Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-29
FEATHER BUSTERS.
1sw They Are Gsde-Chicsgo Leads All
0shor cities In rhA Branch of Industry.
ffhfe.xxa Trfhsna1

u.- They Are n.de-Csiesgo Leads Al,
0she~ cities In rhA Branch Of Iadustry.
lChie4so Tribunel
Aa advertisement of .sW antod-Csirls "a
split and bunch feathers" inserted in the
n.ornins papers, Att acted the attention o<
arepoFssr yesterday land he proceeded 10
the place designated for the purpose OF
making inquiries Descending into the
cellar ss the above number the rumble Of
rnaehinsry was heard, and upon opening
Ne door she Inner atnOsphero was found
20 DO thick with fying feathers.
This Is where we ma ke feather busters, I"
said the proprietor or the establishment. in
response 70 an inquiry by the reporter
My place fsnk very large one, bot we
make a good many busters in the course OF
year"
Referring TO the advertisement, the pro-
pristor said; ave have girls to split and
bunch the feathers, which Is a very easy
and simple process Now, look here" and
leading the reporter to the rear OF the
room, be showed small machine OF CYL
tndrical shape, with long, sharp steel
knife placed horizontally above it, ssThe
girl puts the feather between the knife and
the cylinder, and, the latter revolving, the
feather Is carried through. In the passage
the stem Is split. though the feather is not
injured In the least, the object OF this be-
Ing TO give pHabllity. Ia large factories
this is all done by machinery, while In my
place sAe feeding is done by hand The
feather il then run ehrough grinder,
which removes the pith from the stem and
snootbs or sixes che latter down. Then
they are 'bunched-' THIS consists simply
in sorting shsn- out according to size and
fastening them together. They are then
esdy TO BE- converted into busters, the
process Of which you can easily under
stand, It being neither intricate nor diff
cult"
What kind OF feathers are usedo'
Those OF turkeys altogether, except
where peacock busters are made.n
Where do the feathers come froms,
" get them from commission houses.
and they gee them from everywhere.
though the Western States furnish the
most Chicago IL the great feather mar
kst Of ths world, and, in the matter of
busters, there are more made here than in
any other city IN the United States or Eu-
rope. Busters are shipped from here TO
New York, San Francisco, and all inter-
mediate points, and even Paris, France.
has been Supplied from Chicago"
Are all the feathers Of the turkey util-
izedp-
Yes. toe wings and tail feathers are
used for making what we call the split
duster-those which open wide or flare at
The top; the body feathers make what is
known ss the body iuster. which Is more
compact"
How many dustsr factories are there Ia
Chicsgos"
Eight; and they snploy In the neigh
borhood II 800 bands. IL not more. AS to
tAs capital invested ooaidn't say, though
IL amounts 20 several hundred thousand
dollars. You viii dnd Chicago ustsrs in
svsry CITY in tais country, and the trade il
constantly on the increase. It voold be sn
impassibi ity to say how Hsaay are rnasn-
tsceursS hare every year. bot the figures
would doubtless sstoaish you IL you could
ses a. them. There's 40 necessity for any 1
body having lust in the house. Office or
store now