varieties.
The Mexican turkey is found wild throughout
the republic. It is short in shank, with feathers
on its body of a metallic black shaded only slight
ly with bronze, while all its feathers are tipped
with white. This appears to be the species first
taken to Spain and other European countries.
It is thought that the white markings of the
variety of domestic turkey known today as the
Narragansett come from this species.
The Honduras turkey today is scattered all
over most of Central America and is extremely
wild. It has a freer flight than its cousins of the
North. The head and neck of this bird are naked.
The ground color of the plumage is a beautiful
bronze green, banded with bold bronze, blue and
red, with bands of brilliant black. This bird,
however, cannot be bred successfully nor domes
ticated away from its native habitat, while even
there it can hardly be successfully domesticated.
The bronze turkey, that variety which today
holds the place of honor in the North American
group of turkeys, is outdone by none when It
comes to beauty or size.
In the United States there are six standard
varieties recognized and grown. They are the
bronze, Narragansett, buff, slate, white and black.
The chief differences are in size and color of
plumage. The bronze and Narragansett are the
largest, the buff and slate medium, while the
white and black are the smallest. Within late
years, however, the white variety has reached
such a point of popularity that it has increased
in size, until with some dealers it occupies third
place.
Whatever the turkey may have missed through
failing to secure that place of honor suggested
for it by Benjamin Franklin—as the nationabblrd
—it has nevertheless found a place in the regard
of the American people which is held by no other
fowl.
PROHIBITION BILLS
IIP TO GOVERNOR
Anti-Shipping And Anti-Advertising Bills
Are Included In The Dry
Program
MAY ORDER LIMITED AMOUNT
Proposed Laws Tell How Much Liquor
You May Ship Into State
Each Month
Atlanta.—The majority wing prohi
bition program has been completed,
and the bills are now up to the gov
ernor for his signature. This program
included senate bill number 2, which
^is designed to absolutely prohibit
the sale of all liquor, containing more
one-half of one per cent of alcohol;
then the Stovall anti-shipping bill and
the Mangham anti-advertising bill.
When these bills become law's, it is
said that all locker clubs and near
beer saloons will be put out of busi
ness. It will still be possible to
serve drinks to your friends in your
home, but the amount of liquor that
any one person may receive will be
limited each month to one gallon of
vinous liquor, one gallon of spirituous
liquor or forty-eight pints' of malt
liquor.
The Mangham anti-advertising bill
will make it unlawful for any publica
tion printed or circulated in Georgia
to carry advertising of any liquor
which it is unlawful to sell in the
state. Alabama has such a law, and
numerous arrests have been made in
that state for violating it.
Report On Deaf School
Atlanta.—Governor Harris sent to
the house and the senate a supple
mentary message in which he includ
ed the report of the legislative com
mittee appointed at the regular session
to investigate the management of the
school for the deaf at Cave Spring,
and also asked the advice of the gen
eral assembly as to insuring the build
ings at the state farm. The report
of the committee gave the school
for the deaf a clean bill of health.
In regard to insuring buildings at the
state farm, the law provides that the
governor shall keep insured all pub
lic buildings of the state with the ex
ception, among others of the state
penitentiary. The prison commission
has secured from the attorney general
a ruling to the effect that this pro
vision does not take into considera
tion other buildings upon the state
farm, and the prison commission now
asks the governor to insure other
buildings located there.
Latimer Gives Cheque For $878.85
Atlanta. —P. B. Latimer, keeper of
public buildings and grounds, turned
over to the state treasurer his cheque
for $878.85 to cover the balance of
that portion of the shorjage in his de
partment charged to E. E. Holcombe,
former chief clerk, and which the state
had called on Captain Latimer to make
good. The showing has been made
in the reply of Latimer that he will
contest about $1,600 of the claim
made by the state. The auditor show
ed a total traceable shortage of about
$4,400, on which Captain Latimer has
now, it is stated, returned to the state
about sixteen hundred dollars.
Commission Refuses Increase In Rates
Atlanta. —The petition recently filed
by the express company with the state
railroad commission, asking permis
sion for a graduated increase in its
rates on intrastate packages in Geor
gia, has been declined, according to
announcement made by the state rail
road commission. The action of the
railroad commission in this connec
tion does not make final disposition
of the case, however, but simply main
tains the present rates until June 30,
1916, at which time the express com
pany, if it so desires, may reopen the
case upon the basis of business condi
tions at that time.
The Stripling Pardon
Atlanta. —While no definite informa
tion is forthcoming from the state
prison commission as to just when
it will finally hand down its decision
in the case of applications for pardon
of Edgar Stripling, the state prisoner
who has become more or less famous
throughout the country as a modern
Jean Valjean, there is reason to be
lieve that the decision of the commis
sion will go to the governor between
this time and Christmas.
No Warehouse At Present Session
Atlanta. —On account of develop
ments of the past few days, particu
larly the discussion at the state meet
ing of the Farmers’ Union, it is high
ly probable that there will be no state
warehouse legislation at this session
of the assembly, but that a special
commission or committee will be pro
vided for to go more thoroughly into
the matter by the next session.
