Morning journal and courier., 1882-11-13
Ostrich Fumes and Tips.
How Ostrich Feathers are Procured- Their Appearance in the Raw State.
 From the New York Times

How Ostrich Feathers are Procured-
 Their Appearance 1n the Raw State.
 From the New York Times
 The fortunate lady whose new fall hat dazzles the eye with it's rich mass of nodding ostrich plumrs probably has little or no idea prized plumes are developed from the stiff feathered quills plucked from the long 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 $500,000 to nearly $5, GOO, 900 per annum, 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 quills pulled from the wing of a goose or a hen, and some of them have a grayish or dirty white color which is any thing but agreeable. It requires patient and skillful work to give ostrich plumes and os- trich tips the much admired huffiness and richness of color they display in the milli, ners' showcases. This work is growing into an important industry in New York. It already gives employment to more than D. GOO men, women and girls, and the business is spreading with wonderful rapidity. Several importers and manufacturers of ostrich feath CTS are clustered within the territory lying just west of Broadway. between Houston and
 
 porter of ostrich feathers in this country, informed @ Times reporter that he expected his importation of ostrich feathers for 1882 alone would amount to about $2 ,0O0, ,0OO. ''There has been q 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 yea ITS ago 8 single ostrich feather was thought to be sufficient for one hat, but now fashion de mands at least a 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 it has induced the ostrich farmers of South Africa to pluck their birds prematurely, thereby putting on the market an inferior quality of feathers We seldom get large feathers now, and in l order to make a good-sized plume, we are I obliged to sew two or more feathers togeth- er'
 The ostrich feathers that come to the New York market are purchased in London. The farmers in South Africa who make busi- ness of raising ostriches for their feathers | carry or send their products to Port Eliza | beth, where they are consigned to commis- sion merchants, who sell them at auction at stated periods. The buyers, as 8 rule sub sequently dispose of them in the principal European markets. Under the stimulus of l a brisk demand. the ostrich raisers have | mostly got into the habit of breeding by ar | tificial incuEators With rare exceptions all | the feathers sold in this country are the l feathers of domesticated ostriches. There l 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.