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Show A i iF iH ia F H 'V V ' , . a k kf4 f4 y ysw.i sw.i swi sw.iJ . J ) * / G Y s Wrsw4 Wrsw4qn qn qni i " ? w " rky . , dA9 e t KK aw 4 4KK ye- ye - yak yaks s ' ' v * f p II a ayak a add addt4 t4 t4p t4r r By ELMO SCOTT WATSONReleased WATSONReleased WATSON WATSONReleased ( Released by Western Newspaper UnionW Union ) T T THETHER NETHER you celebrate Thanksgiving Day on N Novem NovemAber ovem ovember WHETHER W Novem\A/ Novem A \ \ / \ / / ber 21 , , because of the President s proclamation , , or on onNovember onY onT Y ' November 28 , ) in n accordance with the tradition of Its Itsobservance itsobservance itsobservance observance on the last Thursday in November , it won t be belong belong belong long now until } ou 11 be ' talking turkey " For , so strong IS IStradItion istradition istradition tradItion , , that no Thanksgiving Day Da } dinner dmner table seems quite qUlte complete unless there's theres there ' s a aroasted aroasted roasted turkey on itThat's it itThat's That's Thats ' one day ) in n the year yearwhen yearwhen yearwhen when the turkey ) is s our ' na nabonal national national bonal tional bird ' even though the thebald thebald thebald bald eagle officially holds holdsthat holdsthat holdsthat that title and is thus recog recogrnzed recograzed recogmzed rnzed razed for 364 days of the year year(365 year365 (365 365 ( this year ) But on a aThursday aThursday aThursday Thursday ) in n November the thewhIte thewhite thewhite whIte headed ' ' king of blr birds s ' 'temporarily temporarily ' temporarIly abdicates andhis and andIus andlus Ius lus place is 1s taken tahn tal'en talen ' by a kmg king kmgfor kingfor kingfor for a-day-the a day the a-day a day - - - the turkey turl.ey turley turkeyAs . As a matter of fact he might mighthave mighthave mighthave have been our national bird birdthroughout birdthroughout birdthroughout throughout the year-If year If year - it BenJamm Benjamin BenJammFranklm BenjaminFranklin BenjaminFranklin Franklm Franklin had had his way about aboutIt aboutit It Soon after the Declaration Declarationof of Independenc Independencp Independence ' was signed a acongressIOnal acongressional acongressional congressIOnal committee was ap- ap appomted ap appointed - pointed pomted to choose an official seal sealfor sealfor sealfor for the new republic Like most mostcommittees mostcommittees mostcommittees committees this one Immediately ImmediatelyI Immediatelybegan immediatelybegan immediatelybegan I began squabbling squabblmg 0\ 0 o\er o er 0er oter \ er its taskWhen task ' When hen some one proposed that thatthe thatthe thatthe the bald eagle should appear on onthe onthe onthe the seal as a living IIvmg symbol of the thenation thenation thenation nation there was immediate op- op opposItion opposition op opposition - - position and Franklin Franklm became the theleader theleader theleader leader of the anti eagle faction factionHe factionHe factionHe He declared that the bald eagle eaglewas eaglewas , was a lazy , cowardly cruel car carrson carr ' non rson on eating eatmg cousin cousm of the buzzard buzzardand buzzardand ! and therefore no fit object to put puton puton puton on the seal In its place he urged urgedthat urgedthat urgedthat that the honor be given to the wIld wIldturkey wildturkey wildturkey turkey as a more temperate hu humane humane humane mane and judicious bird birdSut birdSix birdSix Sut Six Year Dispute DisputeSo DIsputeSo DisputeSo So bitter was the opposition to tothe tothe tothe the eagle that it was necessary necessaryto to appoint appomt no less than six con congresslOnal congresssonal congressional gresslOnal gresssonal committees to wrestle wrestlewith wrestlewith wrestlewith with the problem After six years yearsthe yearsthe yearsthe the pro eagle faction won out and andby andby andby andbyote by \ote ote sate \ ote of congress on June 20 201782 1782 the bald eagle was officially officiallyadopted officiallyadopted officiallyadopted adopted as the