Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-01-29
Ostriche,.
Good Word.

W ,he shoulder. with hlac,.. oIf
feathers on the back, and tbo S sda
plumes, both black and , ut oeaua
A band of bright red or pjnk VI ,n the
the leg, and they prap p.,A lans Do
great dignity, shaking the AV xsu,.
rich, loose. hanging featba,ss eaiai
their short arms las ons en- w
With, With much m pomp and ceremo r,gp y.
their ladies, who are far mor as o., os
dressed in gray. They, too. hay guy
ever, some white feathars.4 lave
cannot be depended UPON a. o ,1 7
often streaked with gray, and ID a ,ue y
SO valuable as those of the e' m are ps
Their large eyes have cur ri,e y Y
which they bring over them and :,
at pleasure. A pair of tins ' o., .s
is worth about $50, and five W., usri
parted with; but the remains rsls
used nightly to settle themsai,
roost at equal distances alone t5a !
yard, with their large projectIp rIt ~, y
nat on the earth, And a stranger !;
ing up to the place IL the d"a.
more than once confronted bv ,ha
sentinels suddenly Uprising fr -.
ground to their full height with s,s.t
effect They are extremely st,o o,a
can kill a man by striking at him !.
the full force of the leg, when tba !.
above al inch long, of the finn,
will tear the flesh from head ~ !
the wound from the nail is con :; !,
to be poisonous. The bird when 1 + !
be plucked, is therefore verv cs, -
secured; it is driven into narrnv
and a bar let down behind it. Ar
ing is then drawn over its head !,
when once blindfolded it remains !
tlonless and makes no resistance n
quill of the feather, when "aEys'
full of blood, and plucking must /
painful process. About twenty Of,
finer feathers, and thirty Or forty Of
commoner ones, are taken at the !,
time, when the poor birds wounds
rubbed with sweet oil and VINEGAR
soon seems to recover; but the tend
hearted master sometimes cps
plumes off near the root instead
plucking them; these, however, do
sell so well. A good feather is worth
shillngs at Cape Town, and the proid
of the five ostriches amounts to aba
eco year. This, in a bad season,v1
the wheat is devoured by rust, VII
the sheep have the scab, when the css
suffer from dry seasons and short cm
and the odium is Threatening the yin
must be very pleasant resourceaa
Cape farmer in his need, which i
English one will envy him.
1t is by no means, however, all pA
sailing with ostrich produce. Ihehr
only breed after five years, and Old
come to grief; the male birds fgl
they rub themselves against the grou
break and dirty their feathers,
fond of water, and often plunge into
pools and swim over, much to the
riment of the plumes that are to fig
on the bonnet of some Paris OF Load
elegante. The garden pool Of tie fad
in question is surrounded by wild z
geraniums six feet high or So VINO
are mown down from time to tneon
to grow up more luxurlantly mixed
thu lower, moister side with a qpaau
of tall, white arums and sort o. n
gladiole with long, loose, marrow eis
The Cape flowers of all kinds are 81
liant in color, the hills and heata
gecus to behold, though they are =
not to have so fine an effect a. Sn
"got up" in the borders Of an hoss
garden or greenhouse. Much Of
uncultivated land would be COCA
crops; but as soon as it is even 'u'I KS
by the pillow, prickly scrub, me ~
nosta, with thick roots and a sho's y.
Invariably comes up, although ~
were no signs of it before, as
seeds we're lying in wait; this Mss y
picked out with great trouble an1
pense before any use can be I'S ~.
the land. I. is. however. good Iol w.
ing, and as there is little wood i AM
coal, except what is brougn. ~ n' !,
great distance, ibis is comlo''lDs y
sideration. ,hovvs
confined in a pen SURROUNDS ,bs
fence of cactus or prickly peal ' 5,1
of which is good eating; ald QUO -,
young mulatto crept in, v s1';, Il !,
no business, to steal the fruit IA Az j
d die u ostrich struck at him, ana NJ.
open the whole leg Of his a ISI /,
U wpounding the thigh. |; mlg ;asd =
killed him; but the boy jack o
Helena woman and coole' ~nv +
been brought ND on the farm evs,at
he was 8 years OLD, rusle' basn
sound sou nd of tie shrieks with viii nal, D'''i 1
barley and rescued the l. NAH IL Ibssfd
wound, however, was m l!niG by tlr ID.
The bird is very easily killed " me hss
twist si Of the neck or blow on 1l IN Il
The immense cavity for AZ rr !" 50 I'D
breast which enables 1t 10 iuI -,bsn