The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-02-08
OUR GROWING COUNTRY.
Ifs Industrial, Commercial, Railroad,
and Agricultural Development.
FINANCE AND TR ABE.
Latest Reports from Leading
Business Centres.


DR.. ProthrOe the owner. and Mr.. Sllctchly,
his assistant. from Cape Town. South Africa
recently came overland to California with ten
male and twelve female OstricheS, valued at
$4,000 and $1,000 railway charges. After be-
ing exhibited at Noudward'S Gardens In san
Francisco. they were taken to their home in
Fresno county, where the new enterprise viii
be conducted under the direction OF {. {. Briggs.
On account of superior cVCnncSS of climate the
Doctor feels assured of larger production, al
most total exemption from TiCks and finer
feathers than at Cape Colony. He introduced
the same Syrian variety OF birds in Buenos
Ayres where his expectations have been fully
realized. The male birCs are plucllcd, rs well
rs the females at two years. At Cape Colony
one male and two females make family The
average weight Of these birds is POO pounds
each. The males are black and white; the fe-
males mouse colored. Even seven or eight
months after the first laying each bird gives
100 first quality feathers from Its wings and
tail. valued at $50. besides inferior ones from
back and breast. OStrichcs begin TO lay turnip
sized eggs, in sand nests, at five years old
Each family Of two hens lays about $50 eggs a
year from which 1l5 chicks are raised by arti-
fetal heat. In three weeks after leaving the
nest they begin TO lay again. Till three months
old the chicks are tCnderly cared for. Then
they run i'll tioCkS like sheep, being very hardy,
till five years old, when those for breeding are
kept apart. Except in breeding time they are
easy to approach and handle, but their eyes are
hooded for p}ucllimg. An expert seiZeS the
quill end low down, and with Il sudden slap
twists ii out. They say it is not exactly pain
full, but very sm&rting. Each family is in
closed with high fence, which an eight-toOt
bird cannot overlook. The market value at the
Cape may be quoted Birds at three months,
$50; at two years, $50 each bird when ripe,
at five years, Sl.0GO to 81, 200 for a family of
three. DIR. PrOthroe sums up his anticipated
results from this venture at the end Of five
years at2, 400 birdSan cash for coo feathers.
A year later $4,000 birds and 100000 feathers,
and so on yearly ad infinitum during the
twenty-five remaining years of the average
birds life. An idea Of the possible profits from
ostrich farming may be derived from the fact
that Cape Colony derives six and quarter
million ofdollarS year from exported feathers.
A second farm is to he established in Los Ange-
les county, and an expert is now on his way
from South Africa with fifty birds with which
TO stock it, The American cOnsuls at Cape
Colony and BuenOS AyreS say the - bird isvery
hardy. and will thrive i'll any of the Southern
States where there is no great excess of heat or
cold"
A bill has been introduced in the Florida
Legislature to incorporate the international
Railroad and Steamboat Company of Florida"
with capital stock not TO exceed S15000000,
to construct a railroad from point on the
Georgia line TO Key West and Tampa Florida
Among the incOrporatorS are Gen. John B.
Gordon, of Georgia: William ID. Watson and
Nathaniel Green, of England; DIR. Edward War
rem, of France; Hugh !. Jewett, of New York;
and Maj. Robert ". Hunter, of Virginia. The
length of the contemplated road is estimated at
400 miles, and the bill provides that the State
of Florida shall grant the company $4,000 acres
of land for each mile of road completed, in re-
turn for the large amount of traffic and trade
through the entire length of the State to and
from the West Indies, Mexico and Central and
South america" which it is claimed the con-
structiOn of the road would secure. 1t is under
stood that Gen. Gordon expects also to receive
Government aid i'll the public lands belonging
10 the United States along the line of his CON
templated road Under the bill the company
Is also granted the privilege of holding, owning
and hiring such vessels, propelled either by
sails or steam, rs may be requisite to connect
with the proposed railroad for the purpose of
conveying mails, freight or passengers.
At the annual meeting of the stockholders of
the New York, Chicago and st. Louis Railway
Company, better known as the Nickel Plate'
the old directors were reelected, with the one
exception that Frederick w. Vanderbilt took
the place of General Magee. w H. Vanderbilt
was elected president; ID. w. Caldwell, vice
president and general manager; I. w. Wander
bilt, secretary and treasurer, and H. H. Ham
mersley, assistant treasurer. The Vanderbilt
interest voted on 260 900 shares of stock besides
10000 shares by proxy. President Wander
bllt, in reply to a question, said if the road
does not pay the fixed charges the Lake Shore
Company VII not pay the deficiency and that
the Lake Shore assumes no obligation further
than any other stakeholder. He expects the
Nickel Plate" TO earn at least the fixed
charges, and says it will be maintained sep
srate organization in all respects. The direct
ors of the Nickel Plate" voted to issue ten
million second mortgage bonds, but it is under
stood only about three million will be placed
on sale.
4 mass meeting was held in the Cooper
Union, New York last Thursday, under the
auspices of the New York Association for the
Protection OF American Industry. The hall
was crowded. Peter Cooper presided. Among
the vice-presidents were Hamilton Fish John
Jacob AstOr, Edwin D. Morgan, A. A. Low,
General James Watson Webb, Whitelaw Reid,
Judge Noah Davis, II. j. Cla1in, Robert LenOx
Kennedy, Jesse ScligmaIl, John Roach John
Jay, Russell Sage, Seth Low and George Bliss
Mr. Cooper iii his speech strongly opposed
reduction Of the tariff and Mr. VIM. E. Dodge
followed III a speech in favor Of the protective
system.
W. T. Powell, emigration agent Of the Chi
cagO, Milwaukee and st. Paul Railroad Com
pany, has compiled statistics of the growth of
population III the counties on the lines of the
company in Dakota. From January l to Octo-
Der 81, 1SS2, ten months, in twenty-three
counties the population increased from 43l76
to 90790, or more than 100 per cent The pop
ulatiOn, however, was still very light, avcrag-
ing less than 1000 per county. The increase
of population in ISL and 1852 on three lines is
given as follows:
1881. 1882
Hastings and Dakota Dvision....... 25G0 747O |
Southern Minnesota Division, ........ s3i $50
Iowa and Dakota Division ! $40 4 sso