symbol of Amen Ameni Amencan Amenican Amencan can freedom and of the majesty majestyof majestyof of the new nationNot nationNot nation nationNot Not only was the eagle to be beplaced beplaced beplaced placed on the great seal of the theUnited theUnited theUnited United States but he was also toappear to toappear toappear appear on the first coins corns Issued IssuedThe issuedThe issuedThe The designs of these were rather rathercrude rathercrude rathercrude crude affairs and the eagle on onthem onthem onthem them looked tyluch Tnuch much like a turkeyand turkey turkeyand I -and and - and a slightly tipsy turkey at atthat atthat atthat that Whereupon Franklin Franklm still stillunreconciled stillunreconciied stillunreconciled unreconciled unreconciied to the choice of a anational anational anational national bird wrote to a friend friendI I am not displeased that the fig figure figure figure ure eaglebut is not known as a bald eagle but looks more like a turkey For Form Form Forin m truth the turkey is in m compan compare companson compareson companson son a much more respectable respectablebird respectablebird respectablebird bird and withal a true native of ofAmerica ofAmerica ofAmerica America He is besides ( though thougha a little vain vam and silly it is true truebut truebut truebut but not the worse emblem for forthat forthat forthat that ) a bird of courage and andwould andwould andwould would not hesitate to attack a agrenadier agrenadier agrenadier grenadier of the British guards guardswho guardswho guardswho who should presume to enter his hisfarmyard hisfarmyard hisfarmyard farmyard with a red coat onTwo onTwo on onTwo Two years later he be was appnr appar appnrently apparently apparently ently still unreconciled unreconclled to the thehonor thehonor thehonor honor paid to the eagle msteadof insteadof instead mstead of ofhis ofhis ofhis his choice The Order of Cm Cmcinnatus Cmcinnatus Cmcinnatus cinnatus an organization orgamzatlon of army armyofficers armyofficers armyofficers officers who had served in m the theRevolution theRevolution theRevolution Revolution had also adopted the theeagle theeagle theeagle eagle as its emblem Franklm Franklin Franklmwrote Franklinwrote Franklinwrote wrote to one of its leaders de declanng dedaring dedaring clanng daring that a bird too lazy to tofish tofish tofish fish for himself hlmsel ! who robbed the thehonest thehonest thehonest honest fish hawk on every occa occaslon occasson occasion slon sson and who was so cowardly as asto asto asto to permit the little kingbird to todnve todrive todrive dnve drive him out of the d strict stnct wasby wasby was wasby by no means a proper emblem emblemfor emblemfor emblemfor for the brave and honest Clnem Cincin Clnemnati Cincinnah Cmcinnati nati nah of America Amenca who by the r rprowess rprowess rprowess kingsbirds prowess had driven all the kings birds from our country But ButeVIdently Butevidently Butevidently eVIdently his letter didn dldn t do much muchgood muchgood muchgood good tor for the eagle rema ned red the theemblem theemblem theemblem emblem of this order Franklin Franklm was quite right nght in m call callmg calling calling mg ing the turkey a true native of ofAmenca ofAmerica ofAmerica Amenca America That he was one of ofthe ofthe ofthe the authentic first Amencans Americans Americansis AmencansIS IS proved by the fact that his hisbones hisbones hisbones bones in m fossil deposits show that thathe thathe thathe he is of prehistoric prehlstonc origin ongm and andwhat andwhat andwhat what appears to have been roost roostmg roosting roosting mg ing places for domestic turkeys turkeyshave turkeyshave turkeyshave have been found attached to pueb pueblos pueblos pueblos los and cliff dwellings in m excavat excavated excavated excavated ed ruins rums of untold centuries centunes agoIt agoIt ago agoIt It is a curious cunous paradox that this thisnative thisnative thisnative native American Amencan bird should come cometo cometo cometo to our Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg