Turkey Story

The following story was taken from the Tarboro, North Carolina newspaper, The Daily Southerner, June 16, 1905.

There are turkey stories as well as fish stories, if anyone should ask you, and N. P. Bullock (Dock) tells the following and vows that it is true:



A few days ago he was not far from Doehead, near the old race track back of Sessum field, when he saw ahead of him two wild turkey gobblers fighting. Mr. Bullock stepped out into the bushes and crept along till he was opposite the fighting fowls. So intent were they in their contest that he was not heard. With a stealthy step he advanced till he was almost upon them and then he made a spring and caught the two by the neck, one in each hand.


Then ensued a battle between man and bird. With wings and feet the latter fought, scratching Mr. Bullock's arms and tearing his clothing. With much difficulty one bird was carried to the ground, where its head was crushed by the man's foot, while the other maintained its desperate scratching with feet and striking with wing. The first one disposed of the other soon fell an easy victim.

Mr. Bullock says that he had no idea how strong a turkey was before. The two turkeys were grown gobblers with beards nearly three inches long.

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NOTE: "Dock" Bullock was listed in the 1900 census as a 53 year old male living in the North Whitakers township of Nash County, NC.

Doehead was a small community in Edgecombe County, NC. It had a post office that was started in 1888 and discontinued in 1902. The first postmaster was Thaddeus B. Barlow.

This story was published in The Connector, newsletter of the Tar River Connections Genealogical Society in the Winter 2005 issue.