Seek Pardon For Tom Jones
Atlanta. —A big delegation of Ma
con people appeared before Gov. N.
E. Harris in the interest of a par
don for Tom Jones, now serving a
life sentence for the murder of Wi
ley Bishop, a former police officer.
Jones, a former Bibb county deputy
sheHff, is now in a county camp.
Shortly before Governor Harris as
sumed office he paid a visit to Jones
at the convict camp and had a long
talk with him. Durifig the trial of
Jones, a relative, Johnny B. Jones,
testified that he killed Bishop 1
J DOINGS AROUND R
STATE CAPITAL §
Business Improvement Shown
Atlanta. —The monthly reports from?
railroads in Georgia to the state rail
road commission are now being re
ceived for the month of September,
and show a wholesome improvement
in the condition of business in Geor
geia this fall as compared with last
fall. The bank statements made to
State Bank Examiner W. J. Speer in
the month of September also show a,
marked improvement of business con
ditions. The increase of resources
since last June’s statement amounts
to nearly twelve million dollars. The
reports from the railroads of the state
are of their purely intrastate business.
Road-Building To Be Discussed
Atlanta.—Many leading engineers of
this section of the country and 2b(>
county commissioners of the state as
sembled here, and attended a joint
meeting of the second annual conven
tion of the Association of County Com
missioners of Georgia and the road
conference. The establishment of a
state highway commission was one
of the chief topics of discussion. Al
though Georgia is one of five or six
states in the union which have not
adopted yet this method of regulating
and upbuilding its roads, the propo
sition of establishing a non-political
board of this nature has been urged
time and again.
Life Convict Makes Escape
Atlanta.—Mark Grant Blankinship,
a trusty at the federal penitentiary,
failed to appear at the five o’clock
count and all efforts to locate him
or even account for his disappearance
have failed. Although much of his
life within the walls was spent under
the old regime of strictest prison dis
cipline, Blinkinship, or “1395,” has
never had a black mark on his rec
ord. Because of this unusual record
he was to have appeared before the
commission in January to ask for pa
role. “Thirteen hundred and ninety
five,” together with two other trusties,
has been in charge of the chicken farm
outside the prison confines for the
past year. One of the officers stated
that it was hard to believe that the
man had deliberately run away.
Successful Fair At Decatur
Decatur. —A new record for unique
and distinctive fair was established
by DeKalb county at the one-day fair
at Decatur, w'hich will be the home
of the Weekly Press Association at
its next meeting. It was a free fair,
where you could not buy anything but
a postage stamp. The fair was prac
tically held on wheels and was seen
by 30,000 people. A great basket din
ner, free, fed 15,000 people. The pa
rade was three miles long and re
quired one hour and ten minutes to
pass a given point. Three hundred;
floats, five thousand school children
and every department of DeKalb coun
ty was shown in the mammoth pa
geant.
Want Savannah River Deepened
Savananh. —The movement started
by Augusta and Savannah business
men, for the purpose of bringing influ
ence and pressure to bear upon the
government until a seven-foot depth ot
water is obtained in the Savannah riv
er between the two cities, was much
discussed in business circles. Capt.
J. D. Twiggs of Augusta was selected
temporary chairman of the organiza
tion, and Mr. J. H. Eve of Savannah,
temporary secretary. Provision was
made for another meeting at a later
date at which time the temporary of
ficers will announce permanent offi
cers and directors, one of whom w’ill
be chosen from each organization rep
resented at the meeting.
3 Blacks Murdered By %wn Race
Dublin. —Three negroes were killed
in this county several miles from Dub
lin. Jerry Hurst, a negro in jail here,
has confessed to lying, in wait for
Plummer Booker and Rebecca Robin
son, negroes, as they came from a
negro frolic near Rentz, and to shoot
ing Booker dead with a shotgun. Re
becca ran, but he pursued and killed
her with a pistol. Later h.e was aiding
in a hunt for the guilty party when
sheriff’s deputies decided to arrest
him on suspicion. In the meantime a
coroner’s jury had ordered Joe Tucket
held for the murder, but later Hurst
confessed and Tucker released. Hurst
had a grudge against the negroes who
were killed.
Prepare For Georgia Products Day
Atlanta. —In response to the proc
lamation of Governor Nat E. Harris
calling on the people of Georgia to
observe fittingly Georgia Products
Day, Thursday, November 18, many
communities in the state are making
elaborate plans for dinners and barbe
cues, in several cities to be augment
ed by parades of floats exhibiting
Georgia products.
Audit Authorized By Senate
Atlanta.—Adopting the Walker res
olution to authorize the governor to
have an audit made of all state de
partments and passing the bill pro
viding for the protection of the shrimp
Industry, which bill was amended so
as to permit owners of land to fish
on their own property at all times.
The resolution providing for the audit
carries no appropriation, being word
ed so as to leave the matter of mak
ing the payment to tha next session
of the general assemb* in case the
audit is ordered by Governor Harris,
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