Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1873-04-12
Something About Feathers

Something About Feathers.
Ithas been observed that a love for
feathers is amongst the prettiest vani-
ties, the daintiest whims of men and
women. From a strictly philosophical
and grimly utilitarian point of view, it
may be considered exceedingly absurd
to rob a poor bird of his clothes, and
use them as additional adornments to
our own attire. But fashion, both in
savage and civilized circles, enforce
strange vagaries. The aboriginal races
Of North and South America, Africa,
the islands of the Pacific and Indian
archipelagoes, gloried in their feather
plumes and %coronets, long before our
European bellies increased commerce so
largely in this direction. The jaunty
hat, which has been now so long worn
by young ladies, has given a great i'm
petus to every novelty in the shape of
feathers for decorating it. 1t is strange
how persistent this fashion has been,
having now lasted more than ten years.
First. the pheasant plume was intro
duced as an ornament for hats then
followed the ptarmigan, peacock, tro-
gon, impeyan, and argus pheasants,
ibis, heron, sea-gull, black-cock, and
owl, and now almost every variety of
plumage may be seen in the hats Of
ladies and children. According to
scarcity and fashion, some kinds of
feathers occasionally command a fabu-
lous price. Thus certain sorts for hats
have reached eight to ten pounds the
pound weight. The greatest novelty
this season has been the feathers of the
sapphire, cockatoo, with the adiuncts
of other birds feathers, many greatly
changed and disguised by the skill of
the dyer.
Paris enjoys a high reputation for
the preparation, bleaching, dyeing, and
arrangement Of the feathers, a great
number of persons being employed in
the feather trade there, which was reck-
oned to have reached, before the late
war, an annual value Of nearly a hall
million sterling. The largest portion
of these were exported to North Amer
ca and the colonies. A new and very
pretty ornamental application of bird
skins is that of the entire head and
plumage of some snowy bird for fans
and fire screens 4; and the brilliant little
heads of the humming bird family,
handsomely mounted as necklets, cal
pendants, brooches, etc, form a novel
species OF bird-iewelry.
The elegance of the feathers of the
ostrich, arising from their slender
stems and graceful barbules, has caused
them to be priced in all ages. They are
the dearest and most sought after o.
any feathers, in consequence OF thel
fneness and elasticity, being employed
for court plumes and head-dresses, a
well as the nodding plumes on tn
hearse. Their value is enhanced be
cause they can always be cleaned, dyed
and re-made into larger plumes, by pa
thence and assiduity in the attachment
Vulture plumes, or bastard os
trich," as they are called in trade, ar
employed in large quantities in France
and form the most important branch il
the commerce in feathers there. The,
are obtained from the American ostrich
which inhabits chiefly the pampas an
the vast plains of Patagonia, the Arger
tine confederation, and the adioinin
republics. 1t is smaller than the tru
African ostrich, is without a tail, an
the feathers are not of the same ric
and costly kind. The Patagonians an
Indians make plumes, parasols, an
many beautiful ornaments of them. LII
feathers are imported in the roug
from South America, under the dii
tinction of large and small v~ulture. TIL
former is commercially known as "dry
OF white foot" the lower part OF th
plume being white and the head blacl
They are used for ~coiffures, the whit
part in its natural state, or dyed SON
light color. and the dark part as blacl
The bad feathers are worked up int
plumeaux or busting brushes. The a
erage value of these feathers in the La
twenty years has ranged from four shi
lingsto fifteen shillings the kilogral
(of about two pounds), according to til
demands of fashion and the quantit
received from Buenos Ayres. Th
small vulture feathers are exclusivel
used for head-dresses, and r rattle
higher ia price than the large ones.
The trade in cocks feathers is yer
important. France receives supplies
be made up, from nearly all Europe
Poland and Russia send her about IA
600 pounds weight a year, and i
France itself, as a great poultry breed
ing country, the quantity received !
considerable. In commerce they ar
elaaaed into several kinds, the saddl
aud the hackle feathers being especial
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