Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-04-17
THE HIGH kfcKERs.
Dr. sketchIey Arrives with 80
Ostrfches from Natal.

Ostrfches from Natal.
As the west. bound train wheeled into
the depot yesterday two freight cars be-
hind the tender attracted universal at
tention on account Of a lot of small
heads, with wide, fiat bills, and pair
of great mild, but frightened eyes at the
end, Of long, slender necks protruding
through the bars. The cry soon went
along the platform, at is DR.. Sketchley
with the oAriehes. The cars were at
once side.tracked, and HERALD repor-
ter missing DIR. Sketchley, proceeded to
interview the birds OF strange aspect, the
last branch Of varied and numerous
race that once trod the good green
earth. but now largely replaced by the
''fitter" animals who are to survive these
birds short of wing, but prodigious of
neck and leg.
They were in charge Of couple of
natives Of Madras, one Of whom seeing
the reporter experimenting on his pets
with bit Of turnip, demonstrated
against feeding them stones. because,
you sec, they swallow anything, and if
big stone gets into their crops they have
to be put under trip.hammer to crush
the stone 80 as to aid digestion a little.
Oh, no; the hammer has no effect on the
bird"
Besides the thirty-six ostriches there
is carload of monkeys, beautiful cock
atoos, macaws and other South African
birds. Having seen enough of the
menagerie and the Hindoos, the re-
porter sought DR.. Sketchley, who was
found later at his hotel. With hisusual
urbanity this celebrated "globe-trotter"
odd all about how he reached the Cape,
where he found the government in
tensely opposed to the exporting OF the
birds upon which they have placed
an export duty of $500 head. The
Doctor proceeded to Natal on the east
coast Of the peninsula, and then making
Journey of 400 to 500 miles into the
archaeological kickers and other treas.
ures of the feathered kingdom, together
with few monkeys. The Doctor said
Gust to keep us from being too proud,
by letting us see the Darwinian germ
wherefrom we all derive descent.
At Natal the Doctor embarked 65 of
the "ghastly, gaunt, ungainly creatures
from the nights Plutonian shore" of the
"dark continent" in ship special
ly chartered for the purpose. |
They were in charge of four |
men and one woman from Madras,
skilled in the care of such game. The |
first two days out were very stormy. The |
birds pitched in all sorts of directions,
tumbling actually out of their pens,
breaking their legs and necks. There is
not much else to break but legs and |
necks, He dare not put in to Cape |
Town and had to be ''devilish sly" like
joey Bagstock, to get out of the clutches
of the watchful officials. Rounding the
Cape the weather became good and the
seas smooth and from there on all was
plain sailing. AT the point OF embarka-
ton there were taken on as food for the
birds twenty tons of green stuff and ten
of corn, with six tanks of water, each
holding 400 gallons. The ship landed at
the island of st. Helena, off the
west coast Of Africa, and took
In s tons of vegetables. At the Barba-
does, on the outskirts of the West In
dies, land was made again and six tons
of greens taken on. AT both points the
tanks were replenished. The ship |
sailed from Natal January oath and
reached Galveston about the LIST of this
month. Here the outfit rested two days
and then came over the Sunset route to
Los Angeles. The first day on the
train one of the ostriches, which had
been sick all the way over, died, making
twenty deaths in all. There is another
sick one at the depot.
DIR. Sketchley had sent on some of
lis men ahead, and the corrals are all
ready on the Los Feliz to receive the Gu
rious birds, which will be taken there
to-day.
A landscape gardener, one Of the best
in London, is daily expected here to lay |
out the grounds. The doctor has palm
and other seeds from South Africa with |
him. He has orders out in Australia,
New Zealand, China, Japan, India, and
all over the world for rare and beautiful |
birds, beasts, shrubs, flowers, curios, |
etc, ETC., and will make here one of the |
most charming pleasure resorts in the |
world. A restaurant will be placed in |
the grounds so that visitors may prop |
erly refresh the inner man after inspect
ing the sights and enjoying ramble
around the rare exoties OF this beautiful
resort.
1t is not true that the oldest ostrich |
in the lot got loose yesterday, kicked a
car wheel to atoms at one drive and |
then turned round aud made a hearty |
meal off the broken iron. An ostrich |
requires quart of sulphuric acid and
five pounds of African pepper with a
meal OF scrap iron to aid dige. ton.