Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-10-24
Ostrich Plumes and Tips.
How OSTRICH FEATHERS ARE PROCURED
THEIR APPEARANCE IN THE RAW STATE.

The fortunate lady whose new fall hat
dazzles the eve with its rich mass of noddng
ostrich plumes probably has little or no idea
of the laborious process by which her much
priced plumes are developed from the stiff
feathered quills plucked from the ong-legged
bird of the desert. Could those votaries of
fashion whose tastes and money have caused
the trade in ostrich feathers to increase, in
the New York market alone. during the last
five or six years. from about S500.000 to
nearly So, 900, 600 per snnum, see the raw
feathers as they are brought to the factories
they would certainly be surprised and per-
haps disgusted. In their natural state the
feathers of an ostrich look very much like
good sized quilts pulled from the wing of
goose or a hen, and some of them have q
grayish or dirty white color which is any,
thing but agreeable. Ii requires patient and
skllful work to give ostrich plumes and
ostrich tips the much admired futfiness and
richness of color they display in the miliners'
showcases. This work is growing into an
important industry in New York. 1t already
gives employment to more than 5000 men,
women and girls, and the business is spread
ing with wonderful rapidity. Several inn
porters and manufacturers of ostrich feathers
are clustered within the territory lying just
west of Broadway, between Houston and
Canal streets. One of these, the largest
importer of ostrich feathers in this country,
informed Times reporter that he expected
his importation of ostrich feathers for 1882
alone would amount to about 81, ,000, 900.
There has been wonderful increase in the
demand for this class of goods during the
past few years" he remarked. "The ladies'
are wearing more feathers on their bonnets
and hats than formerly. Two or three years
ago a single ostrich feather was thought to
be sufficient tor one hat, but now
fashion demands at least double
plume, and in some cases as many
as six or seven feathers for each hat.
This extraordinary demand has not only had
the effect of increasing the price of ostrich
feathers, but il has induced the ostrich farm
ers of South Africa to pluck their birds prem
aturely, thereby putting on the market an
inferior quality of feathers. We seldom get
large feathers now, and in order to make q
good sized plume, we are obliged to sew two
or more feathers together
The ostrich feathers that come to the New
York market are purchased in London. The
farmers in South Africa who make a business
Of raising ostriches for their feathers carry
or send their products to Port Elizabeth,
where they are consigned to commission mer-
chants who sell them at auction at stated
periods. The buyers, as a rule, subsequent
ly dispose of them in the principal European
markets. Nnder the stimulus of a brisk de-
mand, the ostrich raisers have mostly got
into the habit of breeding by artificial incu-
bators. With rare exceptions, all the feath-
ers sold in this country are the feathers of
domesticated ostrches. There are but few
wild ostriches left in what is known as the
ostrich-raising country. few years ago an
idea prevailed that the ''bird of the desert
could be raised in this country, and some
elaborate experiments were tried IN the State
of Texas. Those experiments, however,
were not practically successful. and their
failure has been attributed to various causes.
By some it has been claimed that the climate
was unfavorable, while others have asserted
that the ostriches were not supplied with
such food as was needful. However that may
be, the New York dealers in feathers say that
they will continue to look to the African
products for their purposes.-Mw York
Times.