Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-11-24
iTRICnEs ~ THE UNITED STATES,
From tho New York Sum-

Everybody who went to Central Park
yesterday wanted to see the herd of
twenty-five Ostriches that has Just ar
rived. They are full-RrOwn birds, and
are tho only ever imported for breeding
purposes. Il was q cold day for the
Ostrlches. however, and they we're not at
home except to few favored callers.
They are confined in the deer hut,
which is nice and warm. They are
quite gentle and afectiOnate, but, being
full-grOwn, look down ON even q six
fOOter. One came up to Superintendent
COnklin, and, after gazing mildly at
him for q minute, made sudden snap
ut his breastpin and another at his
watch chain. They are worse than
gang Of pickpOckets," said he; they
won't leave button on your coats ii
you don't watch them" In fact, sev-
eral of the party we're minus buttons on
leaving the mild-eyed strangers. They
look little worn by their long voyage,
and will improve in appearance after
. few days. They are FED literally with
corn, potatoes, and other vegetables.
Mr.. j. ProtherOe, wealthy Frsnchman,
who owns them, and has cultivated
Ostriches for their feathers for years,
told the Sun reporter how he came to
try to breed and farm them in the
United States. "These ostriches," he
said, "were brought by me to Buenos
Ayres from South Africa q year ago. l
have q large farm about 500 miles from
Cape Town, on the Orange river.
started an ostrich farm in BoenOs AyreS
partly because business and trade had
collapsed in South Africa, whore they
have Just gone through q great panic,
and ShouRht could make moro money
elsewhere. / have about $50 birds in
Buen0s Ayre6, but concluded to try the
experiment. also in the United States.
len birds are males, and twelve f0-
males. All are about eight years old.
Farmers in the United States have or
dered ostriches from me, but did not
send them, thinking they could not sur
vive the passage. shall examine the
best places in this country to start .
farm.
Il il mistake to suppose an ostrich
can't stand cold weather and climatic
changes. In South Africa ice forms
some nights nearly an inch thick, and
We have snow also. Both melt during
the day We leave the Ostriches out
doors at night and never feed them.
They live on grass, twiRs of trees, and
the like, but will eat anything. When
they can't get food, however, they die
easily. They swallow largo stones to
promote digestion, and keep them IN
their crop until they wear ont. o.
trichee are of no use for anything but
their feathers. Never tried them for
draueht purposes. Their feathers are
picked every seven months from the
time they are eight months old. The
average life Of an ostrich 10 forty years,
though in Africa they tell stories of osn-
tenaFian ostrichee. We get about
pound OF feathers at each pluoking.
The pure white arc the most valuable,
selling ct 4l75 to 500 q pound. These
are from the wings. Next comes tho
black, darb, fancy and tail feathers. A
fair average would be $50 q pound, and
at that price could make 160 par can't.
more here than in Africa, where every
thing IL % expensive. A camp there
would cost twenty times a. much a.
here. / have eaten the eggs from young
hens. They have q delicious flavor.
EoCs from old hens would 30 too ex-
pensive to eat. These ostrichss have
could breed in New York in summer
time, but not in winter. We use incu-
bators in Buenos Ayres, but not in
Africa. ! had one camp in Africa OF
HOO acres. Il vas surrounded BY vife
fence four feet six inches high. They
won't fly and wont jump over a fence
higher than they can feel With their
ncoks. .'Thees ostriohes stand me in
about 800 each" concluded Mr.. Proth-
eroe. as one Of them made q dash at his
last coat button. Mr.. Protheroe says
that fabulous profits have been made