Show I TURKEY FOR TAFTS DINNER I I k I II It I t 5 F I w wI t I 1 I I J I I 1 4 I I II I I I II I I fa v w k t I I IF F 1 t C I strutting about on a PROUDLY P farm near Westerly R B 1 TI for forthe forthe forthe the past month carefully nur nurtured nurtured nurtured and provided with every luxury that the most aristocratic of fowls could hope for there has been a state stately stately stately ly gobbler whose epicurean tendencies slowly but surely dragged him beneath the axe Unconscious of his danger anger he played the role of the gour gourmand gourmand gourmand mand day in and day out greedily devouring the specially prepared dain dam dainties dainties ties placed before re him while his for mor companions gazed enviously and longingly through the wire screen that separated him from their doomed com corn companion companion panion But doomed he was and while his end was not a happy one it was at least an honorable one For Mr Gob bler bier has been selected to appear as the principal item on the ball of fare at atthe atthe atthe the White House on Thanksgiving day So stripped of his feathers deprived of his head hend and covered with a coat of brown gravy grav this martyr to the Thanksgiving day appetite will adorn the table in the Taft household where his plump and form will be reduced to bare bones But his his history history history tory is an Interesting one as he Is the largest turkey to grace the White House table in forty fort years ears When old Horace Homce Vose a farmer re residing residing residing siding near Westerly R rt I who has supplied the presidential turkeys at Thanksgiving time for the past forty years yearn ears started out nut to make his hiM tion this year ear he had In mind the fact that President Taft was y not only the In the center the biggest turkey for the biggest President on the right the same turkey in the arms of Horatio Vose the veteran turkey breeder of Westerly E R I on the left the Taft turkey for 1909 photographed as he lie is being weighed in ill by Mr Vose V osee The bird was weighed once a week during the fat fattening fattening fattening process and when this photograph was taken weighed weigh d 40 pounds biggest chief executive the United States ever had but was also a con on the dainties of the table tu lJ He read with interest the dally daily col columns columns in the newspapers telling of the specially prepared dishes for Mr Ir Taft at the numerous banquets tendered him himon himon himon on his recent swing around the country and this served to increase his caution in making the selection After days of vain search through the surrounding territory which is one of the most noted sections in the country he finally picked a tall but rather lean bird Then began the process of fattening Corn the full kernels walnuts pecans and all man manner manner ner ncr of highly nutritive foods were spread before his lordship several times I Ia a day And as often did he devour them This noble fowl was evidently not familiar with this thill ancient classic Are you going to the big Thanksgiving ing dinner asked the duck When on the tho garden walk the Turk he met I suppose I am unless I get some thinner hang the luck The Turk lurk said but he axed ax me yet et Gradually the bird rounded into form Corm and when the above photograph was taken two weeks before his hi demise he tipped the scales at forty fort pounds The presidential turkey raiser Is a modest man of ot almost seventy years of age ag of medium stature and with whit whitening whitening whitening ening hair and brows from under which peer keen blue eyes He is exceedingly proud of the enviable rec roe record record ord which he has achieved as to the American chief executives Not only has he supplied the festive board of each of the presidents at Thanksgiving ing since the second administration of ot General Grant but he has hils shipped every year ear a huge turkey to the th governor of Rhode Island and of ot late to Admiral Dewey William J Bryan and other noted American statesmen and leaders A great number of the turkeys turk ys grown upon his property he lie distributes to the th poor of that vicinity To every part of the United States i to Europe South Africa and the Phil Philippines Philippines Mr Vose has lias shipped turkeys 1 the crop of which wh ch for several miles mUes about his home here he controls by op options options options which he lie places at the begin beginning beginning beginning ning of o every season Compared with years ears past the Industry of ot turkey rais mis raisin raisIng in Ing has undergone a precipitous decline with a corresponding fall fail in prices and now there is one bird forwarded from Mr district where formerly a half a dozen were sent out But regard regardless regardless regardless less of the market conditions the pres pros presidents presidents bird is fattened kill and ship shipped shIpped shipped ped every year vear with faithful regular regularity ity The first fowl Cowl prepared by Mr Vose Yose for the White House was a which was consigned c to President Grant during his second administration In 1873 and thereafter every year a prize turkey has gone forth from the Vose farm farma a typical New En England gland home homestead homestead homestead stead and acreage to Washington |