tables bear bearmg bearing bearing mg ing a foreign name which gives givesthe givesthe givesthe the erroneous suggestion that he hecame hecame hecame came from the European ASiatic ASiaticcountry Asiaticcountry Asiaticcountry country of Turkey Yet such IS ISthe isthe isthe the case and here is how it came cameabout cameabout cameabout cameaboutThe about aboutThe The Spaniards who conquered conqueredMexIco conqueredMe conqueredMexico Me MexIco rico found turkeys both wild wildand wildand wildand and domesticated in m that country countryas as early as 1519 and it was no noless noless noless less a person than Cortez sown sownconfessor s own ownconfessor ownconfessor confessor Fra Agapida Agaplda who whowrote whowrote whowrote wrote back to Spain Spam from Mexicothe MexIco MexIcothe Mexicothe the following followmg There is a bird birdmuch birdmuch birdmuch much greater in m bigness than a apeacock apeacock apeacock peacock that is found within wlthm the theforests theforests theforests forests and vegas all o\er o er user \ this thiscountry thiscountry thiscountry country It surpasses as food anywild any anywIld anywild wIld birdwe bird we have found up to tothis tothis tothis this time The natives do toot tootthese shootthese oot ootthese these birds with arrows and catch c1tch ditch ditchits ! ? catchThe its itsr r I Ik IThe k The first great seal of the United UnitedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States , adopted by congress in 10 1782 1782them them in m various vanous kinds kmds of sprmges springes springesand sprmgesand springesand and snaresSpecimens snaresSpecimens snares snaresSpecimens Specimens of this splendid fowl fowlwere fowlwere fowlwere were almost immediately unmedlately sent sentback sentback sentback back to Spain Spam and the Jewish Jewishmerchants Jewishmerchants Jewishmerchants merchants leadingdealers leadmgdealers who were the leadmg leading dealers in m such commodities at atthe atthe atthe the time thought they looked lookedmore lookedmore lookedmore more like peacocks than anythmg anything anythingelse anythingelse : else The Hebrew word for pea peacock peacock peacock cock was tukki tuklu from a Hmdu Hindu Hmduword Hinduword Hinduword word toka meaning meanmg trailing trailingskirt trailingskirt trailingskirt skirt and these merchants be began - gan beIgan calling them tukkis tukkls be-I be I or orAmerican orAmencan orAmerican American Amencan tukkis tulJus Soon the theword theword I Iword word tukki tukkl became corrupted corruptedto I Ito to turkey and led to a confu confuI confuslon confusion confusion I slon sion as to their origin ongm een esen esenthough e\ e e\enthough e enthough \ en enI enthough I though they were of Amencan American Amencanrather Americanrather Americanrather rather than Turkish nativity nativityA A Royal GiftFrom Gift GiftFrom delicacyfrom From Spa n the new delicacy from the New world spread to toother toother toother other parts of Europe and won m in mstant instant inslant stant favor Turkeys were taken takento takento takento to Persia by Armenians and to toBatavia toBatavia toBatavia Batavia by the Dutch In Francewhere Francewhere France Francewhere -where where - where the turkey was and IS IScalled iscalled iscalled called dinde dlnde because they be- be believed believed be believed - - lieved it hailed from India-the India the Indiathebird Indiathebird India - thebird bird was first served for the wed wedding wedding wedding ding youngCharles feast of the lively young Charles IX and Elizabeth lIzabeth of Aus Austna Austrra Austna tna trra Twelve turkeys were con conside considered considered side sidered red fine enough for a royal royalgift royalgift royalgift gift from the mercha-ts mercha ts merchants - - of ofAmlens ofAmiens ofAmiens Amlens Amiens to Charles By the mid middie middie middie die of the century England met metthe metthe metthe the birdar birdnid bird nid ai ar d in m another 20 years yearsIt yearsit yearsit yearsitias It \ias ias .as as was . \ being plentifully raised In Invanous invarious invarious vanous various BritainAnd BntamAnd sections of Great Britain Bntam And now co Ties nes one of the thecunous thecurious thecurious cunous curious pandoxes pardoxes paradoxes , of h story inthat m in that mthat inthat this native American Amencan be came an immigrant to the shores shoresof shoresof shoresof of his own land In 1629 a letter letterwritten , wntten written to Governor Endicott In InSalem inSalem inSalem Salem Mass by his agents In InLondon inLondon inLondon London assured him that tame tameturkles tameturkies tameturkies turkles turkies shall be sent you by the thenexte thenexte thenexte nexte shippe shlppe So m In a short time timethe timethe timethe the New England variety vanety of the theNorth theNorth theNorth North American Amencan wild wlld turkey was wasbemg wasbeing wasbeing bemg being mixed with his partly do domesticated do- do domesticated domesticated - mesticated descendant from Mex MexICO Mexico Mexico ICO via England-thus England thus England - thus complet completmg completmg completing mg a curious cunous 100 year round the theworld theworld theworld world tourIt tour tourIt It is probable that not one tur turkey turkey turkey key m In a thousand which will willgrace willgrace willgrace grace the Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg table this thisyear thisyear thisyear year will be a native wild turkey turkeyFor turkeyFor turkeyFor For the original ongmal New England Englandwild Englandwild Englandwild wild turkey ( Meleagres Amen Ameni Amencana Amenicana Amencana cana ) is all but extinct eJ\.tmct eJ.tmct eJ .tmct tmct \ . in m the part partof partof partof of the country where he first fast made madehis madehis madehis his appearance on that festal festalboard festalboard festalboard board The wild turkey of today todayMeleagres todayMeleagres todayMeleagres ( Meleagres gallapavo silvestns sllvestns silvestris ) according accordmg to ornithologists IS ISfound isfound isfound found in greatly greatl ) reduced numbers numbersonly numbersonly numbersonly only from Pennsylvania and Ohio Ohiosouth Ohiosouth Ohiosouth south to the gulf states and westto west westto westto to Arkansas There is a smaller smallervanety smallervariety smallervariety vanety variety the Florida Flonda wild turkey turkeyin In that state in m southern Texas Texasis IS another the Rio Grande turkey turkeyand turkeyand turkeyand and in the Rocky mountain re reglOn region region glOn gion another Mernam Merriam s turkey turkeyAll turkeyAll turkeyAll All modem modern domesticated turkeys turkeysare turkeysare turkeysare are derived denved from the Mexican Mexicanwild Mexicanwild Mexicanwild wild turkey ( Meleagres Mexi Mexicana Mexicana Mexicana cana ) of the earliest earl1est daysThe days daysThe daysThe The First FlfSt Thanksgiving ThanksglvlDg ThanksgivingBut : But to get back to why the tur turkey turkey turkey key occupies such a promInent promment promInentplace prommentplace prominentplace place on our Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg day daydmner daydinner daydinner dmner dinner table-of table of table - - of that first celebra celebratlon celebration celebration tlon tion held m in Plymouth in m 1621 1621Edward 1621Edward 1621Edward Edward Wmslow Winslow wrote back to toEngland toEngland toEngland England as followsOur follows followsOur Our harvest being bemg gotten In Inour inour inour our Governor sent foure men on onfowlmg onfowling onfowling fowlmg fowling that so we might after a amore amore amore more speciall speclall manner rejoyce to together together together gether , after we , had gathered In Inthe inthe inthe the fruit of our labours they theyfoure theyfoure theyfoure foure m In one day killed as much muchfowle muchfowle muchfowie fowle as with a tittle I1ttle little help be beside beside beside side served the company almost almosta a week at which time amongst amongstother amongstother amongstother other recreations we exercised exercisedour |
